Autonomous vehicles in California, long immune from receiving traffic tickets, will eventually be subject to a new type of enforcement following new legislation recently signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Assembly Bill 1777 attempts to close a loophole NBC Bay Area exposed last year, which has allowed driverless car companies to steer clear of ever receiving traffic citations. California's transportation laws have long noted "drivers" are subject to citations when violating the rules of the road, so law enforcement has interpreted that to mean self-driving vehicles are not subject to receiving traffic tickets when there are no human drivers in the front seat.
As a result of increased testing of autonomous vehicles, Texas and Arizona rewrote their transportation laws years ago to allow driverless car companies to be on the hook for such citations. While California's newly-signed bill originally sought to mirror such laws, the legislation was ultimately watered down during the negotiation process. Instead of allowing law enforcement to issue traffic citations directly to driverless car companies, the bill only allows police to issue a new type of "notice of noncompliance." The legislation's own analysis notes the bill "does not establish what happens to an [autonomous vehicle] manufacturer as a result of the notice being issued." Additionally, "the bill does not provide what happens to an [autonomous vehicle] company when they receive a notice of noncompliance, what happens when an [autonomous vehicle] company fails to report the notice to DMV, and what due process rights an [autonomous vehicle] manufacturer has to contest a notice."
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority, which supported the bill, noted the legislation will "address regulatory gaps in California's governance" and implement "common-sense measures such as enabling the citation of autonomous vehicles for traffic code violations, ensuring safe Interactions with emergency responders (e.g. police, fire), and providing jurisdictions with the information they need to understand the performance of autonomous vehicles on public roadways."
In opposition to the bill, however, the Teamsters Union said the legislation takes California "backwards."
"Instead of giving law enforcement officers the ability to fine or ticket [autonomous vehicle] companies for traffic violations, officers may only issue a "notice of noncompliance" for traffic violations committed," the Teamsters noted.
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"This creates unequal enforcement, where a human driver can be cited or even charged for traffic violations, but [autonomous vehicle] companies are only noticed through the DMVs."
The California DMV is now responsible for hammering out much of the details referenced in the bill, including what penalties, if any, the new notices will carry once the law goes into effect on July 1, 2026.
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Watch our entire investigative series
- Part 1: Driverless cars seek San Francisco expansion despite worries tech is unsafe
- Part 2: CPUC votes to expand driverless car operations in San Francisco
- Part 3: San Francisco city attorney files motion to pump the brakes on driverless cars
- Part 4: Google's Waymo says insurance data shows its driverless cars are safer than humans
- Part 5: Hit-and-run driver strikes pedestrian, tossing her into path of Cruise car in San Francisco
- Part 6: Driverless trucks and robot deliveries promise fewer traffic jams than robotaxis
- Part 7: Cruise says its robotaxis can now better detect emergency vehicles
- Part 8: California DMV orders Cruise's driverless cars off the road
- Part 9: Driverless cars immune from traffic tickets in California under current laws
- Part 10: GM's Cruise lays off nearly 25% of its workforce
- Part 11: Waymo's driverless cars surpass 7 million miles, but are they safer than human drivers?
- Part 12: Cruise probe blames poor internet, bad leadership, and "flawed" decisions for company's woes
- Part 13: Driverless Cruise car accused of almost hitting 7 yr old after similar close call involving kids
- Part 14: Cruise offers to pay $112,500 in fines to settle claims driverless car company misled regulators
- Part 15: Uber Eats now uses Waymo Self-Driving cars to offer driverless deliveries
- Part 16: Bills aimed at closing traffic ticket loophole for driverless cars get initial green light
- Part 17: School crossing guards say they've had to dodge driverless cars to avoid being hit
- Part 18: Cruise ordered to pay $112,500 in penalties for withholding info from regulators
- Part 19: Waymo waitlist over in SF, all can hail driverless cars
- Part 20: SF Mayor vows to hold driverless car companies accountable after NBC Bay Area report
- Part 21: San Francisco govt. officials meet with Waymo to discuss safety concerns near schools
- Part 22: California DMV gears up to allow driverless trucking despite calls to restrict high-tech big rigs
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