Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 170 million miles of driving without serious crashes or injuries. This safety record is much better than that of human drivers. The company recently updated its online safety hub to showcase these impressive driving figures.
Waymo’s fleet, equivalent to “200 lifetimes of driving,” showcases the remarkable safety performance of the Waymo Driver, which integrates AI, software, and sensor technologies enabling autonomous driving. Compared to human drivers, Waymo vehicles have been involved in considerably fewer crashes:
- 92 percent fewer crashes causing serious injuries or worse
- 83 percent fewer crashes leading to airbag deployment
- 82 percent fewer crashes resulting in any injury
Operating approximately 3,000 vehicles across 10 cities and covering over 4 million miles weekly, Waymo claims its technology prevents a serious-injury crash every 8 days, reinforcing the potential of autonomous vehicles to enhance road safety.
Although incidents do occur, such as a recent one in which a Waymo vehicle collided with a child in Santa Monica, resulting in minor injuries, the company’s commitment to safety remains a top priority.
Source: The Verge