Saturday, October 04, 2025

Ticketing Driverless Vehicles

Not in Illinois (yet), but no doubt that you'll see it in your lifetimes:

  • Currently, driverless cars are operated in many cities across the US, with San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix at the forefront of autonomous driving tech. Although robotaxis have been usually safe, with accident statistics showing that they're better than humans, they are still far from perfect. In some cases, they have been seen performing illegal or dangerous maneuvers that shocked fellow drivers.

    When such incidents had become widespread, police officers had to confront a bizarre situation. Even if they caught the robotaxis while misbehaving, they found no one to fine in the driver's seat. In a 2022 SFPD directive, officers were instructed that autonomous driving vehicles weren't exempt from traffic violations. However, the same directive underlined that "no citation for a moving violation can be issued if the AV is being operated in driverless mode."

    It appears the practice is still in effect, although new legislation has been passed to allow police officers to fine robotaxi companies instead. The bill also requires autonomous driving companies to set up an emergency phone line for first responders. However, the bill signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024 will not take effect until July 2026.

Personally, we can't wait for some of this:

A rehearsal before an airshow in China resulted in some injuries and a spectacular battery fire. 

Imagine a flying car car-jacking downtown resulting in a helicopter chase to the west side. The lawyers are going to have a field day.

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13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

New terrorists weapon flying cars into building with explosives on board.

10/04/2025 12:24:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Jetsons era may be arriving?

10/04/2025 01:01:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Conehead will probably get some ideas for this article. What better way to defund the police. Driverless squad cars that require no officers so no payroll & no beefs. The squads will keep patroling but citizens will be unable to report crimes to an automated car plus no chases. This will reduce crime on the books!!

10/04/2025 03:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I saw a driverless car with someone in the driver's seat, his name was bidumb and had no clue he was driving

10/04/2025 06:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Ice Ice Baby said...

Funny how some neighborhoods resemble the flintstones and now some will resemble the jetsons. It’s an interesting time to be alive.

10/04/2025 08:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tow those bitches and hold for ransom.

10/04/2025 08:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If a minority was involved in the car's engineering it would be racist to issue a ticket. Our pinheaded Mayor would opine.

10/04/2025 09:15:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Keep that nonsense out of here. But, all the morons infatuated with technology will blindly rush to embrace it because they think it will make them cool.

10/04/2025 09:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1/2 of the department is dead weight and mindless. HR has hired diversity hires that financially empower the groups destroying America.

10/04/2025 10:06:00 AM  
Blogger Rich Rostrom said...

In San Bruno CA, a Jaguar made an illegal U-turn, and was pulled over by police. No one was driving, no one was even in the car. So no ticket could be issued!

https://carbuzz.com/make-u-turn-in-front-of-police-no-ticket/

Just A Civilian (who wonders how this could be dealt with here)

10/04/2025 11:31:00 AM  
Anonymous The Keesing Bandit said...

I got a great joke about the Jetsons but I can't use it here.

Now, kees me you fool!!!!

10/04/2025 01:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Usually the company that owns and operates the vehicle is ticketed. Apparently, some of these driverless cars have the ability to connect the LEO with a remote support center (think Indian call center with agents named "Buffy"). But - California - so nothing was done.

10/04/2025 03:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did you try and submit it, or are you self-censoring now?

10/04/2025 04:59:00 PM  

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