China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has opened a public consultation on draft rules covering vehicle safety, operation and user interfaces. The proposals address several newer features, including zero-gravity, rotating and fold-flat seats, large in-car displays, customizable headlight or taillight messages, and concealed door handles.
For seats, the draft calls for tougher crash, anti-pinch and reliability testing. Automakers would also need to restrict where and when moving-seat functions can operate, with such functions barred while a vehicle is moving. The ministry also wants manufacturers to assess whether large infotainment screens and complex head-up displays could distract drivers or create safety and reliability risks. The draft proposes prohibiting folding and flexible displays.
For exterior lighting that can project user-created text or images, the ministry proposes that automakers control the content and monitor what drivers display. The rules also address lighting assemblies and units that protrude from the vehicle. Separately, MIIT has repeated its proposal to prohibit fully hidden door handles, and says new or unconventional designs should be tested under extreme conditions, include backup mechanical linkages and leave enough room for a hand to operate them.
The door-handle proposal was first published in late 2025, following several high-profile Xiaomi SU7 crashes, according to the report. The latest measures remain draft proposals under consultation; the source does not give a final adoption date.