1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to urgently request your full support and co-sponsorship of H.R. 6947, the Securing Accessible Functional Emergency (SAFE) Exit Act of 2026. As the automotive industry transitions toward electric vehicles and high-tech designs, the trend of replacing mechanical door handles with purely electronic latches has created a deadly "innovation gap" where buttons become useless during a total power failure or post-crash fire. While manufacturers claim manual overrides exist, they are frequently hidden or non-intuitive, making it nearly impossible for a panicked passenger or a child to exit a smoke-filled cabin. We have already seen tragic, preventable loss of life because occupants were trapped inside vehicles they could not open. The SAFE Exit Act is a common-sense solution that would mandate independent, mechanical manual releases for every vehicle door and ensure these releases are intuitive and clearly labeled. Innovation should never come at the cost of basic exit safety, and first responders must be able to access a vehicle from the outside even when electrical systems fail. I ask that you use your influence to ensure this bill moves swiftly through the legislative process, as a door handle that doesn't work in an emergency is a death sentence. I look forward to hearing your position on this critical safety issue and seeing you champion these essential protections for all drivers.