Key facts
- China has proposed adding a dedicated chapter on autonomous vehicles to its Road Traffic Safety Law.
- The draft amendment defines autonomous driving functions and clarifies liability.
- Manufacturers or importers could be held responsible for traffic violations committed while a vehicle is operating in autonomous-driving mode.
- A new mandatory national safety standard, GB 44721-2026, targets Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous systems and takes effect July 1, 2027.
- The legislation aims to create a unified legal framework for testing, operating, and assigning liability for autonomous vehicles.
China has proposed adding a dedicated chapter on autonomous vehicles to its Road Traffic Safety Law, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. The draft amendment, submitted to the country's top legislature for an initial review, defines autonomous driving and driver-assistance functions and clarifies liability.
Under the proposal, manufacturers or importers could be held responsible for traffic violations committed while a vehicle is operating in autonomous-driving mode. Vehicles driven manually or using only assisted-driving functions would remain subject to existing traffic rules. The revision explicitly delineates liability among drivers, vehicle owners, system operators, and developers.
The legislation is paired with a new mandatory national safety standard, GB 44721-2026, which was approved on July 30 and targets Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous systems. This standard takes effect on July 1, 2027, mandating performance benchmarks requiring autonomous systems to operate at a level comparable to a competent human driver, and includes guidelines for human-machine interaction.
Companies such as BYD, Geely, SAIC, XPeng, Li Auto, Xiaomi, and Baidu Apollo participated in drafting the new safety standard. China also played a significant role in shaping the United Nations’ Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems. The draft law requires autonomous vehicles to pass conformity tests and be registered before being driven on roads, and mandates a compulsory motor vehicle traffic accident liability insurance system for them. Manufacturers and importers must ensure the safety, cybersecurity, and data security of autonomous vehicles and avoid false advertising. The law also strengthens road traffic safety by clarifying responsibilities for government departments and internet platform companies, and includes regulations for non-motorized vehicle and pedestrian behavior.