California to Fine Robotaxi Companies for Blocking Emergency Responders
A new California law will allow the state to fine robotaxi companies if their driverless cars interfere with emergency vehicles.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1246 on September 30, though the law won't take effect until July 1, 2028. Under the law, California can impose penalties of up to $10,000 for each autonomous vehicle that blocks police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews, or other emergency personnel for half an hour or longer.
That may sound like an unreasonably long time, but during a December 2025 power outage in San Francisco, about 1,500 Waymo vehicles stopped operating normally, creating major traffic and emergency-response delays. Local officials said Waymo support sometimes took up to 53 minutes to arrive. More recently, a fleet of Waymo vehicles blocked a major roadfor hours following the city's Independence Day fireworks display. While the incident didn't cause any problems for first responders, it easily could...
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