In a breakthrough analysis, Swiss Re, a leading global reinsurer, has determined that Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis are significantly safer than human-driven vehicles, including those equipped with the latest advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The study, backed by comprehensive real-world data, underscores how Waymo’s technology could revolutionize road safety.
The Data Behind the Claim
Swiss Re’s findings are based on a vast dataset: over 500,000 liability claims and 200 billion miles of exposure. Waymo, with 25.3 million fully autonomous miles logged, provided its data for comparison. The results are remarkable:
- 88% reduction in property damage claims compared to human drivers
- 92% reduction in bodily injury claims
For perspective, in 25.3 million miles, human drivers would be expected to generate 78 property damage claims and 26 bodily injury claims. In contrast, Waymo vehicles were involved in just 9 property damage incidents and 2 bodily injury cases over the same distance—a massive safety improvement.
Better Than ADAS-Equipped Vehicles
Even when compared to the newest cars featuring advanced safety systems like automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, Waymo’s performance still stands out. Swiss Re’s analysis of 2018–2021 model vehicles equipped with ADAS showed the following improvements:
- 86% reduction in property damage claims
- 90% reduction in bodily injury claims
While ADAS technology has made driving safer, the data highlights that fully autonomous driving by Waymo achieves a far greater reduction in accidents and injuries.
A Safer Future with Autonomous Vehicles
“By analyzing a larger dataset across multiple cities, we deepened our understanding of how this technology performs in real-world conditions,” said Ali Shahkarami, Global Head P&C Solutions at Swiss Re. He emphasized that this research could provide the framework for wider adoption of autonomous vehicles.
Waymo added that these findings align with its internal data, which shows a much lower rate of serious collisions over 25 million miles compared to human drivers, regardless of fault. The study, which has been submitted to a scientific journal, offers compelling evidence that Waymo’s driverless technology could lead the way toward safer roads.
