China Releases Safety Guidelines for Self-Driving Cars

China on Dec. 5 released safety guidelines for the use of self-driving cars in public transportation, the latest in a series of measures to prepare for the growing number of self-driving cars.

The Transport Ministry stated that the guidelines apply to autonomous vehicles for passengers, including drivers, and autonomous vehicles for transport.

The directive covers different levels of automated vehicles and requires at least one driver or safety monitor to be carried. In addition, companies using self-driving cars for public transportation must be certified and licensed, and companies must be able to work with engineers for these activities.

The world's largest auto markets have established rules and regulations for autonomous driving. The goal is to establish a system that supports assistance and autonomous driving by 2025, introduce standards to support the development of autonomous driving applications and establish a safety assurance system by 2030.

China announced last month that it will allow road tests of smart and connected vehicles. In October, it issued guidelines for road engineering facilities to support self-driving technology. And last July, the guidelines for standardizing intelligent connected vehicles were announced.