IIHS Study Claims Waymo Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Thursday that a new study found Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing vehicles are involved in significantly fewer crashes than human-driven vehicles. Researchers analyzed crash data from Waymo's robotaxi operations across San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin. After accounting for reporting differences between automated vehicles and conventional drivers, the study concluded that Waymo's driverless fleet experienced substantially fewer police-reportable crashes per mile traveled. IIHS reported that Waymo's driverless vehicles recorded a crash involvement rate 68 percent lower than human drivers when measured by vehicle miles traveled. The largest improvement was recorded in Phoenix, where Waymo's crash rate was 76 percent lower, while Austin was the lone exception with a crash rate approximately four percent higher than human drivers. The research team reviewed hundreds of crash reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 2021 and 2024, removing duplicate entries and filtering out cases that would not typically result in a police report. Out of 736 crashes involving automated driving systems on public roads, only 159 were ultimately classified as police-reportable. Waymo accounted for 89 of those crashes, including 64 that occurred during fully driverless operation. IIHS President David Harkey said the results demonstrate that driverless vehicles can outperform human drivers, who may become distracted, fatigued, or impaired behind the wheel. However, he emphasized that regulators need a stronger nationwide reporting system capable of monitoring safety as autonomous vehicle deployments grow.