Waymo and other robotaxi operators are facing growing regulatory pressure after a string of incidents in which autonomous vehicles blocked ambulances and fire trucks, entered active crime scenes, or failed to recognise safety signals like traffic cones and flares. US Representative Kevin Mullin plans to introduce the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act this week, which would direct federal regulators to set minimum national safety standards for how self-driving cars interact with emergency responders, marking one of the most concrete legislative pushes yet against the industry.

The bill, unveiled at a San Francisco press conference alongside the city's mayor and fire chief, would require AV firms to publish clear emergency protocols, run a 24-hour hotline for public officials, and let regulators "geofence" robotaxis to restrict where they operate during emergencies. San Francisco's fire chief said robotaxis have repeatedly picked up and dropped off passengers outside fire stations and ambulance depots, obstructing access. Waymo said it has "long supported" a federal framework and backs efforts to standardise how AV developers work with first responders, while the proposal follows separate concerns raised by NHTSA in early July and a wider pattern of scrutiny over the past several weeks.