Congress eyes new electric vehicle safety standards legislation. How backers say it will save lives.
Electric vehicles could soon be in the crosshairs of Congress, with a new bill that would force more rigorous safety standards.
The legislation is especially important to one Westchester County, New York, family, after two wives were killed in a fiery crash that they believe could have been prevented.
"Electric vehicles have gone out of control"
A Bloomberg report shows 15 people have died in Tesla crashes because the doors became inoperable during a crash. Latimer introduced a bipartisan bill calling for national standards on electric vehicles.
"Electric vehicles have gone out of control. The driver could not stop them. Driver crashed and died. When it happens once, it's a tragedy. When it happens more than once, something needs to be done," Rep. George Latimer said.
Specifically, the bill calls for latches that allow occupants to escape or be rescued when the electronic system fails, as well as for improved battery storage and protection, and better firefighter training.
"In this bill, we make sure firefighters have adequate training to fight these fires so if an accident happens, we have a higher likelihood of saving lives," Latimer said.
The bill would give the Department of Transportation a two-year deadline to outline new national standards for electric vehicles, but would allow enhanced firefighter training to begin as soon as it's passed into law.
"The accident was horrific. The fire was horrific"
Greenburgh City Councilman Francis Sheehan's wife and daughter-in-law were killed in a September 2024 crash involving a Tesla.
"The accident was horrific. The fire was horrific," Sheehan said. "Every day, I think about how much my wife and my daughter-in-law Diana would love seeing the grandkids grow up."
Witnesses describe the Tesla as exploding like a bomb when it plowed into a White Plains building, leaving just a charred skeleton of the vehicle behind.
Sheehan has officially endorsed the bill, and believes its passage would save lives.
"If it were in place, would I still have my wife? I think there's a good possibility I would," Sheehan said. "I'm hoping this passes so there's a much better chance for people who drive electric vehicles don't go through what we've gone through. No one should die that way, and unfortunately, they did."
CBS News New York has reached out to Tesla for comment on the new legislation.