NHTSA chief demands robotaxi first-responder fixes by month-end | AI…

NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison has ordered all autonomous vehicle developers on the DOT's Standing General Order list to submit solutions for first-responder detection failures by end of July, reframing the problem as a 'functional insufficiency' rather than an edge case—a regulatory move that could trigger recalls and enforcement orders. The directive follows a series of incidents including Waymo vehicles stranding in San Francisco traffic, and establishes a federal compliance deadline that will create enforceable documentation for potential future recall proceedings. NHTSA just moved first-responder detection from 'edge case you'll fix someday' to 'functional insufficiency' — the same category that triggers recalls. Whatever you submit by 31 July becomes the legal record if regulators or injured parties come asking questions later.