Auto-reverse
The federally required safety feature that makes a garage door stop and reverse when it hits an object or its sensor beam is broken.
Auto-reverse (also called safety reverse) is the life-safety system that forces a closing garage door back open the instant it meets resistance. U.S. openers built since 1991 must reverse when the door strikes a solid object, and since 1993 they must also include a second, independent method — almost always the [photo-eye sensors](/glossary/photo-eye-sensor) near the floor that fire an infrared beam across the opening. Together they prevent the door from crushing a child, pet, or car. Both should be tested twice a year: lay a flat board under the door (contact reversal) and wave an object through the beam (sensor reversal). If either fails to reverse, stop using the opener until it's adjusted. See [how to maintain a garage door opener](/guides/how-to-maintain-a-garage-door-opener).