Tech Insights - Shenzhen Gives Green Light to Fully Autonomous Vehicles

Shenzhen, a major city in China, will allow fully autonomous vehicles to run on certain roads after the unveiling of the nation’s first regulation tailored for smart and Internet-connected vehicles. The regulation is scheduled to come into force on 1^st August 2022, and will allow intelligent connected vehicles on the road once the owner has obtained a registration certificate, licence plate and driving licence. Shenzhen will permit autonomous vehicles to run on certain roads, following on from opening 145 kilometres of roads for autonomous driving tests in the previous year. The regulation states that drivers will hold responsibility in the event of traffic breached and liabilities, if they are seated in the cockpit. If an accident is attributed to vehicle defects, the driver is entitled to file for compensation with carmakers and vendors.

Timescales: August 2022