China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) has published a new draft that lists mandatory safety standards for autonomous driving systems. Slated to be implemented on July 1, 2027, the ministry is currently gathering public comments on the draft titled ‘Intelligent Connected Vehicles – Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems’ released earlier this month.
This comes as the country considers heightened safety standards for autonomous driving systems in the wake of a various accidents (some fatal) involving vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities, including robotaxis. In recent weeks, MIIT also published new standards relating to vehicle design (door handles, steering wheels) in the interest of safety.
The new draft raises the safety baseline for Level 3 autonomous driving systems, which is defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) as “conditional driving automation.” L3 systems are able to perform all driving tasks under specific conditions but the driver must be ready to take over when needed.
Under the proposed standards, L3 systems must be capable of executing minimal risk manoeuvres independently when the driver fails to respond to takeover requests. This includes the ability to change lanes and safely park the vehicle in a location that doesn’t obstruct traffic during an emergency (driver has a stroke or passes out), while minimising risks to passengers and other road users.
These requirements bring L3 systems classified under China’s proposed standards closer in terms of capabilities to SAE Level 4, which does not require the driver to take over when requested under specific conditions. SAE Level 5 is the highest and is the same as L4, but the system can work in all conditions.
Another requirement for vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities is a device commonly referred to as the Data Storage System for Automated Driving (DSSAD). This is similar to the “black box” in an airplane and serves to record critical operational data so investigators can better reconstruct scenarios in the event of a system failure leading to a traffic accident.
According to CarNewsChina, this data logging system must comply with China’s mandatory national standard on data recording systems for intelligent connected vehicles, which took effect in January 2026. Once finalised, the draft replaces the recommended national standard ‘General Technical Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles’ that was implemented in September 2024.
While recommended standards are voluntary, mandatory standards must be followed, and products that do not comply will be prohibited from production, sale and import in China. A transition period of 13 months from the new standards’ implementation date will be provided for vehicle models that have already been approved prior to ensure the meet the new requirements.
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