China’s new traffic safety law set to clarify liability for fully automated cars

Beijing could soon hold carmakers legally responsible for traffic violations when autonomous driving systems are in use, marking an important step towards clearing regulatory hurdles to wider commercialisation.

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, is set to review an amended Road Traffic Safety Law on Tuesday. For the first time, the document was set to include a dedicated chapter on governing autonomous vehicles and advanced driving systems, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

“The definitions of autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance functions would be clarified in the amendments,” Xinhua reported, without revealing when a final verdict on the revised laws would be made.

Self-driving systems switched off during a journey would remain subject to existing rules and laws, according to Xinhua, while analysts noted that carmakers could be held accountable for accidents and traffic rule violations when such systems were activated in a vehicle legally recognised as autonomous.

“As they are required to shoulder the responsibilities for the cars’ operations on the roads, automotive companies will also be allowed to build and sell cars of this kind to attract consumers,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai.

“When the amended law is promulgated, dozens of new autonomous models will hit the streets.”