Stupid cosmetic designs have been an issue for a long time. There was a theater fire in Chicago in the early 1900's where a bunch of people died because they couldn't figure out how to use the fancy door handles while panicking and being crushed by everyone trying to get out. That's the reason why exit doors on buildings with a high occupancy are now required to swing out, and have those pushbar locks that allow the door to open even if you're just falling on it.

If it's possible that someone will need to use something while panicking, it needs to be as simple, intuitive, and failproof as possible

If I had my way, regulations would require a physical connection for all door handles, and not just that a secondary physical release be available. I don't know how you would go about finding injuries associated with each design as a layperson, but I bet there's a death or two associated with each novel design.

An old man roasted in his Cadillac XLR because the battery was dead and he didn't know where the secondary release was. I think it's under the seat on that car. I don't care how cool that electronic door release was, or if the old man was negligent in not knowing his exits; it wasn't worth his life.

I love how they made the emergency door release a multi step process, which on some models recommended a flat head screwdriver or in others only is for the front doors.

This would be at least the second time this "feature" has been tied to dying horribly.

The front driver and passenger emergency handles are so intuitively placed that every Tesla owner has to warn all their passengers not to use them.

The back is another story entirely if they even have them, but the front are fine.

Edit: I will grant people might forget after not using them for years in a moment of panic. But they know.

I thought you couldn't open normal doors underwater anyway due to water pressure so the recommendation is to kick out your windshield. Do newer cars have doors that open more easily underwater?

I do have to find these but ….

• you don’t need the mechanical backup if you open the door immediately
• mechanical backup can’t help with unequal pressure while you’re sinking
• who the heck would think of that while underwater in a car full of water?

IMO, the real answers are:

1. Train people to open windows when they go into the water and expect to swim out. There ought to be power long enough to do this
2. Make sure there is a window breaker securely mounted someplace obvious

I don’t know if I’d do any better in a panic, but I really ought to get window breakers for all my family’s cars