China Overhauls Road Safety Law with First Major Revision

China has submitted the first comprehensive systematic revision of its Road Traffic Safety Law for initial review, marking the most significant restructuring of the country’s traffic regulations since the law took effect in 2004. The draft revision, comprising nine chapters and 170 articles, was presented to the 24th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on August 25, according to Xinhua News Agency.

A Law Outpaced by Two Decades of Change

The existing Road Traffic Safety Law, enacted in 2004, has been amended only in individual provisions in 2007, 2011, and 2021. Since its original passage, China’s transportation landscape has transformed dramatically. By the end of June 2026, the country had 476 million registered motor vehicles, 567 million licensed drivers, and approximately 380 million electric bicycles in social ownership, as reported by Xinhua.

The revision addresses the intersection of technological innovation, urbanization challenges, and evolving social behaviors that have outpaced the existing legal framework.

Autonomous Driving Enters the Legal Framework

The most significant innovation is a dedicated new chapter on “Special Provisions for Autonomous Vehicles,” establishing the first national-level legal framework for autonomous driving in China. The draft defines autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance functions, sets conditions for road operation, and establishes principles for handling traffic violations and insurance arrangements.

Under the proposed rules, when a traffic violation occurs while an autonomous driving function is activated, the vehicle manufacturer or importer is responsible for handling the violation. Vehicles operating without autonomous functions activated, and those equipped only with driver-assistance features, remain subject to conventional vehicle rules, as detailed in Xinhua’s coverage.

The draft also requires manufacturers and importers to ensure road safety, cybersecurity, and data security, and prohibits false or exaggerated advertising of autonomous-driving functions. A compulsory vehicle accident liability insurance arrangement is proposed for autonomous vehicles.

“The Road Traffic Safety Law revision for the first time provides legal admission for autonomous driving, expected to resolve the issue of autonomous vehicles legally operating on roads, responding to the needs of the era and technology,” said Wang Ying, a professor at Renmin University of China Law School, as quoted by China Daily.

Industry experts see this as a pivotal shift. “The amendment’s significance is that it clearly defines the line of responsibility,” Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told the Global Times. The new legislation elevates liability logic from industry standards to the national legal level, providing a legal basis for determining traffic accidents and handling disputes.

The timing reflects the rapid maturation of China’s autonomous driving sector. L2 combined driver-assistance penetration reached 70.5 percent this year, the first batch of L3 conditional automated-driving vehicles has begun operating in designated areas, and more than 57,000 kilometers of roads have been opened for autonomous driving testing.

Electric Bicycles: Balancing Speed and Safety

The draft raises the maximum speed for electric bicycles in non-motorized vehicle lanes from 15 km/h to 20 km/h, acknowledging practical usage needs while maintaining safety constraints. This is a road speed limit adjustment rather than a change to the maximum design speed, which remains 25 km/h under national standards, as Xinhua reported.

The revision also establishes a “negative behavior list” for electric bicycle riders, prohibiting riding against traffic, speeding, violating traffic signals, and using handheld phones or watching videos while riding. Riders and passengers must wear safety helmets.

“The speed limit adjustment in the revision draft considers both the actual usage needs and expectations of electric bicycle riders while keeping it within a certain range, seeking balance between travel efficiency and safety,” said Hu Yuqing, a teacher at Tianjin University Law School.

Targeting Dangerous Driving Behaviors

The draft introduces stricter penalties for several categories of dangerous driving. Drivers who use handheld phones to make or answer calls, watch videos, or engage in other activities that interfere with safe driving—and cause traffic accidents or other serious consequences—face fines of 200-500 yuan and possible suspension of driver’s licenses for three months, according to Xinhua’s report on the measures.

New provisions target street racing, with drivers facing six-month license suspension and fines of 1,000-2,000 yuan, escalating to license revocation and a five-year reapplication ban if criminal liability is triggered. Drug driving carries 10-15 days of administrative detention and fines of 2,000-5,000 yuan.

The draft also addresses persistent urban traffic nuisances: “door-opening kills” (requiring drivers and passengers to observe surroundings before opening doors), “zombie cars” (prohibiting vehicles parked on roads for more than 120 days with reasonable grounds to believe they have been abandoned), and “fast-walking groups” (prohibiting unauthorized occupation of roads for non-traffic activities).

“Elevating the governance measures for traffic chaos such as ‘door-opening kills,’ ‘zombie cars,’ and ‘fast-walking groups’ into legal provisions helps promote the shift of traffic governance from post-hoc handling to preventive measures,” said Feng Weiran, a teacher at People’s Public Security University of China.

Regulating the Platform Economy

The revision introduces novel provisions targeting internet platforms that use algorithms to dispatch drivers of motor vehicles or electric bicycles. Platforms must consider speed limits, road conditions, and weather when establishing order allocation, time estimation, and route planning algorithms. They are prohibited from using algorithms or platform rules to force, condone, or tacitly permit workers to violate road traffic safety laws, as China Daily reported.

Administrative Convenience and Law Enforcement Reform

The draft includes provisions for electronic data verification, electronic driving licenses, and transparency in vehicle inspection fees. It also expands the application scenarios and advance payment scope of the road traffic accident rescue fund.

Law enforcement provisions standardize electronic enforcement—requiring legal and technical review, public disclosure of fixed device locations, and rights to statement and defense—and require full-process recording of administrative penalties, as detailed by the Legal Daily.

What’s Next

The draft was submitted by the State Council to the NPC Standing Committee for first reading, with Minister of Justice He Rong providing the explanation on behalf of the State Council, according to the Chinese government website. The legislative process typically involves multiple rounds of review and public consultation before final passage.

As China’s transportation system continues to evolve at unprecedented speed, this revision represents a critical effort to ensure the law keeps pace with both technological innovation and the everyday realities of more than 1.4 billion people navigating increasingly complex roadways. The coming months of deliberation will determine how effectively these proposed rules translate into a safer, more orderly traffic environment for all road users.