Police inspection of a Waymo robotaxi in San BrunoImage: San Bruno Police DepartmentWhen police officers in San Bruno, California, stopped a Waymo robotaxi performing an illegal U-turn last year, they were unable to issue a fine because there was no human behind the wheel. This is set to change: if a self-driving car commits a traffic violation, it can now be ticketed. The car’s owner will be held liable for payment.The DMV has also rolled out a range of new regulations for autonomous vehicles. The most significant change: it is now opening the most populous US state to heavy autonomous commercial vehicles. This move allows freight transport using trucks with a gross vehicle weight of around 4.5 tonnes or more. Texas had so far led the way. There, Aurora already operates corresponding freight routes. California will also permit autonomous midibuses with a gross vehicle weight of up to 6.35 tonnes, both in public transport and on university campuses.The DMV has also defined new approval requirements for autonomous vehicles on California’s roads. Manufacturers of autonomous passenger cars must first complete 50,000 miles (around 80,000 km) with a safety driver on board. They must then log another 50,000 miles in autonomous mode without a safety driver before receiving a commercial operating permit. For commercial vehicles, the threshold is ten times higher: 500,000 miles both with and without a safety driver.“California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “These updates support the growth of the AV industry by enhancing public safety and transparency while adding additional accountability for AV manufacturers.”Among the new rules is a requirement for autonomous vehicle operators to respond to emergency calls within 30 seconds. Local emergency authorities can issue electronic geofencing instructions to ensure autonomous vehicles leave active emergency zones within two minutes or are prevented from entering them.dmv.ca.gov
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It makes sense if autonomous cars can break traffic laws, there has to be a clear system to hold someone accountable, even if there’s no driver behind the wheel.
Interesting shift before this, police literally had no one to ticket, so this closes a major legal gap in how self-driving cars are regulated.
This could push AV companies to improve their software faster, since repeated violations can now directly impact their operating permits.