Driverless cars have become more common in the US state of California, but until now the police could not fine them when they broke traffic rules. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has announced new regulations for autonomous vehicles, including a procedure where police can issue a “notice of non-compliance” directly to manufacturers, according to the BBC.
The new rules will take effect on July 1 and are part of a law passed in 2024 that tightens oversight of this technology.
There have been several incidents of self-driving vehicles breaking traffic rules in recent years, including during a major power outage in San Francisco last year.
California officials say the new rules are “the most comprehensive regulations for autonomous vehicles in the US.”
According to the new rules, the police will be able to sanction companies whose autonomous cars commit traffic violations. Also, companies will be required to respond within 30 seconds to calls from the police or emergency crews. There will also be penalties for vehicles entering active emergency zones.
“California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of autonomous vehicle technology, and these updated rules demonstrate the state's commitment to public safety,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon.
Waymo is one of the leading fully autonomous robotaxi operators in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. And other companies, including Tesla, have permits to test autonomous vehicles in certain California cities.
Until now, police have faced difficulties when trying to prosecute driverless cars.
In one incident last September, police officers in San Bruno, a city south of San Francisco, observed a Waymo vehicle making an illegal U-turn right in front of them. After stopping the car, however, the agents had no one to hand the fine to because the vehicle had no driver. Instead, they contacted the company to report the “error”.
In December, a major power outage in San Francisco left several Waymo vehicles stranded in the middle of busy intersections, worsening already congested traffic.
And representatives of the San Francisco Fire Department have repeatedly complained that the robotaxis have made it difficult for emergency responders.
