The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the China Society of Automotive Engineers on Monday jointly released an initiative on the standardization of the promotion and application of assisted driving technology, calling for eliminating false advertising and excessive marketing.
The initiative said that automakers are required to avoid the use of ambiguous or misleading expressions, ensure that function names are scientifically rigorous and prevent the risk of misuse or abuse by drivers.
Any inaccurate information that has been published should be promptly clarified and rectified, and enterprises should proactively assume their primary responsibilities and social responsibilities, according to the document.
The move comes as China witnesses the fast development of intelligent connected vehicles, and the combined assisted driving (Level 2 driving automation) system has entered a critical period of large-scale application.
The new initiative stems from growing concerns over vehicle safety after some incidents of fatal crashes involving advanced driver-assistance systems.
Last month, a fatal highway accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle sparked debate on Chinese social media regarding the safety of smart driving.
To promote the safe application of autonomous driving technologies, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a meeting on April 16 regarding the management of access to intelligent connected vehicle products and online software upgrades.
The meeting emphasized that automakers must fully conduct combined driving assistance test verification, clarify system function boundaries and safety response measures, avoid exaggerated and false advertising, strictly fulfill the obligation of informing drivers, and effectively take responsibility for production consistency and quality safety, thereby enhancing the safety level of intelligent connected vehicles.
To ensure that users clearly understand the fundamental differences between driving assistance and autonomous driving and strengthen the safe operation of smart vehicles, automakers should inform drivers of their responsibilities, provide basic system information, offer correct usage methods and explain emergency response procedures, according to the initiative released on Monday.
The initiative also requires carmakers to conduct thorough research and development, testing and production management to continuously ensure the quality and safety of intelligent connected vehicles.
As the industry continues to evolve, such measures are expected to foster a more sustainable and well-regulated environment for the development of intelligent connected vehicles, Wu Shuocheng, a veteran automobile industry analyst, told the Global Times on Monday.
Wu noted that the move will encourage automakers to focus more on the development of autonomous driving technologies, curb over-hyped marketing practices and foster a more sustainable and well-regulated industry environment.
