NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive Wednesday to autonomous vehicle (AV) developers, stating it is unacceptable for their vehicles to interfere with first responders or law enforcement, citing a “clear pattern of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders.” The agency cited instances where AVs drove into active emergency scenes, blocked ambulances and firefighters, or failed to respond to flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire, and traffic cones. NHTSA demanded AV developers present their “solutions” by the end of the month, with Morrison’s letter stating, “the inability to detect and appropriately respond to such situations represents a functional insufficiency.” The letter does not explicitly name any company, but details suggest it is directed at robotaxi operators like Waymo, which declined to comment. A previous TechCrunch investigation found Waymo, which operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the United States, has had repeated run-ins with first responders, including at least six incidents identified through March of this year where first responders had to take control of Waymo vehicles. The agency’s letter does not specify consequences if the request is ignored or outline acceptable solutions, but implies it would hold companies accountable, noting human drivers who impede law enforcement are “subject to fines and even jail time.” The agency also noted progress on updating Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements, which could help companies like Tesla and Zoox developing vehicles without steering wheels or pedals.