China’s new fatigued-driving rules take effect June 1, and they aren’t based solely on time behind the wheel

New standard expands criteria beyond driving duration

China’s Ministry of Public Security (公安部) will enforce the new “Rules for Determining Fatigued Driving of Motor Vehicle Drivers” (《机动车驾驶人疲劳驾驶认定规则》, GA/T 2372-2026) nationwide from June 1, it has been reported. The key change: authorities will abandon a single focus on continuous driving time and instead use a three‑dimensional framework—driving behavior, physiological state, and life‑track investigation—where meeting any one condition can trigger a fatigued‑driving determination.

What counts as fatigued driving under the new rules

The regulation keeps clear time thresholds but adds physiological and investigative triggers. For all drivers, continuous driving over 4 hours without a stop, or with stops shorter than 20 minutes, can be treated as fatigue. For passenger‑carriers during night hours (22:00–06:00), the limit is 2 hours without a stop or with stops under 20 minutes. In accident investigations, fatigue can be judged if monitoring devices (including video or EEG) show eyelids fully closed for 2 seconds or more, or if an EEG‑based fatigue index is under 30 within 10 minutes before a crash; or if driver interviews or pre‑trip inquiries into sleep, work, medication or other life factors indicate impairment.

Evidence, enforcement and wider implications

Authorities will determine continuous driving and rest times from vehicle on‑board terminal or monitoring platform records, driver and witness interviews, checkpoint video and other evidence. It has been reported that enforcement will increasingly rely on in‑vehicle telematics, camera monitoring and even physiological sensors. That raises practical and policy questions: will fleets and ride‑hail platforms need to upgrade telemetry and data‑retention systems, and how will regulators balance road safety with privacy and data‑security rules that China has tightened in recent years?

A move toward precision enforcement

Regulators say the new standard ushers in a “precise, full‑dimension” era of fatigued‑driving control. For drivers it’s a clearer road map for compliance—and a reminder that safety is the point, not just avoiding fines. For traffic authorities, defined evidence channels and thresholds should simplify prosecution. But will more monitoring actually reduce crashes? That remains to be seen.