IIHS study finds lower crash rates for Waymo driverless rides in four cities

Waymo's driverless vehicles had 68% fewer police-reportable crashes per mile than human-driven vehicles in the same areas and years, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study. Their rate of crashes involving injuries was 81% lower. Researchers compared Waymo's operations in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin with local human driving. The comparison drew on about 50 million Waymo driverless miles. The result measures crash involvement, including incidents Waymo may not have caused, and applies only to the vehicles and conditions studied. IIHS said comparable mileage and crash reporting from other operators is needed to monitor safety as robotaxi services expand.