US Regulator Demands Self-Driving Car Companies Fix Emergency Vehicle Interference

The head of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Wednesday that self-driving vehicle companies must quickly resolve a "clear pattern" of their cars interfering with police, fire, and other emergency responders. In a letter sent to the industry, NHTSA head Jonathan Morrison stated the agency has documented multiple instances of autonomous vehicles (AVs) causing problems at active emergency scenes.

The letter detailed incidents where driverless vehicles have driven into emergency zones, blocked the paths of ambulances and fire trucks, or failed to react to standard safety indicators. These include "flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones." Morrison was direct in his assessment, writing, "Let me be clear: the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency."

NHTSA announced it will schedule meetings with AV developers by the end of the month to solicit solutions. The agency's letter emphasized the seriousness of the issue, stating, "An AV that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the general public."

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While the agency's letter did not identify specific companies, several incidents involving Waymo vehicles have been reported. In late May, a Waymo self-driving car in Dallas reportedly blocked a route being used by fire trucks responding to a fire. Other reports and videos have allegedly shown the company's vehicles obstructing an ambulance and driving through an active police scene.

Waymo is also currently the subject of separate investigations by both NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). These investigations are looking into incidents where its vehicles reportedly passed stopped school buses with their lights activated and another where a Waymo car struck a child in a school zone in California.