Overview
- China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has posted a mandatory national standard for L3 and L4 automated driving that takes effect on July 1, 2027 with a one‑year retrofit window for existing qualified vehicles.
- The standard codifies four pillars: core automated driving capabilities, human‑machine interaction and takeover rules, a staged Minimum Risk Maneuver fallback, and enterprise lifecycle safety management.
- For L3 systems the rule requires multi‑indicator driver monitoring that detects at least two signals (for example seat occupancy, seatbelt, eye gaze or head pose) and a minimum 10‑second takeover warning before handing control to a human.
- The fallback MRM bans violent emergency moves, prescribes staged linear deceleration toward an emergency lane or roadside stopping, and locks the system once the vehicle is safely parked to avoid secondary collisions.
- Manufacturers must compile a structured Safety Case and pass a three‑layer verification process—enterprise capability check, dossier review, and simulation/field tests—creating near‑term cost pressure, favoring multi‑sensor fusion over pure‑vision solutions, and likely accelerating industry consolidation.