Waymo driverless robotaxis show 68% lower crash rate than human drivers, IIHS reports

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that Waymo’s Level 4 driverless robotaxi fleet recorded 68% fewer crashes per vehicle‑mile traveled than human drivers across four U.S. cities. Crash rates were 76% lower in Phoenix, 71% lower in Los Angeles, 35% lower in San Francisco, while Austin showed a slight increase attributed to a small sample size. The analysis covered roughly 50 million Waymo miles versus about 222 billion human‑driver miles, revealing an 85% reduction in single‑vehicle crashes and an 81% drop in injury crashes.

IIHS President David Harkey said, “The results show that, on a limited scale, these driverless cars are safer than human drivers.” However, the study also highlighted shortcomings in the national crash‑reporting system for automated vehicles: only about 22% of automation‑engaged crashes reported to the NHTSA were police‑reportable, underscoring the need for improved data collection as the technology expands.