‘Millions of drivers need to be educated’ in wake of fatal Xiaomi crash, analysts say

Chinese carmakers may be asking themselves whether they should put the brakes on the rapid proliferation of self-driving systems following a fatal car crash involving the autonomous-driving feature of Xiaomi’s SU7 electric vehicle (EV).

The accident that killed three people in east China’s Anhui province on Saturday has prompted the company to investigate the crash and review its driver-assistant technology, as CEO Lei Jun said Xiaomi would not dodge its responsibility. The country’s leading smartphone maker launched the hit SU7, its first car, last year.

Analysts said the tragedy should not be examined in isolation. Widespread use of preliminary self-driving technology, also known as navigation on autopilot (NOA), carries high safety risks because drivers lack knowledge about the system’s role, as well as relevant rules and regulations, they said.

“Millions of drivers need to be educated to properly use the NOA systems,” said David Zhang, general secretary of the International Intelligent Vehicle Engineering Association. “They have to be fully alert when the system is turned on, and the drivers are still responsible for their own and passengers’ safety.”

Xiaomi said in a statement on Monday that the car was travelling at 116km/h on a highway with the driver-assistance system engaged, adding that the system alerted the driver to take over two seconds before the car hit a concrete barrier.

Lei said in a separate post on his Weibo account late on Monday that the company had set up a special task force to assist the police investigation.

“Thank you for all your attention and criticism,” he said. “Every word of yours has been noted and we will take concrete actions to address your concerns.”