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The Robotaxi Era Meets Its First Real Guardrails
On an average day in San Francisco, you might see dozens β or hundreds β of Waymo robotaxis zipping around the city with little disruption. But as TechCrunch has reported, there have been numerous incidents of robotaxis impeding traffic, driving into crime scenes, and interfering with first responders. And not just in the Bay Area. In some cases, companies have relied on first responders to move their robotaxis out of harm's way.
These disruptions are occurring in the early stages of the robotaxi era β before the next, far larger wave of autonomous vehicles hits public roads. Now, California has a new law aimed at getting ahead of the problem.
What SB 1246 Actually Does
Senate Bill 1246, signed into law this week by Governor Gavin Newsom, sets a series of new rules for AVs designed to improve safety and response times when they become disabled or interfere with emergency responders. The law also creates mechanisms to hold these companies accountable when they don't.
Under the new rules, autonomous vehicle companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox will have to provide first responders with local, on-the-ground support when their robotaxis cause problems. They could also face penalties if a robotaxi blocks police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes.
The law further specifies that AV developers may only employ remote drivers based in the United States, and those drivers must hold a U.S. driver's license. Companies must also notify cities, towns, and other local jurisdictions about the location and status of vehicles during system-wide failures, and must provide "local incident technicians" who can assist with AV accidents and obstructions.
There are still some details to hammer out, which the Department of Motor Vehicles will handle, since it serves as the primary regulator of autonomous vehicles in the state. But when this law goes into effect in July 2028, will it actually keep robotaxis out of the way of emergency responders?
Probably not entirely. But hopefully it reduces the chaos and raises accountability when something does go wrong.
Perhaps the better question is this: will other states follow California's lead, or will they wait for the federal government to weigh in?
Deals!
via TechCrunch