The rollout of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in San Francisco has hit a major roadblock as city officials enact new legislation to curb their operations following a series of public safety incidents.
The new law was spurred by several high-profile failures involving driverless cars from companies like Waymo, including instances where they blocked traffic, interfered with fire trucks and active crime scenes, and in one case, dragged a pedestrian.
The new regulation grants first responders—including police and fire department officials—the legal authority to order an autonomous vehicle operator, like Waymo, to move its cars out of a specific area.
The company has a strict two-minute window to remotely direct its vehicles to leave or avoid the designated zone.
The San Bruno Police Department, in light of public concerns about leniency, reaffirmed that legislation is in the works to allow officers to issue official notices to the companies.
Waymo, a company that originated from Google’s X research lab, has faced previous scrutiny, including a recall of over 1,200 vehicles earlier this year due to a software issue causing collisions with stationary barriers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also launched a probe last year after receiving 22 reports of erratic vehicle behaviour.
The new law in San Francisco marks a significant step in the regulatory fight, prioritising public safety and emergency operations over the rapid deployment of unproven autonomous technology.
The new law was spurred by several high-profile failures involving driverless cars from companies like Waymo, including instances where they blocked traffic, interfered with fire trucks and active crime scenes, and in one case, dragged a pedestrian.
The new regulation grants first responders—including police and fire department officials—the legal authority to order an autonomous vehicle operator, like Waymo, to move its cars out of a specific area.
The company has a strict two-minute window to remotely direct its vehicles to leave or avoid the designated zone.
The San Bruno Police Department, in light of public concerns about leniency, reaffirmed that legislation is in the works to allow officers to issue official notices to the companies.
Waymo, a company that originated from Google’s X research lab, has faced previous scrutiny, including a recall of over 1,200 vehicles earlier this year due to a software issue causing collisions with stationary barriers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also launched a probe last year after receiving 22 reports of erratic vehicle behaviour.
The new law in San Francisco marks a significant step in the regulatory fight, prioritising public safety and emergency operations over the rapid deployment of unproven autonomous technology.