California is taking aim at driverless cars that break traffic laws. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has announced new regulations allowing police to issue a 'notice of AV noncompliance' directly to the manufacturer of the autonomous vehicle.
The rules, effective July 1st, are part of a broader 2024 law increasing oversight of AV technology. They require companies to respond to emergency officials within 30 seconds and impose penalties for entering active emergency zones.
DMV Director Steve Gordon says these are 'the most comprehensive AV regulations in the nation,' underscoring California’s commitment to public safety amid rising incidents, including a San Francisco blackout and complaints from the San Francisco Fire Department about robotaxis obstructing emergency responses.
Major operators like Waymo and Tesla have permits to test AVs in California, but police have been unable to ticket them when no driver is present. In one incident last fall, San Bruno police stopped a Waymo making an illegal U-turn but could only contact the company about the 'glitch'.