NHTSA Issues Ultimatum to Robotaxi Developers Over Emergency Response Failures

NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a strongly worded directive to autonomous vehicle developers, declaring it 'unacceptable' for robotaxis to interfere with first responders or law enforcement. Morrison stated: 'The inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency. Emergency scenes are not rare or extreme edge cases.' The agency has demanded all AV developers listed in the DOT's Standing General Order submit solutions by the end of July.

While no single company was named, the directive appears aimed squarely at Waymo, which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the U.S. across Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. A previous TechCrunch investigation documented repeated incidents involving Waymo vehicles and first responders. Most recently, during San Francisco's July 4 fireworks event, numerous Waymo robotaxis reportedly ran out of power during severe gridlock and had to be towed. San Francisco supervisor Bilal Mahmood announced plans to submit a formal letter of inquiry examining AV impacts on public transit and emergency services.

Separately, the Uber-Waymo robotaxi partnership in Phoenix has ended, with remaining agreements in Atlanta and Austin now under scrutiny. Analysts expect increasing direct competition — including in the policy arena — once those partnerships conclude. The updated 2026 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda also introduced proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that could affect AV deployment.