China may ban the transfer of car controls to screens

The Ministry of Industry of the People's Republic of China has published a draft of a new vehicle safety standard limiting the transfer of important car controls to touch panels. This was reported by the Bloomberg news agency on February 13.

The document stipulates that functions such as turn signals, emergency alarms, gear shifting, and emergency calls must have fixed buttons or switches.

It is noted that safety concerns are growing due to the fact that the screens not only distract drivers, but can also fail at a particularly inopportune moment. The minimalist interior design was popularized by Tesla and is used by many Chinese manufacturers such as BYD and Xiaomi.

The document also sets out new requirements for high-tech autonomous vehicle systems. Thus, cars with autopilots of the 3rd and 4th levels must demonstrate a level of safety at least equivalent to a "competent and attentive human driver." The standards also define a "minimum risk condition" that requires that in the event of an automated system failure or a driver ignoring a request to intercept control, the vehicle can safely stop on its own.

The draft of the new safety standard is under public discussion, which will last until April 13.

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Earlier, on February 3, it became known that China would ban the production of cars with hidden door handles. China became the first country to approve a corresponding ban. The reason for this was high-profile fatal incidents in which people were trapped in cars. The new rules will come into force on January 1, 2027.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.