China issues first mandatory national standard for driver-assistance systems

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published GB 47955-2026, “Safety Requirements for Combined Driver Assistance Systems of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles” — the country’s first mandatory national standard for the function category. Approved on June 27 by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the national standards committee, the standard takes effect on January 1, 2027.

The requirements cover three tiers of combined assistance: basic single-lane assist, multi-lane assist, and navigation-assisted driving (NOA). Until now, the category had been governed by recommended standards and per-model regulatory scrutiny; GB 47955 makes a uniform safety baseline a condition of market access.

The timing reflects how quickly the technology has spread. MIIT cited combined driver-assistance penetration of 70 percent in new Chinese passenger cars in 2026, with NOA-equipped models above 30 percent.

For OEMs and suppliers, the standard sets the compliance clock: vehicles type-approved for the Chinese market after the effective date must demonstrate conformity, and development programs across domestic and foreign brands now share a common regulatory target.