The United States Department of Transportation has issued a formal warning to self-driving car manufacturers such as Waymo and Zoox, following repeated incidents where autonomous vehicles interfered with the work of police, firefighters, and paramedics.

In a letter dated July 8, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Jonathan Morrison publicly urged autonomous vehicle developers to take corrective action. Morrison acknowledged the "immense potential of automated vehicles" to minimize human error and enhance road safety, but expressed concern about a "consistent pattern of driverless AVs disrupting law enforcement and other emergency responders." The letter follows several widely reported cases involving Waymo's ride-hailing vehicles and law enforcement bodies in California and Texas.

"The agency has recorded multiple events where autonomous vehicles entered active emergency zones, blocked ambulances and fire trucks, or failed to detect and respond to fundamental safety cues such as flashing lights, smoke, flares, fire, or traffic cones. This is unacceptable," Morrison wrote. "An AV that cannot safely interact with emergency personnel poses a serious risk to the public. Every moment is critical when police officers, firefighters, or paramedics are responding to emergencies, as lives depend on their timely action." The notice further stated that autonomous vehicles unable to correctly identify and respond to first responders exhibit a "functional deficiency," emphasizing that emergency situations cannot be regarded as rare or exceptional cases.

Companies like Waymo have faced a string of recalls this year, some addressing issues where driverless vehicles entered restricted areas. In one notable incident last year, a Waymo vehicle drove through the scene of an active arrest in Los Angeles, ignoring repeated commands from Los Angeles Police Department officers. More recently, a Dallas County constable had to physically move a Waymo vehicle that was blocking his access to an apartment explosion site.

"Therefore, NHTSA is calling upon AV developers and operators to immediately allocate their resources towards resolving this matter. We expect you to prioritise safe interactions with emergency responders, and we will hold meetings with developers of driverless automated driving systems by the end of the month to review your proposed solutions," the letter stated.

During President Donald Trump's administration, federal agencies generally adopted a supportive stance toward autonomous vehicle operators. To counter foreign competition, regulators streamlined processes and relaxed testing requirements to accelerate domestic innovation. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation even organised its first-ever autonomous vehicle summit in Washington, D.C. However, regulatory attitudes towards autonomous vehicles are now evolving in ways that may not favour manufacturers. For instance, California has recently introduced a system allowing law enforcement officials to issue traffic violation citations to autonomous vehicles directly.