A new California law partially addresses one concern about autonomous vehicles operating in the state. A separate effort covering autonomous large trucks was recently rejected.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill to allow law enforcement to take action when an autonomous vehicle violates the vehicle code.
The new rule is touted to set clear guidelines for autonomous vehicle companies when their driverless vehicles get into a wreck or encounter first responders.
Assembly Bill 1777
Previously AB1777, the new law gives the California Department of Motor Vehicles more information to adjust operational permits based on repeated problems.
Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, said the legislation is a direct response to incidents in San Francisco that include disrupting traffic, rolling over, dragging a pedestrian, impeding firetrucks at multiple scenes or driving into crime scenes.
He added that the new rule also enhances communication and safety tools that emergency crews need to do their job in a timely manner.
“Before autonomous vehicles get too commonplace, California needs to get ahead of the game to ensure safety for all on our streets,” Ting said in prepared remarks.
The new law creates a process that gives law enforcement the ability to cite vehicles via a notice of non-compliance. A notice will be sent to the autonomous vehicle company. The company must then report the notice to the DMV within 72 hours.
Ting said that with enough data, the DMV can better track vehicle safety and adjust permit operations when necessary to improve road safety.
The new rule also standardizes communication and interaction with emergency crews by requiring a dedicated phone line to autonomous vehicle companies for first responders, as well as two-way interior and exterior communication systems, so that nearby first responders can communicate with the vehicle.
An exception from the two-way communication systems rule is made for autonomous commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 10,000 pounds.
Critics have pointed out AB1777 does not specify what happens to an autonomous vehicle company when it receives a notice of noncompliance or what happens if the company fails to report the notice to the DMV.
The new law will take effect July 1, 2026. In the meantime, the DMV is responsible for working out details that include what penalties may result from the notices.
Other gubernatorial action on autonomous vehicles
Newsom previously took action on another bill that addressed concerns about autonomous trucks.
The legislation called for prohibiting autonomous vehicle operation with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 10,000 pounds for testing purposes, transporting goods or transporting passengers without a “human safety operator physically present” in the vehicle during operation. The prohibition would have been in place until at least 2030.
The governor vetoed the bill. In his veto message, he cited draft regulations in the state that propose strict guidelines for heavy-duty autonomous vehicle operations.
Sponsored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, the bill rules would have been in place until a legislative evaluation of autonomous vehicle technology was complete.
Aguiar-Curry has maintained “there is nothing about a human safety operator that prevents the autonomous trucking industry from testing and deploying autonomous vehicles anywhere in California.”
