Autonomous Driving Safety Standards

Autonomous driving safety standards refer to the technical specifications and regulatory frameworks established to govern the design, testing, manufacturing, and operational safety of autonomous vehicles, serving as an absolute baseline for the safety of automated driving systems. Currently, China is establishing a dual-track safety framework combining "domestic mandatory standards and international global regulations", anchored by the core requirement that an automated driving system (ADS) must at least match the safety performance of a competent and attentive human driver.

Domestic Framework: Shifting from "Recommended" to "Mandatory"

China's autonomous driving safety standards are undergoing a fundamental shift from voluntary industry guidelines to mandatory technical regulations.

In June 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) opened public consultation on the mandatory national standard "Safety Requirements for Automated Driving Systems of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles" (Approval Draft). Intended to replace the previous recommended standard (GB/T 44721—2024), it establishes a mandatory legal baseline for Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving for the first time via binding technical specifications. Applicable to Category M and Category N vehicles equipped with Level 3 and/or Level 4 automated driving systems (excluding automated parking systems), the standard is slated for implementation on 1 July 2027, with a one-year transition period.

The standard translates the abstract benchmark of a "competent and attentive driver" into quantifiable technical parameters across seven key dimensions: perception, decision-making, control, human-machine interface (HMI), fault management, scenario compliance, and safety validation. These can be verified through proving ground trials, real-world road tests, and data replay. Carmakers must submit comprehensive test data to be documented in a statutory safety dossier before securing market approval.

Level 3 Requirements: The ADS must possess lane cruising, lane-change control, and intersection navigation capabilities (excluding roundabouts). Additionally, the system must independently verify via at least two valid indicators that the fallback user is capable of resuming vehicle control within 30 seconds.

Level 4 Requirements: Building on the aforementioned capabilities, the ADS must additionally be capable of moving into adjacent lanes to bypass obstacles, reversing, and performing U-turns.

Human-Machine Interface (HMI): Carmakers must provide users with detailed operational manuals covering autonomous driving functions, system capabilities, driving automation levels, and operating boundaries. When the system detects an impending collision risk, it must alert vehicle occupants using multi-modal warnings, including visual, acoustic, and haptic cues.

Legal Implications: Once enforced, any non-compliance by carmakers constitutes a legal violation. When referenced under the Civil Code and Product Quality Law, these standards will serve as the legal basis for determining product defects; under the Road Traffic Safety Law, they will serve as the benchmark for establishing whether a vehicle model complies with national automotive safety technical requirements.

Safety Standards for Combined Driver Assistance Systems

On 27 June 2026, the mandatory national standard "Intelligent and Connected Vehicles — Safety Requirements for Combined Driver Assistance Systems" (GB 47955—2026) was officially gazetted, scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2027. Targeting Level 2 combined driving assistance systems, the standard outlines distinct safety requirements across three product formats: basic single-lane assist, basic multi-lane assist, and Navigate on Autopilot (NOA).

The standard establishes a multi-tiered evaluation methodology comprising proving ground tests, on-road trials, and documentation audits, alongside clear data-logging mandates to facilitate incident investigation and accident analysis. Compared to the United Nations UN R171 regulation, China's domestic standard imposes more detailed technical requirements across operational design domains, system functionalities, driver monitoring, and user notifications.

Unified Global Standard: UN ADS GTR

Between 22 and 26 June 2026, the 199th plenary session of the United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) officially endorsed and adopted the world's first Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS GTR), jointly spearheaded by China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Japan. This marks the first globally harmonised technical regulatory framework for autonomous driving, representing a landmark milestone in accelerating autonomous vehicle commercialisation.

The regulation formally introduces the qualitative concept that "an automated driving system's safety performance must at least match that of a competent and attentive driver", while laying down minimum safety requirements for dynamic driving task execution, minimal risk conditions, and human-machine interfaces. Upholding technological neutrality, the framework does not dictate specific technical pathways, setting only universal minimum safety baselines. In tandem, around 90 existing UN vehicle regulations were revised to ensure full applicability to vehicles equipped with automated driving systems (including models without conventional driving controls).

China played a pivotal leadership and driving role in drafting the regulation, submitting dozens of technical proposals spanning dynamic driving tasks, human-machine interaction, and validation protocols. China's domestic standards fully encompass the core technical provisions of the ADS GTR, while introducing more granular requirements for Level 3 and Level 4 automation, alongside innovative, standardised test scenarios.

Previously Gazetted and Implemented Standards

Earlier, China gazetted and enforced its initial batch of mandatory national standards for intelligent and connected vehicles: GB 44495—2024 "Technical Requirements for Vehicle Cybersecurity", GB 44496—2024 "General Technical Requirements for Vehicle Software Upgrades", and GB 44497—2024 "Intelligent and Connected Vehicles — Data Storage System for Automated Driving", effective from 1 January 2026. Crucially, the automated driving data storage system standard provides vital technical backing for accident liability determination and causal analysis.