(Yicai) Jan. 15 -- More than 50 Chinese cities, including Beijing and Wuhan, have introduced regulations on autonomous driving and intelligent connected vehicles since Shenzhen became the first city to do so in 2022.

Beijing approved self-driving regulations that support the use of driverless vehicles for personal transportation on Dec. 31. Wuhan in central Hubei province and Hefei in eastern Anhui province also issued similar rules that will come into effect in the first half of this year.

In July 2022, Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province became the first Chinese city to release a full set of regulations regarding intelligent connected vehicles, clearing legal obstacles to the sale and use of driverless cars.

The regulations in Beijing, Hefei, and Wuhan include dedicated sections advocating the construction of intelligent roadside infrastructure for autonomous driving along new, rebuilt, or expanded roads and providing detailed provisions about self-driving testing, demonstration applications, and road traffic, defining the responsibilities of each party and establishing standardized management systems.

“Recently introduced self-driving regulations in cities like Beijing and Wuhan have allowed industry insiders, the general public, and some foreign entities and policymakers to witness China’s proactive approach to advancing autonomous driving technologies,” Zhang Li, a professor at the Law School of the China University of Political Science and Law, told Yicai.

Compared to earlier laws in Shenzhen and Shanghai that are mainly on testing, those issued by Beijing and Wuhan are focused on application promotion, said Zheng Fei, another professor at the Law School of the China University of Political Science and Law. This trend indicates a transition toward driverless vehicles’ commercial deployment, he added.

Issuing autonomous driving regulations not only provides clear guidance for future research and development but also offers a clear path for testing, application, and commercialization, thus reducing legal risks, Zheng noted. Moreover, their safety provisions will boost confidence and public trust and pave the way for the widespread adoption and commercialization of self-driving technologies.

However, other experts warned about the need to introduce nationwide rules about the division of liabilities in case of accidents involving driverless cars in the Road Traffic Safety Law and more support measures to facilitate the commercial operation of autonomous vehicles.

Editor: Futura Costaglione