Updated autonomous vehicle rules mooted Draft amendment addresses rapid changes in transport technologies China has dedicated a chapter to autonomous vehicles in a draft revision to its Road Traffic Safety Law, seeking to strengthen the legal framework for the rapidly developing sector. The draft, which was submitted to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Tuesday for its first reading, defines autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance functions, clarifies the conditions for autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads, sets principles for handling traffic violations and outlines insurance arrangements for such vehicles. It also specifies the responsibility of automakers and importers in handling road safety violations that might occur when the vehicle's self-driving function is activated. It contains 170 articles in nine chapters and introduces a dedicated chapter on autonomous vehicles, while also addressing distracted driving, electric bicycles, road-occupying activities and traffic risks involving delivery platforms. The existing Road Traffic Safety Law took effect in 2004, with individual provisions amended in 2007,2011 and 2021. While introducing the draft revision to lawmakers, Minister of Justice He Rong said that with socioeconomic development and rapid changes in transport technologies, existing provisions can no longer fully meet practical needs in areas including traffic safety responsibilities, management measures, law enforcement and legal liability. According to the draft, China supports the safe, orderly and regulated testing, demonstration and operation of autonomous vehicles on public roads. It defines an autonomous vehicle as one capable of continuously performing all dynamic driving tasks under specified operating conditions, whereas driver-assistance functions only help drivers perform some of these tasks. Vehicles operating without autonomous driving functions activated, as well as those equipped only with driver-assistance functions, would be managed under rules applying to conventional vehicles. Before applying for production approval or import permission,