Public Safety, Deeper Regulation, and Reasons Why California Plans to Begin Ticketing Driverless Cars That Violate Traffic Laws
INTRO : The reasons why California plans to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws come down to safety, accountability, and a surge of real-world incidents involving autonomous vehicles. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles announced new regulations that take effect July 1, allowing police to issue a “notice of AV noncompliance” directly to manufacturers when robotaxis break the rules. Here are five key reasons why California plans to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws. 1. Police Couldn’t Cite Driverless Cars Under Existing Law : The biggest of the reasons why California plans to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws is a loophole: no driver, no ticket. In September, San Bruno police saw a Waymo AV make an illegal U-turn right in front of them. Officers stopped the car but couldn’t issue a citation because there was no human driver. Instead, they contacted the company about the “glitch.” The new DMV rules close that gap ...