China’s Supreme People’s Court has ruled that drivers remain legally responsible for road safety even when using assisted driving technology
China’s top court on Friday confirmed that individuals operating vehicles equipped with assisted driving systems remain responsible for their actions behind the wheel, issuing a nationwide legal standard as the country seeks to shape global automotive norms.
The ruling was issued as a “guiding case”, requiring lower courts to reference it when handling similar disputes.
Reference case from Zhejiang
The decision cited a September case in southern Zhejiang province involving a driver surnamed Wang, who was jailed and fined after relying entirely on an assisted driving system while intoxicated.
According to the court, Wang installed a device to simulate a hand grip on the steering wheel, activated the assisted driving function, and then moved to the passenger seat, where he fell asleep.
Police later found Wang after the vehicle came to a halt in the middle of a road.
“The on-board assisted driving system cannot replace the driver as the primary driving subject,” the Supreme People’s Court said in its ruling.
The driver “is still the one who actually performs the driving tasks and bears the responsibility to ensure driving safety”, it added.
Legal benchmark for assisted driving
Although most assisted driving systems currently specify that the driver retains ultimate control, the court’s ruling formalises that responsibility as a legal requirement across the country.
Chinese technology firms and carmakers have invested billions of dollars in autonomous and assisted driving technologies as they compete domestically and internationally.
Beijing has, however, tightened safety oversight following a high-profile crash last March that killed three college students and raised concerns about how vehicles were marketed as capable of autonomous driving.
Authorities have also announced that hidden door handles, a design popularised by Tesla, will be banned from next year due to safety concerns.
Such handles, which fold into the body of a vehicle to reduce drag, may become inoperable in the event of a collision.
In October, rescuers were seen struggling to open the doors of a burning electric vehicle in the southwestern city of Chengdu, highlighting concerns linked to the design.
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