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A bill to make cars with electronic door handles safer was part of a hearing this week in Congress.

Stakeholders spoke before members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee about a slew of auto-related bills, including the recently introduced SAFE Exit Act, which would require all vehicles with electronic door latches to include accessible, clearly labeled manual releases capable of functioning without vehicle power.

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Cooper Lohr, senior policy analyst of transportation and safety for Consumer Reports, said investigations have linked electronic door failures to at least 15 deaths.

"We've had people die in incidents because they couldn't exit their vehicle," Lohr pointed out. "Whereas if they were in that same incident and had a vehicle with a regular mechanical old-time door handle, they would have easily been able to get out of the car."

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents car manufacturers, testified in favor of bills to promote a framework for autonomous vehicles but did not take a position on the SAFE Exit Act. The hearing is a precursor to a package of transportation bills which will have to be reauthorized once it expires at the end of this year.

Lohr noted people who drive cars with door handles dependent on power to open should familiarize their families with the car’s manual safety features.

"If you have a vehicle with any electronic door handle to please consult your model owner manual to make sure that there are manual releases and that you know where those are," Lohr advised.

Consumer Reports has gathered more than 46,000 signatures on an online petition to require carmakers to provide manual door releases on all vehicles.