In a recent analysis conducted by Swiss Re, one of the world's leading reinsurers, data indicates that Waymo's autonomous robotaxi system is significantly safer than human drivers, demonstrating a marked improvement over new vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). This comprehensive evaluation draws on Swiss Re's extensive database, which includes over 500,000 liability claims and more than 200 billion miles of driving exposure, alongside Waymo's own record of 25.3 million fully autonomous miles.
The analysis reveals striking figures: Waymo's autonomous driving technology, referred to as the Waymo Driver, has achieved an impressive 88% reduction in property damage claims and a 92% reduction in bodily injury claims compared to human drivers. When breaking these figures down further, the study notes that in the span of 25.3 million miles, Waymo was involved in only 9 property damage claims and 2 bodily injury claims. In stark contrast, human drivers are expected to have generated around 78 property damage and 26 bodily injury claims over the same distance.
The evaluation also compared the performance of Waymo Driver against vehicles equipped with the latest ADAS functionalities, including automated emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keeping assistance, and blind spot warning, models from 2018 to 2021. The findings suggest that whilst these systems have contributed positively to safety, they do not offer the level of risk reduction seen with Waymo Driver. Specifically, this subset of vehicles showed an 86% and 90% reduction in property and bodily injury claims, respectively—still significantly lower than that achieved by Waymo's technology.
“Our research shows how insurance data can help evaluate autonomous vehicle safety and provide the framework needed to support widespread adoption,” commented Ali Shahkarami, Global Head P&C Solutions at Swiss Re, speaking to CleanTechnica about the implications of the findings. “By analysing a larger dataset across multiple cities, we deepened our understanding of how this technology performs in real-world conditions. These promising results help underscore the potential of this technology to create a safer future for our roads.”
The findings have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal and are expected to contribute to the discourse surrounding the adoption of autonomous vehicles. Waymo has also stated that this analysis aligns with the company's own safety data, noting that its vehicles have experienced fewer serious collisions than human drivers, irrespective of fault. They assert that this study offers robust evidence that Waymo was not responsible for the majority of incidents involving their vehicles.
As developments in AI automation and autonomous driving technologies continue to evolve, such research plays a pivotal role in shaping the future landscape of transportation and insurance industries.
Source: Noah Wire Services