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May 1, 2025

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

  * Technology

Author:The Waymo Team

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VRU crash reductions

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.

Crash types

Types of crashes used for the Waymo Driver and human benchmark
comparisons

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
Pena, 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. 

 

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