California Robotaxi Law Sets Fines for Blocking First Responders
California's SB 1246 requires local robotaxi support, U.S. licensed remote drivers and fines for blocking emergency crews over 30 minutes from July 2028.
Summary
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed state Senator Dave Cortese’s Senate Bill 1246, imposing new safety and accountability rules on Tesla, Waymo, Zoox and other autonomous vehicle developers from July 2028. Companies must provide local incident technicians for crashes and obstructions, notify local jurisdictions of vehicle locations and status during systemwide failures, and may be fined when an AV blocks police or firefighters during an emergency for more than 30 minutes. Fine amounts are unspecified.
The law follows California incidents in which robotaxis broke down, disrupted traffic, entered crime scenes or impeded responders. Waymo, the largest U.S. robotaxi operator, has about 4,000 commercial autonomous vehicles nationwide, including roughly 1,200 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Multiple incidents required first responders to drive disabled Waymo vehicles manually, prompting state and federal scrutiny and a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demand that AV developers produce solutions.
Direct remote drivers must be U.S. based and hold U.S. driver’s licenses. Tesla alone has publicly acknowledged remote operators who can directly control robotaxis. Waymo says its global remote assistance staff, including workers in the Philippines and command centers in Arizona and Michigan, only guide a self-driving system that remains in control. Zoox says its remote operations teams are U.S. based. Waymo and Zoox will comply, while the California Department of Motor Vehicles will establish guidelines, including required response times.
Positives
- Local incident technicians will assist with autonomous vehicle crashes and road obstructions beginning in July 2028.
- Jurisdictions will receive vehicle locations and status updates when autonomous driving systems fail across a fleet.
- U.S. residency and driver’s license requirements will govern humans who directly operate robotaxis remotely.
- Waymo and Zoox have committed to complying with Senate Bill 1246.
- The California Department of Motor Vehicles will establish required response times and other implementation guidelines.
Risks & concerns
- Robotaxis have broken down, disrupted traffic, entered crime scenes and obstructed California emergency responders.
- Multiple Waymo incidents required first responders to manually drive vehicles that encountered problems.
- Waymo’s roughly 1,200 Bay Area vehicles increase the operational reach of failures affecting local emergency services.
- Remote operations remain poorly understood, while companies distinguish direct remote driving from human guidance and software commands.
- Operators face fines after 30 minutes of blocking emergency crews, but penalty amounts and response requirements remain unspecified.