Four dead in fire as Tesla doors fail to open after crash

Door design and emergency egress

• Many comments focus on Tesla’s electrically controlled doors and unintuitive manual releases, especially for rear seats.
• Model Y and Model S rear-door manual releases require removing trim (mat or carpet) and pulling a hidden cable; some Model Ys reportedly lack a rear manual release entirely.
• Commenters argue this is not “panic friendly,” particularly for children or unfamiliar passengers (e.g., Uber/Lyft riders).
• Several compare to other brands (e.g., VW ID.4, BMW, older Subarus/BMWs) that use electronic latches but integrate a clear mechanical override into the same handle.

Regulations, legality, and child locks

• Multiple people question how cars without obvious mechanical exits pass safety standards.
• Others counter that US rules require rear child locks to prevent kids from opening doors, which is given as the reason for hidden or omitted manual overrides.
• This is challenged: commenters note other EVs with electronic handles and legal, accessible mechanical overrides, implying Tesla’s approach is a design choice, not a regulatory necessity.
• There’s criticism that regulators (NHTSA/NTSB/NHTSA confusion appears) have allowed designs that technically comply but fail the “spirit” of safety recommendations.

Accident and fatality rates

• Links are shared claiming Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate among brands.
• One side sees this as evidence Teslas are dangerous; others argue the stats don’t control for driver population or behavior and note that independent crash tests rate Teslas highly.
• Disagreement remains on how much to blame design vs. driver demographics.

EV fires, laminated glass, and escape tools

• Commenters highlight how quickly EV battery fires become “infernos,” increasing the need for fast egress.
• Many advocate keeping glass breakers/seatbelt cutters, but others note laminated side glass on newer cars (including Teslas) often resists such tools, making escape significantly harder and slower.
• Firefighters reportedly rely more on power tools (e.g., saws) than hand tools for laminated glass, raising concerns about real-world rescue timelines.

Responsibility, design philosophy, and reactions

• Several distinguish between fault for the crash (driver behavior at high speed) and fault for inability to escape (vehicle design).
• A recurring theme is criticism of “over-tech’d” cars that discard simple, robust mechanical controls in favor of sleek electronic designs.
• Suggested remedies include regulatory changes requiring obvious mechanical handles, mandated in-app or printed safety instructions for riders, and even banning such designs from taxi/ride-share use.