California to require robotaxi companies to keep operators in the US and fine them for blocking emergency services
Prepared by Sintelligent with the help of SI. Publication time restored from the build log. . Updated: .
Self-driving cars have grown enough to get their own rules, but the deadline of 2028 gives companies time to perfect the technology rather than stop it.
Governor Newsom signed law SB 1246: only operators in the US holding US licenses may remotely drive vehicles, and companies must report the location and condition of vehicles to local authorities during mass outages and keep local technical staff. A fine applies if a robotaxi blocks police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes. The law takes effect in July 2028; Waymo has about 4,000 vehicles, 1,200 of them in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tesla is the only one of those named that publicly talks about remote operators with direct control.
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