Research findings: Waymo robot cab rides better than humans

Autonomous cars, moving from the realm of science fiction to reality, raise many questions, chief among which remains safety. Waymo, one of the leading companies in autonomous driving, has presented data that claims its robot cabs are safer than cars with human drivers.

Autonomous cars are moving into the realm of science fiction.

Impressive numbers: research by Waymo and Swiss Re

A study conducted with Swiss Re, the largest insurance company, analyzed millions of miles driven by Waymo’s autonomous cars and hundreds of thousands of insurance claims. The results were impressive:

• Reduction in property damage by 88% compared to human-driven cars.
• Reduction in injuries by 92% under the same conditions.

In comparison, in 25.3 million miles of driving, Waymo recorded just nine property damage and two injury incidents. Human drivers would be expected to have 78 property damage and 26 injuries over the same mileage.

At the same time, Waymo has recorded only nine incidents of property damage and two incidents of injury.

Comparison with ADAS-equipped cars

Waymo also outperformed cars with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistants. Even when compared to such systems, Waymo’s robot cabs have shown:

• 86% reduction in property damage.
• 90% reduction in personal injury cases.

Myth or reality?

Despite the encouraging results, questions remain. The Waymo study can be interpreted in a number of ways. For example, it compares data from across the U.S., including regions with different climates and road conditions.

Waymo’s study can be interpreted in a number of ways.

Waymo’s robotaxis only operate in strictly defined areas with favorable weather conditions and relatively low speeds. This calls into question whether such data can be compared on an equal footing. If the study had been limited to only the regions where Waymo operates, the results would probably still be positive, but not as impressive.

And if the study had been limited to only the regions where Waymo operates, the results would probably still be positive, but not as impressive.

The Future of Autonomous Transportation

Despite criticism, this study is an important step toward widespread adoption of robotaxis. Technology continues to improve, and perhaps the safety record of autonomous vehicles will be even better in the future.

The study is an important step toward widespread adoption of robotaxis.