China is getting ready to set new safety rules for assisted driving in cars. This move comes after a recent accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 vehicle. That crash, which happened when the driver took control from the car’s system, sadly killed three people.
The government wants these new rules to find a good balance. They aim to make roads safer while still letting carmakers create advanced features. China also wants to stay competitive with car companies from the US and Europe.
Right now, China’s rules for assisted driving are fairly strict. These systems can steer, brake, and speed up by themselves, but only under certain conditions. Drivers must always pay close attention to the road. This is why companies are not allowed to use words like “smart” or “autonomous” in their ads.
The upcoming rules will focus more on how the car’s hardware and software are designed. They will make sure these systems can watch the driver. The goal is to check if the driver is aware and can take back control quickly when needed.
At the same time, the government has been pushing Chinese carmakers to develop more advanced assisted driving. This is known as Level 3 assisted-driving. It would let drivers look away from the road in some specific situations. To understand this, Level 1 is like cruise control, and Level 5 means the car drives itself in all conditions. Level 3 sits somewhere in the middle.
State-owned Changan Automobile was testing a Level 3 system this past April. But one source says those plans were paused right after the Xiaomi SU7 crash. The tests are now expected to start again by 2026.
Today, most assisted driving systems used in China are Level 2. This includes Tesla’s Full Self Driving and Xiaomi’s systems. They can handle driving on highways and in busy city traffic.