Waymo Driverless Cars Have 68% Lower Crash Rate Than Humans

Waymo driverless vehicles were involved in 68% fewer police-reportable crashes per mile than human-driven vehicles in the same areas ^[1].

This finding suggests that autonomous technology may significantly reduce traffic accidents, potentially shifting how regulators and the public view the safety of driverless fleets on public roads.

The study was released this month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) ^[1]. Researchers evaluated the safety performance of Waymo's robotaxis across U.S. roadways where the company currently operates ^[3]. To ensure a fair comparison, the IIHS compared the crash rates per mile of the autonomous fleet against human drivers operating in those same geographic areas ^[2].

The data focuses specifically on police-reportable crashes, which are typically more severe than minor fender-benders. By using a crashes-per-mile metric, the study provides a standardized way to measure the risk associated with autonomous systems compared to human error ^[2].

Despite the positive findings, some aspects of the data remain under scrutiny. While the results indicate a safety advantage, some reports note that there is still a lack of comprehensive data required to fully monitor autonomous-vehicle safety over the long term ^[4]. This gap in data suggests that while current trends are promising, the industry still faces challenges in providing a complete safety picture.

Waymo, the autonomous-vehicle unit of Alphabet, continues to expand its operations. The goal of the IIHS study was to provide an objective evaluation to inform both the public and government regulators about the potential benefits of the technology [1, 4].