Robotaxi operators will face fines for blocking first responders
Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology companies like Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox will have to provide first responders with local, on-the-ground support when their robotaxis cause problems under a new California law. The companies could also face penalties if a robotaxi blocks police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes.
Senate Bill 1246, which was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, sets a series of new rules for AVs designed to improve safety and response times when they become disabled or interfere with emergency responders. The law also creates ways to hold these companies accountable if they don’t.
The law follows a string of high-profile incidents in California in which robotaxis broke down and disrupted traffic, drove into crime scenes, or impeded first responders.
The bulk of those incidents involved Waymo, the largest robotaxi operator in the U.S. , which has about 4,000 autonomous vehiclesin its commercial fleet across the...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to techcrunch.com. To see the full text click HERE
