Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
First responders say robotaxis can block emergency access; urge override and staffing rules
Summary
Firefighters, police and city drivers told the committee AVs have immobilized at emergencies and during outages, sometimes blocking hoses and ambulances; witnesses urged public‑safety manual overrides, staffing guarantees for remote operators, and local enforcement powers to protect response times.
First responders and municipal safety officials told the California State Senate Transportation Committee that autonomous passenger vehicles and robotaxis are producing operational problems that can impede emergency response.
Adam Wood, retired from the San Francisco Fire Department, said AVs have "pulled to the middle of an active shooter scene and shut down," blocked fire hoses, and in a December power outage dozens of AVs were immobilized at intersections for between 20 minutes and almost an hour. Wood urged a "public safety manual override…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
