Car door safety rules will no longer require specific latch designs

US car safety regulators are removing old rules about how car door latches must be designed. This means carmakers can use new latch designs as long as they meet crash performance standards.

For decades, car door safety rules specified exactly how latches had to be built. This meant carmakers were stuck using old designs, even if new materials or engineering could make doors safer or lighter. Now, carmakers can innovate with door latch technology, as long as the doors stay closed in a crash.