China Introduces New Safety Rules for Autonomous Vehicles

China has unveiled new safety regulations for autonomous vehicles operating on its roads, requiring manufacturers to include a mandatory override system that allows human intervention, the government announced on Tuesday.

The new standards, which will take effect from July 1, 2027, will apply to both partially autonomous vehicles that rely on a human safety driver and fully autonomous vehicles, including robotaxis similar to those developed by US company Waymo.

According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, vehicle makers must ensure that autonomous driving systems achieve safety levels comparable to those of human drivers before they can be deployed.

The regulations will also require manufacturers to clearly disclose the limitations and operational boundaries of autonomous systems to consumers, ensuring buyers understand the capabilities and risks associated with the technology.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Seeks China Partnership On Marine Data, Not Aid – Jimoh Ibrahim

The rules standardise interactions between humans and machines to “prevent risks of misuse or abuse”, the ministry said.

They will require that autonomous vehicles feature safe procedures to activate and deactivate automated driving, it said.

For cars with a human back-up driver, the autonomous system must monitor their readiness to take over.

Safety concerns and the cost of developing next-level systems have complicated progress in the introduction of of autonomous vehicles.

Beijing warned leading automakers that safety rules would be more tightly enforced after a fatal crash in 2025 involving a Xiaomi car in assisted driving mode.

The new rules follow a UN agency’s adoption in June of the first global regulations for fully autonomous vehicles, which China backed.

AFP