California robotaxi operators face fines for blocking first responders
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1246, fining AV companies blocking emergency responders for over 30 minutes starting July 2028.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- California passed Senate Bill 1246 to strictly regulate autonomous vehicles.
- Robotaxi operators face fines for blocking emergency responders over 30 minutes.
- Remote operators must be based in the U.S. and hold a U.S. driver's license.
- The new law will officially take effect in July 2028.
Autonomous vehicle technology companies operating in the United States will face stricter regulatory oversight after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law aimed at improving public safety and emergency response times. The legislation was introduced following a series of high-profile incidents where robotaxis experienced breakdowns, entered active crime scenes, or obstructed police officers and firefighters.
The majority of those disruptions involved Waymo, the largest commercial robotaxi operator in the U.S., which maintains a fleet of approximately 4,000 autonomous vehicles nationwide, including about 1,200 operating within the San Francisco Bay Area. A previous TechCrunch investigation revealed multiple instances where Waymo relied on emergency responders to manually move its stalled vehicles.
Such disruptions prompted both state and federal lawmakers to demand harsher rules regarding how autonomous vehicles behave around emergency personnel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) previously sent a formal letter to developers demanding concrete solutions to these operational failures.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"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 Senator Dave Cortese
Under Senate Bill 1246, authored by State Senator Dave Cortese, AV developers are required to provide local, on-the-ground support when their vehicles encounter operational failures. Companies could also face financial penalties if an autonomous vehicle blocks police or firefighters during an emergency for more than 30 minutes.
This legislation marks a critical shift as state regulators step in to establish binding accountability frameworks for autonomous vehicle deployment. While initial safety debates primarily focused on core self-driving software capabilities, real-world urban disruptions highlighted the urgent need to protect emergency infrastructure. By mandating local U.S.-based remote drivers and setting strict penalty thresholds, the law forces AV operators to enhance both their technological reliability and ground-level incident management.
Another major requirement mandates that AV companies must employ remote drivers who are based exclusively inside the United States and hold a valid U.S. driver's license. This provision addresses growing scrutiny over how developers utilize offshore remote assistance networks, such as Waymo's operations in the Philippines, to manage vehicles encountering complex road scenarios.
Furthermore, the legislation requires operators to notify local jurisdictions regarding vehicle status during system-wide outages and provide local incident technicians to assist during accidents. The California Department of Motor Vehicles will establish specific regulatory guidelines, and the law is scheduled to go into effect in July 2028.
Source: TechCrunch
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