NHTSA issues directive to AV developers citing clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with first responders

In July 2026, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers requiring them to ensure their vehicles get out of the way of first responders. The letter cited a clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders, including incidents where AVs drove into active emergency scenes, blocked the paths of ambulances or firefighters, or failed to recognize or respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones. The directive preceded Zoox's smoke-detection recall and follows multiple Waymo recalls for construction-zone and flooded-roadway entry failures.