New Chinese Regulation Threatens the Continuation of the Yoke Model Car Steering Wheel Starting in 2027

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China has issued a draft of the mandatory national standard approval GB 11557-202X entitled "Provisions protecting drivers from injuries due to steering mechanisms of motor vehicles". The new rules are scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027.

The rule explicitly removes all technical provisions related to half-car steering or yoke steering, indicating the regulator's cautious attitude towards unconventional steering designs. As reported by Carnewschina, Saturday, February 14.

The current steering safety standard, namely GB 11557-2011, has been used for more than a decade and is considered no longer adequate to assess new technologies in line with the rapid development of electric vehicles. Therefore, the updated regulation tightens a number of crucial requirements to be more relevant to current industry conditions.

In the update, new provisions are aligned with international regulations, one of which is by lowering the horizontal force threshold in the human module test to 11,110N according to UN R12 specifications. In addition, a stricter limit is also set for the upward and backward movement of the steering column during a collision.

The most significant change is the elimination of the exemption from impact testing on humans which was previously still possible under certain conditions. With this new rule, all vehicle models are required to pass the verification test without exception.

Steering half-parts also face fundamental compliance issues. Standards require impact testing at ten specific points on the steering wheel rim, including the center of the weakest area and the center of the shortest unsupported area.

On the half-steering wheel that loses the top, a number of these test points are physically unavailable, so this design is practically impossible to meet the latest national standards. Accident data quoted by Autohome shows that about 46 percent of driver injuries come from steering mechanisms.

A conventional round steering wheel is considered capable of providing a wider area cushion when the driver's body is pushed forward. On the other hand, a semi-circular steering wheel allows the body to pass the steering wheel during a secondary collision, which significantly increases the risk of injury.

Another issue that has been highlighted is safety during airbag activation. The new standard explicitly prohibits the presence of hard objects, such as metal or plastic components, facing passengers when the airbag inflates.

At half steering, the irregular shape of the cover and support structure potentially causes a crack pattern that is difficult to predict when the airbag is instantly active, making it difficult to validate the high-speed camera test.

Beyond the regulatory aspect, users also report practical obstacles in using half steering. Unlike Formula 1 racing cars that adopt a minimum steering ratio according to track conditions, passenger cars require a much larger steering angle for daily activities such as parking and turning around.

Not a few drivers complain about the difficulty of driving with one hand and the risk of accidentally touching the dashboard screen. When the new standard is implemented in 2027, all new vehicle models that apply for type approval must comply with the provisions.

Meanwhile, models that have already obtained approval are expected to receive a transition period of around 13 months to adjust their designs to the latest regulations.