NHTSA orders self-driving car companies to fix emergency response issues
AV companies must address emergency response issues by month's end
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered autonomous vehicle (AV) developers to address safety issues after identifying repeated cases of driverless vehicles interfering with police officers, firefighters and emergency medical teams.
In a directive issued on Wednesday, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said companies must submit their proposed solutions by the end of July, stressing that emergency response failures are not isolated incidents but a significant safety concern.
NHTSA cites repeated safety failures
According to Morrison, the agency has documented a pattern of autonomous vehicles driving into active emergency scenes, blocking ambulances and fire engines, and failing to respond appropriately to flashing lights, traffic cones, smoke, fire and other temporary road hazards.
He said such incidents demonstrate a "functional insufficiency" in current autonomous driving systems.
Morrison emphasised that emergency situations should not be treated as rare "edge cases" and urged developers to prioritise improvements immediately.
Companies asked to provide solutions
TechCrunch reported that while the directive does not name any specific company, it calls on all AV developers and operators to explain how they plan to prevent similar incidents.
The agency has not outlined penalties for companies that fail to respond, nor has it specified what technical solutions would satisfy regulators.
However, Morrison noted that human drivers who obstruct emergency responders can face fines or even jail time, suggesting autonomous vehicle companies could also be held accountable if safety issues persist.
Waymo incidents draw attention
Although the letter avoids naming individual firms, its concerns closely mirror previous reports involving robotaxi operator Waymo.
Earlier investigations documented several cases in which first responders had to manually move Waymo vehicles that were blocking roads or interfering with emergency operations.
In one incident, officers responding to a mass shooting had to reposition a driverless vehicle. In another, police moved a Waymo robotaxi so emergency crews could access the scene of a natural gas explosion.
Waymo declined to comment on the latest directive.
Federal rules for autonomous vehicles continue to evolve
Alongside the safety directive, NHTSA said it is continuing work to modernise Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for autonomous vehicles.
The agency is considering changes that would allow future self-driving vehicles without traditional features such as steering wheels, pedals, windscreen wipers, sun visors, defogging systems and tyre information placards.
The proposed updates are part of the agency's 2026 Regulatory Plan, which aims to accommodate the next generation of autonomous vehicle designs while maintaining safety standards.
