In recent days, a debate over whether the smart driving "small blue light" should be banned has sparked widespread discussion among car owners and netizens, drawing significant public attention. The so-called "small blue light" refers to an indicator light showing the status of intelligent assisted driving.
In 2022, Li Auto first equipped this feature on its L9 model, becoming the first automaker in China to implement this configuration. As electrification and intelligence accelerate, more vehicle models now feature this setup, spanning from 100,000-yuan family cars to million-yuan luxury SUVs across all price segments. The "small blue light" uses light signals to inform other road users that the vehicle's driving assistance system is active.
However, in actual vehicle operation, there are instances of misuse of the "small blue light," which can create safety risks. On one hand, automakers lack uniform standards for brightness, installation position, and flashing logic. When activated at night, the "small blue light" can cause glare for other road users, with some being "brighter than taillights," significantly interfering with nearby drivers' judgment of road conditions. Additionally, in rainy or foggy weather, this non-standard color light can reduce the recognizability of road signals.
On the other hand, vehicles equipped with this indicator light are more likely to be targeted by other drivers for cutting in or tailgating, increasing traffic risks. For example, some experienced drivers, knowing that vehicles with the "small blue light" will maintain distance and brake automatically, deliberately exploit the system's conservative strategy to frequently cut in or change lanes at close range. This makes such vehicles "bullied" targets, with the risk of rear-end collisions and fender benders actually rising rather than falling. The light, intended to protect safety, ends up creating more road conflicts.
From a regulatory perspective, the "small blue light" does not meet relevant requirements. China's "Installation Regulations for External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices on Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers" (GB 4785—2019) clearly states that civilian vehicle external lights are limited to white, red, yellow, and amber, with blue being exclusive to special vehicles like police cars and ambulances. According to the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, while no explicit requirements have been set for the "small blue light," based on the standard, non-standard external lighting and signaling devices are generally not permitted.
More concerning is that the "small blue light" has become a marketing gimmick for many automakers, fueling consumer misjudgment about vehicles' "self-driving" capabilities. As market competition intensifies, automakers engage in aggressive product innovation and exaggerated marketing. Many owners not only view the "small blue light" as a status symbol of technological sophistication but also flaunt it as a display of driving ability. In reality, all vehicles equipped with this light have Level 2 assisted driving systems. If owners get the illusion that "the car can drive itself" and fail to take over control, the probability of traffic accidents increases significantly.
Vehicle intelligence is a major trend. Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that this year, the penetration rate of L2-level combined driving assistance functions in passenger cars has reached 70.5%, while that of navigation-on-autopilot (NOA) functions has reached 34.2%. The first batch of L3-level conditional autonomous driving models has already been deployed on specific roads. The problem is that the traditional traffic light system has not been updated for a long time. Brake lights, turn signals, and position lights each have clear roles, allowing nearby vehicles to quickly judge driver intent, but there is no scientific light signal system to indicate whether a vehicle has activated lane centering, navigation assistance, or other functions.
The "small blue light" innovates by providing a low-cost, visual solution. However, due to the lack of standards, this exploration has fallen into disorderly development. How to adapt to new travel scenarios amid rapid technological progress, ensuring vehicle and road safety, tests both corporate innovation and regulatory governance. The current controversy over whether to ban the "small blue light" may push regulators to accelerate standard upgrades, further standardizing vehicle light installation and use to enhance automotive product safety performance.