Fleets should take note of moves in China to ban electrically powered car door handles following horror accidents that have seen people trapped within burning vehicles, says FleetCheck.
Peter Golding, CEO of the fleet software specialist, said the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had stipulated handles must be mechanically operable both internally and externally from the beginning of 2027.
“Flush, electric door handles have become a kind of shorthand in modern car design showing you are driving an advanced, probably electric vehicle – but they represent a genuine threat to life if power is lost.
“The Chinese move has come following an accident in which the driver of a Xiaomi died after not being able to exit their vehicle following a crash, while there are a number of lawsuits underway in the US following similar incidents involving Teslas.
“The UN has also raised the issue and closer to home, The European Transport Safety Council also acknowledges this is a problem and appear to be planning to take action.”
Peter said that while it seemed legislation to make handles safer was inevitable, it was likely to take time and fleets should consider taking action in the meantime.
“There is probably little that can be done with vehicles already on your fleet but it would seem a sensible precaution to take note and ensure that all vehicles on your choice lists have handles that can be operated mechanically.
“This is almost certainly not an issue that would see employers face legal liability in the event of an accident – these cars met all appropriate regulations at the time of sale – but from an ethical point of view, it’s clear such vehicles represent a serious safety risk.”
