A "dumb" car driven by a doctor could get a ticket, whereas a "smart" car without a driver won't. 

Writer Carrie Paul mentioned that self-driving vehicles in San Francisco are exempt from traffic violations if there isn’t anyone in the driver's seat, according to the San Francisco Police Department. This underscores the legal concerns regarding the safety surrounding this expansive technology.

In a report published by The Guardian, the writer explained that the San Francisco Police Department's policy states that officers can pull over self-driving vehicles for infractions, but they can’t issue citations unless there's a safety driver overseeing its operations.

Since June 2022, self-driving vehicles have been allowed to operate without safety drivers as long as they stay within city limits. Officers can issue absentia citations to the registered owner of the self-driving vehicle for violations that occur when the vehicle is stationary, such as parking violations, but not for violations like speeding, running red lights, wrong-way driving, or illegal turns.