Self Driving Cars Involved in Fewer Accidents

By Lacey Drummond July 27, 2026

Waymo’s self-driving cars are involved in fewer crashes than human drivers per vehicle mile traveled, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The nonprofit organization analyzed crash rates in cities where Waymo operates, including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin.

The study found that Waymo vehicles traveled about 50 million miles autonomously during the period studied, compared to about 222 billion miles for human drivers in the same locations. The overall rate of crashes for Waymo vehicles was 68% lower per vehicle mile traveled than human drivers.

The crash rate for Waymo self-driving cars was 76% lower in Phoenix, 35% lower in San Francisco, and 71% lower in Los Angeles. However, the Waymo fleet had 4% higher crashes in Austin than human drivers, although the sample size was relatively small. Waymo cars were also involved in 85% fewer single-vehicle crashes and 81% fewer crashes resulting in injuries per vehicle mile traveled than human drivers overall.

According to the study, the limitations of the data used are a significant factor in understanding the safety record of self-driving cars. While companies are required to report crashes involving self-driving cars to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the State of California, they are not required to report the mileage these vehicles cover or how much is actually done in autonomous mode.

Waymo publishes vehicle mile traveled information that other companies do not, which is why it was the only company studied. Even with this information, researchers had to account for differences in reporting standards for self-driving car crashes and those for crashes involving human drivers. Most states only require drivers to report crashes that cause an injury or result in at least $1,000 in property damage.

Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did require companies to report minor fender-benders involving self-driving cars until a 2025 amendment to its reporting requirements. Researchers also found redundant reports and ones where a car might not have been operating in autonomous mode. Once they had eliminated these extraneous reports, researchers tried to gauge whether a crash would have been reported to the police had a person been at the wheel.

Researchers concluded that only 22% of the 736 autonomous-car crashes reported during the period studied were likely “police-reportable.” Of that total, 89 involved Waymo vehicles, but only 64 of those were in autonomous mode. This is not a very big dataset, and the complex process of getting to it shows how difficult it is to make any real conclusions about the safety of self-driving cars.

Eric Teoh, lead author of the study, said in a statement about the results, “Those are encouraging signs for the future of driverless vehicles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s study provides valuable insights into the safety record of self-driving cars, and its findings will likely contribute to the ongoing development of this technology. As self-driving cars become more prevalent, it is essential to continue monitoring their safety record and making improvements to ensure that they are as safe as possible.

It is important to continue monitoring their safety record.