Self-Driving Cars Are About To Learn What A Traffic Ticket Is

CALIFORNIA — Law enforcement agencies in California will soon be able to issue formal notices to self-driving cars for alleged traffic violations under a new law that goes into effect in 2026.

AB 1777, authored by former state Assemblymember Philip Ting, D-San Francisco, establishes greater regulations on autonomous vehicles when encountering law enforcement or emergency response personnel.

Law enforcement will be allowed to issue "notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance" to the manufacturers of driverless cars. The manufacturers would then be required to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of the alleged violation.

An additional component of the law requires all self-driving cars to be equipped with two-way communication technology that allows law enforcement and emergency responders to contact a human operator who can direct vehicles remotely.

Emergency personnel will be able to issue an emergency geofencing message to the manufacturer of a self-driving car and would require the manufacturer to direct its cars to leave or avoid a certain area within two minutes of receiving the message.

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