California Cracks Down on Robotaxis That Block First Responders

California has become a major testing ground for the fast-growing robotaxi industry. Now, the state is setting tougher rules that aim to address incidents in which driverless cars interfere with first responders. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law this week that strengthens the state’s oversight and emergency-response rules for autonomous vehicles, including new penalties for companies whose vehicles get in the way during emergencies. “California has embraced autonomous vehicles, but we cannot embrace innovation at the expense of public safety. When an autonomous vehicle crashes, breaks down, blocks a roadway in an emergency, or gets in the way of law enforcement or first responders, there must be clear accountability,” state Sen. Dave Cortese, who introduced the bill, said in a press release. Under the law, autonomous vehicle companies must dispatch on-site workers, known as “local incident technicians,” when a vehicle crashes, gets stuck, blocks traffic or emergency access, or when first responders request help. Companies must also notify local officials about the status and location of vehicles affected by a system failure or outage. Remote drivers who can control an AV must also now be based in the United States. Additionally, the law allows cities and counties to take to court, where they can face fines of up to $5,000 for violations and up to $10,000 per vehicle if an autonomous vehicle interferes with an emergency operation for more than 30 minutes after officials request a technician. The new rules are effective July 1, 2028. The law follows a number of cases involving autonomous vehicles getting stuck or blocking roads in the state. Cortese’s press release cited an incident where multiple Waymo vehicles that blocked streets during San Francisco’s Fourth of July celebrations this year and another case where a power outage last December stalled around 1,500 of the company’s vehicles. Federal regulators have also raised concerns about the problem. In July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA) said it had identified a “clear pattern” of driverless vehicles interfering with law enforcement and other first responders and called on autonomous vehicle companies to address it. “Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency,” NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison sent wrote in a letter to autonomous vehicle companies. “Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme ‘edge cases.’ As such, NHTSA is today issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus their resources on fixing this issue.” The crackdown comes as robotaxi companies continue expanding in California. Waymo currently offers commercial driverless rides in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. Amazon’s Zoox is also offering a limited, free rides to select riders in San Francisco, while other companies including Tesla have permits to test autonomous vehicles in the state. “We are grateful for the amendments made to the bill, which ensure autonomous vehicle operators can still feasibly serve Californians,” a Waymo spokesperson told Gizmodo in an emailed statement. “Waymo is committed to making roads safer in California and continually improving our service.”