US EditionCalifornia to Begin Ticketing Driverless Cars that Violate Traffic Laws
The rules create a formal citation process for violations and could trigger permit suspensions, fleet limits and speed caps for repeat offenders.
- Starting July 1, the California DMV will allow police to issue a "Notice of AV Noncompliance" directly to autonomous vehicle manufacturers, closing a legal gap that previously prevented ticketing when driverless cars violated traffic laws.
- Previous incidents, including a Waymo making an illegal U-turn in San Bruno and robotaxis blocking emergency routes in San Francisco, exposed the legal gap where officers could not issue citations without a human driver present.
- Autonomous vehicle safety expert Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst for Telemetry, noted these rules clarify that "whoever is responsible for the software is considered the driver." The regulations resolve previous ambiguity about liability.
- Repeated infractions could lead the state to suspend or revoke a company's permit. DMV Director Steve Gordon said the updates enhance "accountability for AV manufacturers" while requiring vehicles to clear emergency zones within two minutes.
- State Senator Dave Cortese has proposed SB 1246 to further restrict robotaxi operations statewide, while the new regulations also open California roads to heavy-duty self-driving trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds for the first time.
19 Articles
19 Articles
California authorities have introduced new regulations allowing police to issue tickets for autonomous vehicles that violate traffic laws, sending the tickets directly to the companies that own the vehicles—a practice that was not previously possible.
California Allows Police to Ticket Driverless Cars Starting July
Sacramento, California — California will begin allowing police to issue traffic violations to driverless vehicles starting July 1, under new rules aimed at increasing accountability for autonomous technology. The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced the regulations following a 2024 law expanding oversight of self-driving cars. Instead of ticketing a human driver, officers will issue a “Notice of AV Noncompliance” directly to the veh…
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