NHTSA Tells Automated Vehicle Developers to Improve First-Responder Interactions

NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison documented multiple incidents over the past few months in which automated vehicles drove directly into active emergency scenes, blocked ambulances and firefighters, or failed to recognize flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones.

In a letter dated July 8, 2026, Morrison wrote: “This is unacceptable. ” Morrison demanded that AV developers prioritize first responder interactions and stated the agency will schedule meetings with driverless automated driving system developers by the end of July 2026.

The federal government launched a major AV Framework that includes leveling the playing field for American innovators, slashing redundant red tape, and hosting the NHTSA’s first AV summit. NHTSA is issuing a call to action for AV developers and operators to immediately focus resources on fixing first-responder interaction issues. Dr.

Henry Liu, head of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology in February 2026. Liu called for a rigorous, evidence-based framework for AV safety testing and evaluation that earns public trust through independent, unbiased performance evidence, along with AI-enabled digital infrastructure modernization that delivers measurable safety and mobility improvements at scale.

He stated that automated vehicles are involved in fewer accidents than human-driven vehicles but still make mistakes that have resulted in injuries and deaths, and argued that society should accept some accidents as a mechanism for companies to learn from them.