San Francisco city leaders are advocating for new federal legislation to regulate self-driving cars, particularly Waymo vehicles, after an incident on July 4th left thousands stranded and marching home due to traffic congestion exacerbated by idle autonomous vehicles.
Congressman Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.) has introduced proposed legislation that would task federal regulators with establishing national safety standards for autonomous vehicles. A key focus of the bill is ensuring that these vehicles do not impede emergency operations.
"This legislation will give local government and autonomous vehicle companies a clearer framework for coordinating during an emergencies and unexpected disruptions," said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. "It would also ensure that AV’s respond appropriately when streets close, traffic patterns change, signals fail or when first responders need immediate access."
Under the proposed bill, autonomous vehicle companies would be required to provide standardized emergency response protocols. It also includes a provision for a 24-hour hotline enabling public officials to communicate directly with AV companies. The legislation could also empower public officials to "geofence" AVs, restricting their operation in certain areas during emergencies.
"This is an attempt for the federal government to engage on the issue and develop some uniform standards of protocol across the country that really puts the onus on these companies to do the right thing," Mullin stated.
Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet Inc., has expressed support for the federal legislation. "Establishing minimum guidelines would provide the entire industry and public safety community with a consistent framework," a Waymo spokesperson said in a statement.
San Francisco, a center for self-driving technology development, has seen instances where autonomous vehicles have interfered with emergency services, including blocking fire crews and paramedics. On July 4th, numerous Waymo vehicles became inoperable on city streets amid heavy traffic associated with a fireworks show, worsening the congestion. Reports also surfaced of a Waymo appearing to drive through an exploding firework.
"In coordination with local authorities and emergency services, our roadside assistance team worked quickly to clear our vehicles from the area," Waymo stated at the time regarding the July Fourth congestion. "Our team is always evaluating ways to strengthen Waymo’s resilience in major traffic disruptions."
This is not the first time Waymo vehicles have caused city-wide disruptions. In December, Waymos stalled across the city during a power outage that disabled traffic lights, a critical component for the vehicles' navigation.
The autonomous driving program originated as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009 and became a separate Alphabet subsidiary in December 2016. Waymo has not disclosed the exact number of vehicles it operates in the Bay Area, but stated last year that over 800 vehicles were in commercial operation across the region.