New Study: Waymo is reducing serious crashes and making streets safer for those most at risk

The path to Vision Zero requires reducing severe crashes and improving the safety of those most at risk. Our latest research paper shows that the Waymo Driver is making significant strides in both areas. By reducing the most dangerous crashes and providing better protection for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, Waymo is making streets safer in cities where it operates.

The paper, accepted to be published in the Traffic Injury Prevention Journal, expands on our Safety Impact Hub research, providing a deeper analysis of Waymo’s performance across 11 different crash types compared to human drivers. It also offers new insights into Waymo’s positive impact on serious injury crash rates.

The research finds that, compared to human benchmarks over 56.7 million miles and regardless of who was at fault, the Waymo Driver had:

• Safer interactions with vulnerable road users (VRUs) with substantial reductions in crashes involving injuries among pedestrians (92% reduction), cyclists (82% reduction), and motorcyclists (82% reduction). 

• 96% fewer injury-involving intersection crashes, which, according to NHTSA, are a leading cause of severe road harm for human drivers. This reduction can be largely attributed to the Waymo Driver’s ability to detect and appropriately respond to vehicles running a red light. 

• 85% fewer crashes with suspected serious or worse injuries. Building on our previous research, which demonstrated Waymo’s significant reductions across all injuries combined, the new study provides early evidence for similar benefits in serious injuries alone. The results are statistically significant but because serious injury cases are, fortunately, rare, they’re based on a small number of events. We will continue to monitor outcomes and gain greater confidence as we accumulate more miles.

These findings add to the growing body of data that the Waymo Driver is reducing the most dangerous crash types, contributing to safer roadways, and pushing forward a vision of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on our roads. While this particular research did not account for crash contribution, a previous study led by the insurance company Swiss Re demonstrated that the Waymo Driver’s positive impact is even more significant when contribution is taken into account. 

“It’s exciting to see the real positive impact that Waymo is making on the streets of America as we continue to expand,” said Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer. “This research reinforces the growing evidence that the Waymo Driver is playing a crucial role in reducing serious crashes and protecting all road users.”

“It’s encouraging to see real-world data showing Waymo outperforming human drivers when it comes to safety. Fewer crashes and fewer injuries — especially for people walking and biking — is exactly the kind of progress we want to see from autonomous vehicles,” — said Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer at Governors Highway Safety Association. 

As Waymo increases in scale, we look forward to strengthening our safety data, assessing the long-term impact on road safety, and helping to advance conversations amongst researchers, policymakers, and safety groups.

We look forward to continuing this conversation and working toward a future where serious traffic injuries, one of the biggest causes of death in the U.S, are dramatically reduced. For those interested in a deeper dive into the data and methodology, we encourage you to explore the full study, and our rolling safety data hub.