Waymo reports that its autonomous vehicles are involved in 92% fewer crashes causing serious injuries than human drivers. However, safety advocates argue the data may not be complete. The company claims its vehicles have traveled over 170 million miles, showcasing better crash avoidance than human drivers. Waymo’s fleet, as of December 2025, has driven the equivalent of “200 lifetimes of driving” with significantly fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries or airbag deployments compared to human drivers. The company states its current operations prevent a serious-injury crash approximately every 8 days. Incidents still occur, such as a recent case where a vehicle hit a child in Santa Monica, and another involving Waymo vehicles passing school buses in Austin, leading to investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board. Additionally, a Waymo vehicle reportedly blocked an ambulance during an emergency, raising concerns about potential safety gaps not reflected in federal data. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires companies to report crashes involving autonomous systems, and Waymo presents its safety data on its website. However, some experts argue Waymo’s claims might misrepresent their technology’s safety, noting that many crashes involve no passengers, potentially skewing injury statistics. Advocates also highlight that Waymo’s mileage accounts for a tiny fraction of total human-driven miles annually, suggesting more evidence is needed to confirm its safety benefits.
Waymo Reaches 170 Million Miles with No Major Incidents
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