California to Start Ticketing Driverless Cars The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) confirmed that it will be imposing new regulations for driverless vehicles. Pending regulations, based off the updated rules established in 2024, were approved late last month and allow the state to fine autonomous vehicle manufacturers directly for traffic violations. There are also updated rules determining the amount of testing required before any company can field new self-driving vehicles on public roads. Certification will now be done in phases, with light-duty vehicles needing 50,000 miles in each phase and semi trucks requiring 10 times that amount. California now also has more agency over how emergency operations are handled. The DMV wants enhanced licensing for remote operators, new ways to override AVs that are in the way of emergency response vehicles, and improved incident reporting from manufacturers. Officials also want ways of imposing restrictions on fleet size and where the vehicles are allowed to operate based upon the needs of a given area. Changes were clearly done in response to public outrage. Numerous high-profile incidents fanned the flames of change. AVs have struck city buses, pedestrians, and pets in California. Local residents and even some emergency services have likewise been expressing frustrations about how autonomous test vehicles have been getting in the way — creating traffic jams and clogging up parking zones. But it’s not just The Golden State that’s seeing complaints. Waymo vehicles were faulted for illegally passing school buses in numerous states and Texas saw an incident where they actually blocked the path of EMS vehicles that were trying to respond to a shooting. The new rules effectively just clear up who is liable when one of these vehicles breaks the law, with the California DMV likewise suggesting that it would promote transparency with the public. Implementation