Kathmandu— China is moving to strengthen the legal foundation of its burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry with draft revisions to the Road Traffic Safety Law, submitted for first reading this week to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The proposed changes define autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance functions, establish rules for operation on public roads, assign responsibility for traffic violations committed by self-driving cars, and outline insurance requirements. This comes as China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industry accelerates advancements in intelligent driving systems.

Defining Autonomous Vehicle Liability

The draft legislation specifies that manufacturers or importers will be held responsible for handling traffic violations when an autonomous vehicle's self-driving function is engaged. Vehicles operating without their autonomous functions activated, or those equipped only with driver-assistance features, will remain subject to existing regulations governing traditional vehicles. Experts believe this clarification of liability across different operational scenarios is crucial for expanding pilot programs and facilitating the commercial application of autonomous driving technology.

Supporting Testing And Innovation

The revisions demonstrate a commitment to balancing road safety with the development of the autonomous driving industry and overall traffic efficiency, according to the draft. The state will actively support safe, orderly, and well-regulated testing, demonstration, and operation of these vehicles on public roads. This backing is coupled with rapid growth in China’s NEV sector, fueled by advancements in technologies like high-performance chips and LiDAR sensors.

Industry Growth And Testing Progress

Fu Bingfeng, executive vice president and secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, stated that China's intelligent and connected vehicle industry has become an international leader. This position is driven by policy support, technological innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and strong market demand. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reports that 70.5 percent of passenger vehicles now feature Level 2 combined driver-assistance functions, with initial deployments of Level 3 conditionally automated vehicles already underway on public roads in designated areas. Over 57,000 km of roads are currently open for autonomous driving testing, accumulating over 220 million km of testing mileage.

Broader Road Safety Updates

Beyond autonomous vehicle regulations, the draft law includes other updates aimed at enhancing road safety. These include raising the maximum speed limit for electric bicycles on designated lanes from 15 km/h to 20 km/h and introducing new prohibitions against using handheld phones or watching videos while driving. The legislation also addresses issues like abandoning vehicles on roads and selling non-compliant vehicles.

The draft revisions, representing a substantial update to the 2004 Road Traffic Safety Law (with amendments in 2007, 2011, and 2021), are expected to keep pace with China’s rapid economic and social development. By the end of June 2026, China aims for NEVs to account for around 30 percent of its total car fleet.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.