AIBRIEF
First binding national standard covers both human backup vehicles and fully driverless robotaxis, with a July 1, 2027 compliance deadline.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the country's first mandatory national safety standard for autonomous vehicles on August 4, 2026, with a compliance deadline of July 1, 2027. The rule covers both cars that keep a human backup driver and fully driverless robotaxis in a single track.
Manufacturers must show their systems match the safety record of a human driver, and buyers must be told of any limitations. A mandatory deactivation override, a procedure for safely switching the automated system on and off, is also required. For vehicles that keep a backup driver, the system must continuously monitor whether that person is ready to take over.
MIIT's stated rationale is to standardize how people and the automated system interact "to prevent risks of misuse or abuse," per the official release. Xinhua and the Global Times carry the same requirements in slightly different framing.
The rule follows the UN's first global framework for fully autonomous vehicles, which China backed in June 2026, and builds on MIIT's April 2025 tightening after a fatal 2025 crash involving a Xiaomi car in assisted-driving mode. The 23-month runway to July 1, 2027 is the practical deadline; the standard is a safety floor, not a verdict on the technology.