Waymo robotaxis crash far less often than human drivers, IIHS study shows

An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report evaluated crash data for Waymo’s driverless taxis against human-driven vehicles across four U.S. cities between 2021 and 2024. After normalizing for miles traveled, Waymo’s fleet experienced 68% fewer crashes overall, with city-specific reductions of 76% in Phoenix, 71% in Los Angeles, 35% in San Francisco, and a slight 4% disadvantage in Austin. The study examined 89 police-reportable incidents, of which 64 occurred while the cars were in fully autonomous mode.

Waymo currently runs 577 driverless cars and provides about half a million paid rides each week. While the findings suggest autonomous technology can be safer on a limited scale, researchers highlighted gaps in reporting consistency and called for better data collection. Safety advocates and lawmakers, including Rep. Kevin Mullin, are pushing for national standards to address incidents like the July 4th disruptions in San Francisco.