Waymo's driverless cars involved in fewer crashes than human drivers

Waymo's most recent self-reported data continues to support the company's assertion that its driverless cars are safer than human-driven vehicles. The company reported analyzing 271 million miles of driverless operation across five cities through the end of June.

The data encompasses operations in Atlanta, Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and an additional city not previously specified. Waymo aims to use this data to persuade policymakers and the public about the safety of autonomous vehicles, although some experts have criticized the reporting. These critics argue that the data fails to capture all traffic disruptions potentially caused by robotaxis.

The comparison to human drivers is based on Waymo's internal assessments of incidents where its autonomous vehicles were involved. The company states that its statistics show crashes occur significantly less frequently compared to the same mileage driven by human drivers.

Waymo's objective is to expand the deployment of its driverless cars and gather further data to substantiate its safety claims. The company believes the collected data reinforces the argument that the technology is prepared for broader adoption.