California Cops Can Finally Give Robotaxis Tickets

The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced new autonomous vehicle regulations on Tuesday that will, among other things, allow police officers to issue moving violations to AV companies like Waymo and Tesla when their robotaxis break the law.

The new regulations, which will be enforced starting July 1, also require AV companies to respond to first responder calls within 30 seconds. Emergency officials will be allowed to issue geofencing instructions that force robotaxis to be cleared from areas where an active emergency is taking place.

“These rules, the most comprehensive AV regulations in the nation, are the result of an extensive public comment and review process,” the California DMV said in a statement posted online.

Back in 2023, NBC Bay Area was the first to report that robotaxis were immune from traffic tickets since humans needed to be present to accept the ticket. It took almost three years, but that problem has now been fixed.

Waymo has been cleared to operate in huge swaths of California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. But there has been pushback in some local communities, including Sacramento and San Diego, where Waymos are being tested but haven’t yet begun operations. Tesla has talked about offering robotaxi service in California, but hasn’t launched its service to the public yet.

The California Gig Workers Union, which represents rideshare drivers, has spoken out against robotaxis and stressed safety concerns. One concern historically is that there is no one to hold accountable when a robotaxi does something illegal. The group also says that AVs have entered active police scenes, one of the concerns that might be addressed by the new geofencing regulations.

Wired published a new piece on Thursday about complaints from emergency responders, including firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and paramedics, who have warned that some robotaxis seem to be performing worse than when they were initially introduced. Wired cites a private meeting between emergency responders and federal officials in March, where robotaxis were described as blocking fire stations and “freezing up” in dangerous ways.

Waymo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday, but has previously touted the company’s safety record. Statistically, Waymo vehicles get in fewer crashes per mile than human drivers. Waymo says it delivers about 500,000 paid rides weekly in 10 U.S. cities, though that still pales in comparison to the rides provided by Uber, which facilitates about 36 million trips per day globally.