California\u2019s ever-growing fleet of driverless taxis will now be held accountable to the same traffic rules as human motorists, the state\u2019s Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Before now, the damage to driverless car companies when their vehicles ran afoul of traffic laws has largely been reputational<\/a>. When a San Bruno police officer pulled over a Waymo robotaxis after it made an illegal U-turn <\/a>in September, his hands were tied: \u201cour citation books don\u2019t have a box for \u2018robot,\u2019\u201d the department later explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n But under a slate of new autonomous vehicle rules, which the DMV said were \u201cthe most comprehensive\u201d in the country, police will be able to ticket the companies that own autonomous vehicles if their cars commit traffic violations. Manufacturers can also face penalties if their cars drive through the scenes of emergencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state\u2019s commitment to public safety,\u201d DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement. \u201cThese updates support the growth of the AV industry by enhancing public safety and transparency while adding additional accountability for AV manufacturers.\u201d<\/p>\n After the San Bruno incident last fall, the police department contacted\u00a0Waymo\u2019s parent company, Alphabet, but was unable to write a formal citation. The new rule would change that, allowing officers to issue a \u201cNotice of AV Noncompliance.\u201d<\/p>\n