California cities will be able to hit robotaxi operators with penalties of up to $10,000 if their vehicles block emergency services for more than 30 minutes under a new state law. Senate Bill 1246, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on 30 September 2026, will also force firms to provide local technical support from July 2028.
The law introduces new obligations for autonomous vehicle manufacturers, including companies such as Tesla, Waymo and Zoox. It requires greater communication during fleet-wide failures, tighter controls on remote driving and faster assistance when driverless vehicles crash, break down or obstruct roads.
