The whole situation around autonomous cars in California has been genuinely messy. But starting July 1, things will get a lot clearer. California is officially putting an end to the driverless free-for-all. State regulators have just approved a set of rules that will finally hold autonomous vehicle (AV) companies accountable for the traffic laws their cars break.
Here is exactly what is changing on California streets this summer.
Closing a long-standing loophole
As exposed by the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit, California’s transportation codes dictated that human “drivers” were the ones subject to citations. Because there was no human at the wheel, police were essentially unable to write standard traffic tickets to empty cars.
What the new rules consist of
This summer, law enforcement will have a new weapon: the “notice of noncompliance”. As reported by NBC, officers can issue these directly to companies like Waymo when their vehicles run red lights, fail to yield to pedestrians, or perform illegal maneuvers
While it isn’t a traditional financial ticket, the stakes are actually much higher for the companies. According to KTVU, the DMV warned that repeated or severe instances can trigger “incremental enforcement actions,” ultimately leading to the state suspending or revoking a company’s license to operate.
The “strict clock” for AV Companies
Under the new guidelines, AV companies face strict new countdowns:
- Rapid Reporting: Companies have 72 hours to hand over incident details to the DMV—and just 24 hours if the case is marked for “priority review”.
- The 30-Second Rule: Companies must respond to calls from first responders within 30 seconds.
- The 2-Minute Drill: AV operators must authorize local emergency officials to clear their vehicles from active emergency zones within two minutes of receiving the order.
