China is cracking down on car advertisements, banning companies from using the terms “smart driving” and “autonomous driving.”
Automakers have been quick to label various driver-assist features as “autonomous,” “smart,” or “self-driving.” Unfortunately, many existing systems fall far short of being truly autonomous, instead relying on the driver to continue to be engaged. Countless accidents have occurred as a result of drivers’ mistaken expectations.
According to Reuters, China is taking steps to address the issue. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology informed 60 automotive representatives of the change.
The agency also made changes governing the rollout of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) software updates. Moving forward, automakers must thoroughly test updates and receive approval from authorities before pushing them to existing vehicles, instead of essentially using existing drivers to test new software updates and features.
The new regulations should lead to greater safety and better manage people’s expectations of what ADAS is and is not capable of.