Retractable car door handles banned in China due to safety concerns

China has become the first country to ban retractable car door handles over safety concerns. These are the types of door handles that sit flush with the bodywork and pop out when the vehicle is unlocked. As per the new rules, cars sold in China will be required to have conventional door handles with a mechanical release both on the outside and inside. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has also laid out specific design requirements for door handles. The exterior door handle should have enough space for a hand to operate its mechanical release from any angle, while interior handles should be clearly visible from the corresponding occupant’s position, the ministry said in a statement. The announcement comes after reports of several high-profile incidents where the occupants were unable to escape the vehicle due to power failures, preventing the doors from opening. The new rules will come into effect from January 1, 2027.