After announcing a ban on electric and retractable door handles, China is moving to establish more safety rules for vehicles sold in the country.
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The latest regulation involves yoke-style steering wheels, popularized in vehicles such as the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, and Lexus RZ. According to the Chinese government, this type of steering wheel is considered an “unsafe” feature.
As reported by the Chinese website Autohome, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) plans to ban yoke-style steering wheels starting January 1, 2027.
The agency recently published approval of a draft mandatory national standard GB 11557-202X, which outlines “provisions to protect drivers from being injured by the steering mechanism of motor vehicles.”
The new safety regulations would replace the current Chinese standard (GB 11557-2011), which has not been updated in more than a decade. Under these new guidelines, Chinese safety authorities would require impact testing at ten specific points on the steering wheel rim.
This includes several points such as the “midpoint of the weakest area” and the “midpoint of the shortest unsupported area,” which simply do not exist on a yoke-style steering wheel.
According to data released by Chinese authorities, 46% of driver injuries originate from the steering mechanism itself. A yoke-style steering wheel provides less airbag protection zone than a traditional steering wheel, increasing the risk of serious injuries in an accident.
As with similar regulatory changes in China, Chinese brands will have 13 months to align their models with the new regulations, provided no further changes are made before the proposed adoption date in January 2027.
Photos: Tesla / Lexus. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
