Waymo autonomous vehicles show 68% lower accident rate than humans

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has compared the performance of autonomous vehicles against human drivers. Analyzing approximately 50 million miles driven by Waymo vehicles in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin between 2021 and 2024, the research found that Waymo's autonomous technology had a 68% lower accident involvement rate per million miles than human drivers.

The study highlighted specific safety benefits, noting that autonomous vehicles saw an 85% reduction in single-vehicle accidents and an 81% reduction in accidents involving injuries compared to human-led driving.

Performance varied significantly by location. In Phoenix, the accident rate was 76% lower than human drivers, and in Los Angeles, it was 71% lower. However, in San Francisco, the reduction was only 35%, and in Austin, the autonomous vehicle accident rate was actually 3% to 4% higher than that of human drivers.