California lawmakers moved Thursday to tighten rules for robotaxi operators after emergency-response disruptions, with a new law requiring on-the-ground help and allowing penalties when autonomous vehicles obstruct police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes.
California Bill Sets New Requirements For Autonomous Vehicles
Senate Bill 1246 was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday and sets new requirements aimed at faster, clearer responses when driverless vehicles stall, crash, or interfere with emergency work. The measure also directs companies to provide local support staff and to share vehicle location and status with cities and other jurisdictions during broad system failures.
The new California rules and Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Waymo’s ticket record raise the likelihood of higher operating expenses and tougher oversight for autonomous fleets.
In Austin, records showed 83 citations tied to Waymo, including tow-away-zone tickets and double-parking cases, with fines spanning $20 to $519 and one incident involving a disabled parking space.
New Law Reshapes Robotaxi Operational Landscape
California’s legislation was drafted after a series of highly visible breakdowns in which robotaxis snarled traffic, rolled into restricted areas, or complicated emergency scenes.
State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who introduced the bill, said the state should not accept innovation that weakens public safety and argued that accountability must be explicit when autonomous vehicles block roads or responders.
"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," Cortese added.
A key provision narrows who can directly take control from afar: "remote drivers" must be located in the U.S. and hold U.S. licenses. The law’s wording distinguishes direct remote driving from other forms of remote support where software remains in charge while humans provide guidance.
Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has said it uses remote operators who can directly control robotaxis, while Waymo has described remote assistance that keeps the automated system in control and relies on staff to suggest actions or send commands.
How Will Accountability Impact Autonomous Fleets?
Federal scrutiny has been building alongside state action. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official Jonathan Morrison warned the industry in a letter earlier in July that autonomous vehicles have impeded ambulances, entered emergency areas, and failed to react to cues such as flashing lights, smoke, and traffic cones.
Morrison wrote, "An AV that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the general public."
The California framework requires companies to dispatch local incident technicians. They can also be penalized if an emergency blockage lasts beyond the 30-minute threshold.
New California Law Comes Amid Robotaxi Expansion
The new California law comes at a time when companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) backed Zoox are expanding their footprint. Zoox is also a partner of Uber Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:UBER).
Waymo has expanded its commercial robotaxi service to 15 U.S. cities and operates a fleet of roughly 4,000 autonomous vehicles nationwide. The company raised $16 billion in February at a $126 billion valuation.
Tesla has also continued to widen its own robotaxi efforts, after starting paid rides in Austin in June 2025 and later pushing into cities including Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Tesla has also removed safety monitors from some Austin vehicles and is developing a steering-wheel-free Cybercab.
Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for a statement.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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