Waymo, robotaxi operators face fresh scrutiny over emergency response failures - TechCrunch

What the report says

TechCrunch reports that Rep. Kevin Mullin, a California Democrat, is preparing federal legislation aimed at how autonomous vehicle companies respond when their robotaxis encounter police, firefighters and medical crews. The proposal, called the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act, was presented Tuesday at a San Francisco press conference, with Mayor Daniel Lurie, Fire Chief Dean Crispen and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety president Cathy Chase also taking part.

According to TechCrunch, the bill would instruct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create baseline national emergency-response rules for autonomous vehicle operators. It would also require companies to give first responders clear procedures, maintain a round-the-clock hotline for public officials, and create a process for officials to geofence robotaxis during emergencies or other safety hazards. That last tool could let cities limit where autonomous vehicles operate in real time rather than relying only on company action.

The proposal follows reported incidents in which driverless vehicles blocked emergency vehicles, entered active crime scenes or failed to respond appropriately to cones, flares and similar signals. TechCrunch also cited its earlier investigation finding cases where Waymo needed first responders to manually move vehicles that had become stuck. Crispen said San Francisco’s fire department has worked with autonomous vehicle companies but continues to see behavior that obstructs emergency access, including pickups and drop-offs near fire and ambulance facilities.

Waymo told TechCrunch it supports a federal framework for autonomous vehicle standards and efforts to standardize engagement with first responders. The scrutiny comes as NHTSA and San Francisco officials have also pressed AV developers over emergency interference, including concerns tied to stranded Waymo vehicles and a July 4 traffic disruption in the city.