California Law Sets New Rules for Robotaxis and Fines for Blocking First Responders

The law follows a series of high-profile incidents in California in which robotaxis broke down and disrupted traffic, drove into crime scenes, or impeded first responders. Most of those incidents involved Waymo, the largest robotaxi operator in the United States, which has about 4,000 autonomous vehicles in its commercial fleet nationwide. About 1,200 of those are in the San Francisco Bay Area. A TechCrunch investigation earlier this year identified incidents in which Waymo relied on first responders to manually drive its vehicles when they encountered problems. Those incidents prompted state and federal lawmakers to call for stricter rules governing robotaxis, particularly how they behave around first responders. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent a letter to AV developers demanding that they come up with solutions to the problem.

"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, who introduced the bill, said.

Under the law, AV developers can only employ remote drivers who are based in the United States, and those drivers must hold a U.S. driver's license. The requirement is meant to address concerns about how companies use remote operations when autonomous vehicles run into trouble. The term "remote operations" has been interpreted very broadly and little is known about the methods AV companies use, while the law's term "remote drivers" is more specific: it refers to a human who directly operates or drives the vehicle from afar. Tesla is the only company that has publicly stated that it has remote operators who can take direct control of its robotaxis. Other companies, including Waymo, have said they use forms of remote assistance in which the self-driving system remains in control and a human employee can provide guidance or send software commands if needed. Waymo has a global network of remote assistance staff, including in the Philippines, and operates command centers in Arizona and Michigan. Zoox's remote operations teams are based in the United States, according to the company.

The law also requires AV companies to notify cities, towns and other local jurisdictions about the location and status of vehicles during system-wide failures and to provide "local incident technicians" who can assist with AV accidents and obstructions. Companies can be fined if an AV blocks first responders during an emergency for more than 30 minutes. Waymo and Zoox have said they will comply. "We are grateful for the amendments made to the bill, which ensure autonomous vehicle operators can still feasibly serve Californians," a Waymo spokesperson said in an emailed company statement. "Waymo is committed to making roads safer in California and continually improving our service."

The law goes into effect in July 2028. The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates autonomous vehicles in the state, will set guidelines on certain aspects of the new law, including required response times.