A study by Waymo and Swiss Re analyzed 25.3 million miles of driving by Waymo’s autonomous vehicles and found that they resulted in fewer insurance claims compared to human-driven vehicles. The study found that Waymo’s cars had 88% fewer property damage claims and 92% fewer bodily injury claims than human-driven vehicles. Additionally, when compared to newer vehicles with advanced safety features, Waymo’s cars had an 86% reduction in property damage claims and a 90% reduction in bodily damage claims. However, the study’s limitations include only analyzing data from urban areas, which account for the majority of crashes, and Waymo’s relatively short testing period. Additionally, there have been incidents of Waymo’s vehicles getting into crashes, including a recent recall and an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Despite these limitations, the study suggests that Waymo’s autonomous vehicles may reduce crashes on roadways, but more research is needed to fully assess their safety performance.
