Waymo autonomous vehicles were found to be involved in 68% fewer accidents than human drivers in a three-year span across four U.S. cities, based on fresh information from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The study revealed that 89 police-reportable crashes involved Waymo in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin between 2021 and 2024. Conversely, there were 901,525 human-caused and involved crashes in the same locations during that timeframe, excluding interstates and highways.
Steven Waslander, the director of the University of Toronto Robotics Institute, expressed excitement about witnessing this technology in action over the past two decades. Notably, 72% of the Waymo-involved crashes occurred while the vehicle was fully autonomous, with half of them carrying passengers at the time. The study indicated that Waymo covered around 80 million kilometers autonomously, while human drivers traveled 355 billion kilometers in the same areas during the three-year period.
The research quantified the crash rates per million vehicle miles traveled, showing that human drivers had a rate of 4.06 crashes per million miles, while Waymo vehicles had a rate of 1.28 crashes per million miles, representing a 68% lower rate for Waymo. The study, which used data from police reports, Waymo, and federal databases, focused on Alphabet’s driverless vehicles.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, incidents involving autonomous vehicles must be reported if automated driving systems were utilized within 30 seconds before the crash, resulting in specific property damage or injuries. Currently operational in 11 U.S. states, Waymo aims to expand to the United Kingdom and Japan, with lobbying efforts underway in Canada.
Eric Teoh, the director of statistical services at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, highlighted the significance of crash types when analyzing the data. Teoh emphasized the positive outlook for driverless vehicles, particularly noting that Waymo’s vehicles are less frequently involved in severe crashes compared to human-driven vehicles. The study results are viewed as promising for the driverless industry as a whole.
However, challenges persist in terms of data transparency, with Waymo voluntarily reporting its data. Governments are urged to enhance data accessibility and clarity. In Canada, obstacles such as regulatory constraints and climate conditions may delay the adoption of driverless technology. Despite the low collision rates of driverless vehicles compared to human drivers, incidents of technical glitches have raised doubts about the technology’s readiness for widespread use.
Andrew Miller, the author of “The End of Driving,” highlighted ongoing learning processes for autonomous vehicles. While advancements are being made, full-scale integration of driverless technology may not occur until 2030, with a potential shift towards driverless ride-hail services in urban centers.