Waymo’s Autonomous Driving Safer than Human Drivers, Research Shows

In a recent milestone, Waymo’s autonomous driving technology has showcased its prowess, outperforming human benchmarks in a safety analysis. The study covering over 7 million miles of rider-only driving, shows it to be safer than human-driven cars. This achievement underscores Waymo’s commitment to safety and its focus on transparency and continuous improvement. Here are the details of Waymo’s safety report and what it means for the autonomous driving industry.

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Unveiling the Safety Achievements

Waymo’s commitment to safety is evident as it serves over 700,000 ride-hailing trips without a human driver this year alone. The company’s comprehensive research, reflected in more than twenty safety papers, has led to two new groundbreaking reports. These reports meticulously compare the crash rates of Waymo’s autonomous system to human drivers over 7+ million rider-only miles in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

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Striking Reduction in Crashes

The findings reveal a remarkable 85% reduction, equivalent to 6.8 times lower crash rates involving any injury, when compared to human benchmarks. This reduction extends to a 57% decrease or 2.3 times lower police-reported crash rates. This translates to an estimated 17 fewer injuries and 20 fewer police-reported crashes over the covered distance, highlighting the substantial safety advantages of Waymo’s autonomous driving technology.

Localized Success and Property Damage Rates

The Waymo Driver not only outperformed national human benchmarks but also excelled at the city level, with notable success in San Francisco and Phoenix. Moreover, the Waymo Driver demonstrated lower property damage rates compared to human benchmarks, showcasing the technology’s overall safety superiority.

Challenges and Valid Comparisons

Validly comparing autonomous vehicle (AV) and human performance poses challenges, and Waymo addresses these in its benchmarking paper. The analysis carefully controls for statistical biases, including underreporting of human crashes and differences in driving conditions. Waymo advocates for international standardization to ensure fair and accurate evaluations of AV safety performance.

A Comprehensive Approach to Safety

While the reduction in crash rates is a pivotal aspect of AV safety, Waymo emphasizes that it is not the sole metric. The company is dedicated to enhancing driving behavior and promoting respect and predictability on the road. Waymo’s commitment to transparency, evident in sharing safety results, aims to foster a deeper understanding of AV safety across the wider community.

Our Say

Waymo’s recent safety analysis report marks a significant leap forward, providing substantial evidence of the safety benefits of autonomous driving technology. The impressive reduction in crash rates compared to human benchmarks reflects Waymo’s commitment to excellence. As the autonomous vehicle industry navigates challenges, Waymo’s dedication to safety and transparency sets a commendable standard for the future.

K.C. Sabreena Basheer

Sabreena Basheer is an architect-turned-writer who's passionate about documenting anything that interests her. She's currently exploring the world of AI and Data Science as a Content Manager at Analytics Vidhya.