Gasgoo Munich- BYD announced on July 29 that it had obtained safety-management certification related to China's forthcoming mandatory standard for Level 2 combined driver assistance systems. The automaker was also among the principal organizations involved in drafting GB 47955—2026, officially titled Safety Requirements for Combined Driver Assistance Systems of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles.
Image source: BYD
BYD said every model equipped with its God's Eye intelligent driving system performs above the new standard's minimum requirements. That assertion remains a company claim; the certificate itself covers BYD's organizational safety-management system rather than serving as individual product certification for every God's Eye-equipped vehicle.
The standard was approved on June 27 and announced by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on July 2. It is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.
The GB 47955—2026 establishes mandatory safety requirements for basic single-lane, basic multi-lane and navigation-assisted driving systems. It covers system functions, data recording, driver monitoring, human-machine interaction, user information and manufacturer safety responsibilities. While its core provisions are coordinated with international regulations, including UN R171, the Chinese standard adds test scenarios and evaluation procedures intended to reflect the country's more complex mix of road users and traffic conditions.
BYD said it received a certificate for its combined driver assistance safety-management system on July 28. The certification evaluates processes at the vehicle-manufacturer level, including product development, production controls and safety validation.
It therefore indicates that BYD has established an organizational framework aligned with the forthcoming requirements. It should not be interpreted as blanket approval of every function, software version or vehicle configuration within the God's Eye lineup.
The drafting group included automakers, technology suppliers, testing organizations and regulators, such as BYD, Xiaomi, Tesla, NIO, XPENG, and Li Auto.
The standard creates a common national safety baseline for L2 systems at a time when their adoption is accelerating rapidly. According to the ministry, combined driver assistance features have reached a 70% penetration rate among new passenger vehicles sold in China since the beginning of 2026, while NOA-equipped models have exceeded 30%.
BYD's early certification may reduce the amount of organizational preparation required before the rules take effect, particularly as it expands highway and urban NOA functions across a growing number of models. However, it does not automatically authorize future over-the-air updates. Individual functions and vehicle configurations will still need to meet applicable product-access, software-update and testing requirements.
The new rules also reinforce the distinction between assistance and automation. Under the standard, the driver must continue monitoring traffic and remain responsible for the vehicle even when the system controls both steering and speed.
Driver monitoring is among the standard's central requirements, increasing pressure on manufacturers to deploy effective driver monitoring systems, or DMS, across vehicles offering more advanced assistance functions. These systems must be capable of detecting whether drivers remain attentive and able to resume control.
Automakers now have until the beginning of 2027 to adapt their products, development procedures and user communications. BYD's early work gives it additional preparation time, although continued compliance will depend on how its software, monitoring functions and safety controls evolve.
The introduction of GB 47955—2026 signals a shift in China's assisted-driving market from competition centered largely on feature availability toward mandatory benchmarks for safety, driver engagement and manufacturer accountability.
For BYD, the certificate represents an early step in preparing its development and manufacturing system for that transition. The broader test will come when individual God's Eye-equipped models and future software releases are assessed against the mandatory requirements after the standard takes effect.
