San Francisco Autonomous Vehicles Exempt from Traffic Tickets for Moving Violations

California's laws lag behind other states in addressing traffic violations by driverless cars, sparking safety concerns amid increasing incidents.

Autonomous vehicles in San Francisco are currently exempt from traffic tickets for moving violations if there is no safety driver present, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
California law has not yet been updated to address the issue of traffic violations by autonomous vehicles, unlike in states such as Texas and Arizona where the registered owner can be cited for violations.
More than 500 autonomous vehicles from companies like Waymo and Cruise are operational in San Francisco, raising concerns about how violations by these vehicles are handled.
Recent incidents involving autonomous vehicles, including a high-profile crash involving a Cruise vehicle that nearly killed a pedestrian, have increased calls for tighter laws and regulations.
Despite the controversies, Waymo claims its robotaxis are safer than human drivers, citing a 57% reduction in police-reported crashes and an 85% reduction in crashes causing bodily injury.