China is considering imposing safety requirements for driving assistance systems, as more of the country’s automakers offer such features on cars to attract buyers.

A post published by China’s national standards database on Wednesday showed that the country’s Ministry of Industry of Information Technology had put forward a proposal to formulate the rules.

China’s carmaker Dongfeng Motor and tech giant Huawei are among parties involved in drafting the safety requirements over a month-long period until July 4, the database’s post showed.

The deliberations come as automakers have been rushing to launch new models equipped with advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), touting such capabilities as key selling points amid a brutal price war that has extended into a third year in the world’s largest auto market.

Regulators moved to temper the activity in April by banning the use of “smart driving” and “autonomous driving” when advertising such features.

The move followed a fatal accident involving Xiaomi’s best-selling SU7 sedan in March which triggered widespread concerns over vehicle safety.

Preliminary findings showed the Xiaomi car caught fire after hitting a cement roadside pole at a speed of 97 kph (60 mph), seconds after its driver took over control from its ADAS.

Xiaomi’s founder has said the company will fully cooperate with a police investigation.

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Personal Auto
China