China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has opened public consultation on draft national vehicle-lighting rules, including a standard for lights that indicate when automated driving is active. Comments are due by December 19. The draft recommends that the standard take effect on January 1, 2028, although the final requirements and implementation schedule have not been settled.
Under the proposal, vehicles with Level 3 or higher automated-driving systems could be fitted with dedicated turquoise marker lights at the front, rear and sides. Installation would be optional. The lights would have to turn on automatically when the system is engaged and switch off when it disengages; drivers would not be allowed to activate or deactivate them manually.
The draft also sets limits on other lighting functions. With the exception of illuminated logos, vehicle lights could not display text or human-, animal- or other character-like faces. It would prohibit gesture controls for certain lights and voice commands to switch them off. If a voice command turns a light on, the vehicle would have to identify where its manual switch is located. The proposal also addresses the arrangement and brightness control of turn signals, reversing lights and other lamps.
The move follows compliance concerns over automakers’ use of external lights to show driver-assistance status. Reports in July said newly certified passenger vehicles had been barred from using such lights under existing rules, though MIIT did not publicly issue a document on that matter. The draft provides for transition periods that vary by requirement and vehicle type approval, reaching as long as 48 months for some provisions.