The mayor of San Francisco has grown weary of his city functioning as a proving ground for self-driving cars.

In a letter dispatched to state transportation officials on Wednesday, Daniel Lurie advocated for fresh statewide guidelines on how autonomous vehicles should handle major disruptions, arguing that firmer rules would ultimately bolster the sector.

"California now faces the question of whether autonomous vehicles can function safely not only in routine situations but also amid significant disruptions," Lurie stated.

"Demonstrate readiness prior to rollout," he continued. "Operators must show they can manage large-scale events through prior testing and drills before placing autonomous vehicles into service."

The letter highlighted two specific events that prompted the call for updated rules. On July 4 evening, congestion near the waterfront immobilized several Waymo cars, obstructing lanes and intensifying delays that affected city shuttles and crowds departing the fireworks display.

Lurie also referenced a December 2025 blackout across the city that left Waymo robotaxis stranded and disrupted transit services.

"With autonomous vehicles making up more of the traffic on city streets, they form part of the overall transportation network," Lurie noted. "This role brings duties that extend past individual rides to include support for essential city operations."

Under the proposed standards, robotaxi operators would need to prove they can promptly remove stalled vehicles from roadways, adjust routes in real time during crises, provide live data to city authorities, and confirm via exercises that their technology handles spikes in traffic and demand.

The initiative marks a move from voluntary pledges by firms such as Waymo to required benchmarks, an approach gaining traction among officials.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contacted leading AV companies on July 8, citing repeated cases of driverless vehicles hindering police and emergency responders, and urged immediate action to resolve the problem.

"Incidents at emergency sites are common rather than unusual exceptions," the agency observed. "Confidence in road safety must be earned."

Waymo responded that it values the mayor's feedback and noted its vehicles have aided major city events, including FIFA World Cup matches.

"The city and Waymo both aim to deliver safe, convenient travel for locals and visitors," a company representative said. "We will keep working with municipal departments, drawing on insights from the millions of trips completed in San Francisco."

State rules require AV firms to clear approvals from the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission before offering paid robotaxi rides. Six operators, including Waymo, Zoox, Nuro, Motional, Apollo Auto, and WeRide, currently hold permits for fully driverless testing on public roads.