California to fine robotaxi operators for blocking first responders

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 1246 into law, introducing new rules for autonomous vehicle (AV) companies aimed at improving safety and response times when robotaxis break down or interfere with emergency responders.

Under the new law, companies must provide local, on-the-ground support when their vehicles cause problems. They can also face fines if a robotaxi blocks police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes during an emergency.

Prior incidents

The law follows a series of high-profile incidents in California in which robotaxis broke down, disrupted traffic, drove into crime scenes, or impeded first responders. Most of these involved Waymo, the largest robotaxi operator in the U.S., which runs about 4,000 autonomous vehicles nationwide, including roughly 1,200 in the San Francisco Bay Area. An earlier TechCrunch investigation found multiple cases where Waymo relied on first responders to manually move its vehicles, prompting lawmakers to push for stricter rules.

New requirements

The law restricts AV companies to employing remote drivers based in the United States who hold a U.S. driver's license. This applies to people who directly operate a vehicle from afar — so far, only Tesla has publicly confirmed using such remote drivers. Other companies, including Waymo, use a form of remote assistance in which the self-driving system stays in control while a human provides guidance. Waymo's remote assistance staff include workers in the Philippines, alongside command centers in Arizona and Michigan. Zoox says its remote operations teams are based in the U.S.

Companies will also need to notify local jurisdictions about vehicle locations and status during system-wide failures and provide local technicians to assist with AV accidents and obstructions. Waymo and Zoox have both said they intend to comply with the new requirements. The law takes effect in July 2028, with the California Department of Motor Vehicles set to establish detailed guidelines, including required response times.