Hainan issues regulations on autonomous vehicle road testing, demonstration

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Hainan's authorities issued on August 14 the Administrative Rules on the Regulation of Road Testing and Demonstration of Intelligent Vehicles (for Trial Implementation) (hereinafter referred to as the “Rules) which will come into effect on October 1, 2020 with a validity period of two years.

(Photo source: the People's Government of Hainan Province)

The issuance of the Rules will help Hainan make use of its advantages in the preferential policies for a free trade port, the testing environment, the full coverage of 5G network and the widespread popularization of new energy vehicles, so as to make Hainan a big draw for more companies in carrying out road tests, R&D and pilot applications of intelligent vehicles.

According to the Rules, an entity, whose vehicles have traveled for 10,000km within one year in autonomous driving road tests and recorded no traffic accident liability or out-of-control status, are allowed to apply for have expressway tests in Hainan province.

Prior to the expressway tests, the applicant has to put its vehicles into the evaluation and verification of its highway autonomous driving capability in Hainan's enclosed testing areas, and the performance must be reviewed by a third-party expert panel and be reported to a joint working group for approval.

Besides, Hainan will build a talent pool composed of the experts form such areas as transportation, communications, electronics, computer and law for the review works of road tests and demonstration. A third-party entity will be commissioned to organize and carry out the works related to intelligent vehicle road tests and demonstration, including the full-process oversight, the data collection and standard formulation.

With respect to supporting policies, Hainan has hammered out a series of documents about the classification standards of the open testing road environments and the testing methods for the autonomous vehicles to be tested on enclosed expressways.

In addition, Hainan's government requires the applicants to have the requisite conditions requested by the state government, draw up an emergency preparedness plan during the testing and demonstration period and make their vehicles connected to a monitoring platform.