Possibility of getting trapped in the 3rd row

I know the folding 2nd row seat has been discussed ad nauseam but I had a different concern that I have not seen addressed anywhere.

Is anyone else worried about escape from the 3rd row of seats in the event of an accident? Climbing out the back does not look like a possibility with the height of the seats. Equally, with non removable headrests, climbing over the 2nd row of seats does not look possible.

It would seem to me the mechanical folding action of most 2nd row seats allows egress from the back row in the event of an emergency. The automatic motion of Model X is great for entry under normal use conditions. But is there an mechanical release mechanism to shove that seat forward if the power is lost or it fails in some other way so the back seat people can get out? For anyone that's ordered their X, can you ask your Tesla contact if there is an emergency release of some kind for that 2nd row?

I'm not trying to create controversy. For the record, I'm a Model S owner and have a deposit down on an X. I have two kids in car seats and the way the 2nd row slides forward solves my biggest problem with regard to 3rd row SUV seating. It's absolutely awesome. Even though I've really needed a 3rd row of seats, I've skipped buying a 3 row SUV for exactly that reason. I can't access any SUV third row with car seats installed (unless I put the seats in the 3rd row which is a pain for my daily use.

And yes, I do realize that with car seats installed, people would equally be trapped in the 3rd row of any other SUV (and some minivans). The difference is, they'd never be able to get back there in the first place. Tesla has ingeniously come up with a way for people to access that 3rd row of seats with Child Seats installed. I just want to make sure they've also thought of a way for those people to get out. I guess fold down still doesn't solve the problem for me b/c with a child seat installed, I wouldn't be able to fold the seat anyway.

But for the rest of you, don't you want a way out if the servo motor moving the seat forward doesn't work?

At this point, the easiest solution for me is to get the 6 seat config. Then egress is out the middle aisle and that's probably what I'll end up doing.

But I'm still curious if there's a manual release to move that 2nd row seat forward.

Thanks Jaguar36. I probably should have noted even non-emergency situations. Considering even the problems with the retractable handles, there are many instances where there could be a failure to move the seats forward automatically. Power failure on the whole vehicle, button failure from wherever it's activated, motor failure for the motor mechanism.

As for the other scenarios. I didn't say anything about the vehicle being on its roof. Even upright or on its side, I'm asking how do you get out of the 3rd row if you can't move the 2nd row forward? You can pry the doors open or the hatch, but you still can't get past the non-removable headrest (unless you're under 5) so you're still trapped in that part of the vehicle unless you smash a window.

Certainly that's what will need to happen in an emergency. If not an emergency (see power failure above), would probably like a solution that doesn't involve breaking a window. I probably should have specified non emergency situations in my original post. My title was mainly meant to address the possibility of being stuck in that 3rd row.

I did note that I would be getting the 6 seat configuration for these reasons. I would like the 7 seats but don't need them so 6 will do for me. But for anyone that needs 7, something to think about.

I will hope for a mechanical release.

No problem Sillydriver. My original post was excessively longwinded.

I feel a little better having seen some pics from the event with people sitting in the 3rd row. It looks like the back opens beyond the 3rd row so in a pinch, smaller people could turn around and go up and over the back of the 3rd row and out the back. That headrest may also be removable which may make most of this somewhat moot.

That said, I think the everyday case scenario is the likely great concern. You pull into the store parking lot, the controls fail, you have passengers stuck in the 3rd row. In my case, my elderly in laws that are not going to be able to climb out the back. The child seats are in the 2nd row b/c I use that every day whereas the inlaws only visit every few months.

I'm 3 hours from the nearest Tesla service center. Don't think a tow or a locksmith is going to help in this scenario.

Simple solution is manual release. Hopefully someone can answer that for me.

Ah, good call. Forgot 3rd row seat folds down. That should be good enough for most people. Might be a little tough with two in the back finding a place to go while folding but in a pinch, that should be good.

Thank you!