Lawmakers Press for Rules After Self-Driving Taxis Hamper Emergency Responders

A new bill introduced by Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif., would force federal regulators to set national emergency protocols for autonomous taxi services after a string of incidents in which driverless vehicles obstructed ambulances, fire trucks and active police scenes. The proposal, announced at a San Francisco news conference, underscores growing political and regulatory scrutiny of companies that operate robotaxis.

The AV Emergency Response Coordination Act would require autonomous-vehicle operators to publish clear response plans for first responders, run a round-the-clock hotline for public safety officials and compel the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create baseline federal standards. It also would give local authorities the ability to quickly restrict where driverless vehicles operate during an emergency by placing temporary digital boundaries — commonly called geofences — around affected areas.

The push for federal rules follows documented episodes in which self-driving cars failed to heed traffic cones, flares and commands, and at times have impeded emergency access. An earlier reporting project found situations in which an AV fleet operator relied on on-scene first responders to move disabled vehicles. San Francisco, where several hundred robotaxis now carry fare-paying riders, has been a focal point for complaints and the site of several high-profile problems.

City leaders and public-safety officials at the unveiling criticized the current patchwork approach. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said the city needs straightforward tools to keep streets clear for responders, and Fire Chief Dean Crispen highlighted cases where picks-ups and drop-offs occurred directly in front of stations, disrupting rapid deployment. Advocates for traffic-safety groups also called for firm, enforceable requirements rather than voluntary industry practices. “When every second counts, we can’t be waiting on companies to act,” a city official said at the event.

Waymo, one of the largest robotaxi operators, issued a statement saying it supports a national framework and favors standardized procedures for engaging with emergency personnel, noting its own training programs and response protocols. Federal regulators have already signaled impatience: NHTSA chief Jonathan Morrison warned developers that the agency has spotted a recurring pattern of interference with first responders and asked companies to propose remedies by the end of last month — a deadline that has passed without a public accounting of fixes.

Transportation policy experts say the legislation’s geofencing power could be a turning point, giving municipalities an immediate way to limit AV activity during crises instead of relying on company cooperation. But they also warn that lawmakers will need to balance public-safety demands with the technical limits and operating needs of emerging mobility services. For now, Congress, state regulators and the industry are racing to close gaps exposed by outages and traffic snarls — including a widely reported Fourth of July gridlock and a December power failure that left many robotaxis stranded — as officials weigh whether stronger, federally mandated controls are the next step.