NHTSA Orders AV Makers to Fix First-Responder Interference by Month's End

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive July 8, 2026, requiring autonomous vehicle developers to present solutions for driverless cars interfering with emergency operations by July 31. Morrison cited a documented pattern: vehicles blocking ambulances and firefighters, failing to recognize flashing lights, flares, and traffic cones. The letter reframes emergency scenes as routine operating conditions, not edge cases, with enforcement consequences left unspecified but pointedly compared to penalties human drivers face for obstructing law enforcement.