China on Thursday issued guidelines for road tests of intelligent connected vehicles, saying that any vehicle that runs a red light or breaks traffic regulations will lose its testing permit.
The guidelines were issued jointly by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Transport, and they take effect on May 1, according to the document on the website of the State Council.
Applicants for road tests must be registered in China, capable of making auto components and able to conduct research and development of connected cars, the document said.
Connected vehicles and electric vehicles are the two core strategies for China's car manufacturing industry development, according to industry consultancy International Data Corp (IDC). The market will grow from $4.87 billion in 2016 to $10.5 billion by 2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 16.5 percent, IDC forecast.
The guidelines also detailed the application process and qualifications for road testing in China. To ensure safety, every vehicle, for example, must carry at least 5 million yuan ($795,600) worth of accident insurance.
If a test vehicle runs traffic lights or breaks other rules and regulations, the permit will immediately be revoked.
Smart vehicles have run into some problems. U.S.-based Uber halted its autonomous vehicle program across North America on March 19, after a 49-year-old woman was struck and killed by one of its cars in the state of Arizona, according to the Washington Post.
Some Chinese companies have also launched autonomous vehicle tests. Internet company Baidu Inc was permitted in March by Beijing to test the company's autonomous driving cars on the city's open roads.
