The Department of Road Transport has issued a warning to owners of vehicles with electronically controlled or fully integrated ("hidden") door handles, following incidents abroad where vehicle doors did not open in emergency situations.
According to the announcement, the TOM states that international road safety organizations have recorded cases in which these handles malfunctioned after road collisions or even in fire incidents, making it difficult or impossible for passengers to exit the vehicle.
As it states, in some incidents, the battery voltage drop resulted in the exterior handles becoming inactive in their closed (hidden) position, noting that European safety organizations have pointed out that existing standards do not sufficiently ensure that electronically controlled doors can be opened after an accident or in the event of a power failure, which increases the risk of being trapped in the vehicle.
The Department makes recommendations to owners of vehicles in Cyprus with such handles, emphasizing that they should immediately consult their vehicle's owner's manual for the exact method of using the manual release mechanism, as well as the procedure for opening doors when there is no electrical power.
It also urges them to identify where the manual releases are located, for both the front and rear doors, to inform all persons using and riding in the vehicle about how the release mechanism operates, and to regularly check the battery status, as the proper operation of the electric handles also depends on it.
Furthermore, it recommends that owners of these vehicles check whether their vehicle is subject to a recall through the manufacturer's official website and/or the announcements on the EU Safety Gate, while in the event of a door handle malfunction, they should not use the vehicle until it has been checked and repaired.
For more information and incident reports, citizens can contact the Road Transport Department at recalls@rtd.mcw.gov.cy.
Source: KYPE
