The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and three other departments in China have released a draft notice aimed at strengthening the management of automotive product design and testing. The initiative focuses on curbing unreasonable design choices and establishing a more robust verification system to ensure vehicle safety.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) has expressed its support for these measures. The association urges companies to prioritize safety over design gimmicks and to integrate safety assessments into the early stages of product development, including reliability and environmental testing.
New technical guidelines mandate that manufacturers conduct failure mode analysis for innovative designs under extreme conditions. Safety-critical components, such as emergency brakes and power cut-off systems, must feature physical controls and clear markings to ensure accessibility during emergencies.
The draft also introduces specific restrictions on vehicle features. For instance, fully hidden door handles are prohibited, and manufacturers must ensure mechanical redundancy. Furthermore, features like zero-gravity or rotating seats must be disabled while the vehicle is in motion to prevent safety hazards.
Finally, the guidelines address digital interfaces, requiring that large infotainment screens and head-up displays be evaluated for their impact on driving safety. Manufacturers are expected to perform comprehensive collision and reliability testing to ensure these systems do not distract drivers or fail in critical scenarios.
