The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has sent a stark warning to developers of autonomous vehicles, highlighting incidents where driverless cars have impeded emergency services.
Jonathan Morrison, administrator of NHTSA, stated bluntly that an AV not able to interact safely with first responders is a danger to the public. He cited numerous instances where self-driving cars drove into emergency scenes, blocked ambulances and failed to react to flashing lights and traffic cones.
The letter, described as a 'call to action', directed developers like Waymo and Zoox to focus immediately on fixing these issues. Morrison also scheduled meetings with each company by the end of July to discuss solutions.
City officials reported that self-driving cars were impeding emergency responses, leading one fire chief to describe their behaviour as a 'safety issue'. In Austin, a Waymo robotaxi blocked an ambulance for two minutes during a mass shooting.
