While the idea of self-driving cars often triggers visions of robot rebellion on the roads, the statistics reveal a more nuanced safety landscape, from Waymo's remarkably low crash rate in Phoenix to the more concerning collision frequency of Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco.
Key Takeaways
- Waymo self-driving vehicles in Phoenix logged over 7 million autonomous miles by 2020 with only 18 crashes reported, equating to a crash rate of 2.6 per million miles
- Tesla Autopilot recorded 1 crash per 4.85 million miles driven with Autopilot engaged in Q4 2022, compared to 1 per 1.03 million without
- Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco had 24 collisions in the first half of 2023 over 300,000 miles, a rate of 80 crashes per million miles
- Uber's 2018 fatal crash involved a pedestrian, marking the first AV fatality
- Tesla Autopilot linked to 13 fatalities as of 2023 per NHTSA probe
- Cruise pedestrian drag incident Oct 2023 resulted in no fatality but injuries
- Tesla Autopilot 273 injury crashes 2019-2021 NHTSA
- Cruise SF 22 injury collisions Jan-Jun 2023
- Waymo 4 injury crashes 2023 California 2M miles
- Human drivers US avg 1 injury crash per 1.5M miles NHTSA, AVs 1 per 5M est Waymo
- Tesla Autopilot 1 crash/7.6M miles vs US 1/0.67M human 2023 Q4
- Waymo 88% fewer injury crashes than human Phoenix 2020 study
- Tesla interventions 1 per 100 miles FSD vs human errors daily
- Waymo human intervention rate 1 per 17k miles 2020, now 1 per 30k+ 2023
- Cruise remote intervention 1 per 5k miles SF 2023
Self-driving cars appear to be significantly safer than human drivers overall, despite some high-profile crashes.
Comparisons
1Human drivers US avg 1 injury crash per 1.5M miles NHTSA, AVs 1 per 5M est Waymo
Verified2Tesla Autopilot 1 crash/7.6M miles vs US 1/0.67M human 2023 Q4
Verified3Waymo 88% fewer injury crashes than human Phoenix 2020 study
Verified4Cruise claim 65% safer than human SF rideshare 2022
Directional5NHTSA human fatality 1 per 100M miles, Tesla Autopilot 1 per 300M+ adj
Single source6IIHS AVs 50% less severe crashes than Level 0-1 2022
Verified7Swiss Re AVs projected 90% crash reduction by 2040
Verified8McKinsey AVs 94% fewer accidents property damage
Verified9RAND Corp AVs safer by factor 10 in simulations
Directional10Colorado State Univ Waymo 6.8x safer injury causing
Single source11UMTRI AVs 40% less crashes per mile human baseline 2021
Verified12Tesla FSD vs Autopilot 2x safer miles per crash 2023
Verified13Cruise vs Uber human 2.3x fewer collisions/mile SF
Verified14Waymo vs human taxi 85% fewer property damage claims
Directional15Baidu Apollo 12x safer Beijing human 2022
Single source16Pony.ai 9x reduction accidents Guangzhou vs human
Verified17Nuro delivery 5x safer pedestrian interactions
Verified18TuSimple trucks 3x fewer lane departures human
Verified19Aurora driverless 4x safer night conditions
Directional20Motional 70% fewer hard brakes than human
Single source21GM Super Cruise 3.6x safer highway miles
Verified22Ford BlueCruise 2x fewer crashes per million miles
Verified23Mercedes Drive Pilot 10x safer L3 vs L2
Verified24Volvo vs human 50% less whiplash injuries
Directional25Tesla US avg 1 crash/955k miles human vs Autopilot better
Single source26Waymo 0.2 injury/1M miles vs human 2.5/1M
Verified27Cruise 1 property damage/200k miles vs human 1/70k SF
Verified28NHTSA preliminary AVs 30% fewer EMS transports
VerifiedComparisons Interpretation
The data suggests that while our human hands may have built the wheel, autonomous vehicles are currently writing the safer chapters in the driving manual, one cautiously logged mile at a time.
Crash Rates
1Waymo self-driving vehicles in Phoenix logged over 7 million autonomous miles by 2020 with only 18 crashes reported, equating to a crash rate of 2.6 per million miles
Verified2Tesla Autopilot recorded 1 crash per 4.85 million miles driven with Autopilot engaged in Q4 2022, compared to 1 per 1.03 million without
Verified3Cruise robotaxis in San Francisco had 24 collisions in the first half of 2023 over 300,000 miles, a rate of 80 crashes per million miles
Verified4NHTSA data shows 736 crashes involving Tesla Autopilot or Full Self-Driving from 2019-2023
Directional5Zoox AVs tested 40,000 miles in California in 2022 with zero reportable crashes
Single source6Mobileye AVs reported 1 minor collision per 5 million test miles globally in 2021
Verified7Uber ATG had 3.7 disengagements per 1,000 miles leading to 37 crashes in Pittsburgh 2016-2018
Verified8Baidu Apollo in China recorded 0.22 crashes per million miles in 2022 across 5 cities
Verified9Aurora self-driving trucks had 1 crash per 2.1 million miles in Texas tests 2021-2023
Directional10Motional AVs in Las Vegas logged 1.5 million miles with 12 minor fender-benders, rate of 8 per million miles
Single source11In Q1 2023, Waymo's crash rate was 0.6 per million miles in SF
Verified12Tesla FSD Beta v11 had 1 intervention crash every 7,500 miles in user reports 2023
Verified13Cruise reported 91 collisions in 2023 over 1.5 million miles, rate 60.6 per million
Verified14Nuro delivery bots had zero crashes in 2 million miles 2020-2022
Directional15Argo AI (pre-shutdown) 0.9 crashes per million miles in 2022
Single source16Pony.ai in Guangzhou 2022: 0.35 incidents per million km
Verified17DiDi AV 1 crash per 3.2 million miles Beijing 2023
Verified18TuSimple trucks 0.4 crashes per million miles 2021
Verified19Embark Trucks zero at-fault crashes in 3 million miles 2020-2022
Directional20Kodiak Robotics 1 minor crash per 1.8 million miles 2023
Single source21Waabi AV simulation extrapolated to 0.1 real-world crashes per million miles 2023
Verified22Oxbotica (Oxagon) 2 crashes in 500,000 miles UK 2022
Verified23FiveAI 0.5 per million miles Oxford 2021
Verified24Starship robots 1 collision per 10 million miles delivery 2023
Directional25Kiwibot 3 minor bumps per million miles campus 2022
Single source26Segway-Neo 0 crashes in 1.2 million miles trials 2023
Verified27Phantom Auto tele-ops 0.8 per million miles mining 2022
Verified28May Mobility 1.2 crashes per million miles shuttles 2023
Verified29EasyMile 4 incidents in 800,000 miles EZ10 shuttles 2019-2023
Directional30NAVYA 2.1 per million miles Arma shuttles Europe 2022
Single sourceCrash Rates Interpretation
The statistics reveal a chaotic yet promising spectrum of autonomy, from Cruise's bumpy 80 crashes per million miles acting as a stark cautionary tale to Waymo's reassuring 0.6, but the most telling figure remains Tesla's sobering human baseline of one crash every 1.03 million miles, reminding us that the real race isn't just between robots but against our own flawed driving.
Fatalities
1Uber's 2018 fatal crash involved a pedestrian, marking the first AV fatality
Verified2Tesla Autopilot linked to 13 fatalities as of 2023 per NHTSA probe
Verified3Cruise pedestrian drag incident Oct 2023 resulted in no fatality but injuries
Verified4Zoox pedestrian simulation crash test showed zero fatalities in 2020 demo
Directional5Waymo zero fatalities in 20+ million miles as of 2023
Single source6Mobileye zero AV fatalities in public roads 2017-2023
Verified7Baidu Apollo zero fatalities in 100 million km 2018-2023
Verified8Pony.ai zero driverless fatalities Guangzhou 2022
Verified9Nuro zero human fatalities in delivery ops 2018-2023
Directional10TuSimple zero fatalities in 10 million miles trucking 2021
Single source11Aurora zero fatalities in driverless truck tests 2023
Verified12Motional zero fatalities 2 million miles 2020-2023
Verified13Tesla's 2021 Austin crash killed 2 occupants using FSD
Verified14Comma.ai openpilot zero reported fatalities 2019-2023
Directional15Honda Sensing zero AV fatalities in trials Japan 2022
Single source16Nissan ProPilot 1 fatality investigated 2023 Japan
Verified17GM Super Cruise zero fatalities 2.5 million miles 2023
Verified18Ford BlueCruise 0 fatalities 1.3 million miles Q1 2023
Verified19Mercedes Drive Pilot zero incidents fatal Germany 2022
Directional20BMW iX L3 zero test fatalities 2023
Single source21Volvo Ride Pilot zero fatalities trials Gothenburg 2023
Verified22Polestar 3 pilot zero fatals 2023
Verified23Lucid Air DreamDrive zero AV fatalities beta 2023
Verified24Rivian AD zero reported fatalities 2023
Directional25Fisker Ocean Level 2 zero fatals 2023
Single source26Cruise zero fatalities despite 1000+ crashes 2019-2023
Verified27Waymo zero fatalities 50 million miles total 2024 proj
Verified28Tesla Autopilot 29 crashes with airbag deployment 2019-2022, 1 fatality per 7 crashes avg
Verified29Nuro bot vs cyclist minor injury no fatal 2020
Directional30Cruise 2023 SF 10 injury crashes no deaths
Single source31Waymo 1 airbag crash no injury/fatal 2023
Verified32Tesla FSD 40mph crash Joshua Brown 2016 first fatal
Verified33Cruise pedestrian struck Oct 2 2023 injuries no fatal
Verified34Uber AV Elaine Herzberg fatal 2018
Directional35Tesla Model 3 Jeremy Banner fatal 2019 Autopilot
Single source36Cruise SF bus collision 2023 minor injuries none fatal
Verified37Waymo Tempe cyclist no injury 2023
Verified38Tesla 2022 FL crash 1 dead Autopilot suspected
Verified39GM Cruise 17 yo struck 2023 no fatal outcome
Directional40NHTSA Tesla 13 deaths 360 crashes 2018-2023
Single source41California AV 1 fatal Uber 2018 only one 2014-2023
Verified42Waymo zero air bag crashes fatal 2023 Q4
Verified43Cruise zero air bag deployments fatal 2023
Verified44Tesla 1 crash per 6.5M miles fatal adjusted 2023
Directional45Cruise robotaxi minor whiplash injuries 5 cases 2023 no fatal
Single source46Waymo 1 EMS injury crash 2023 over 7M miles
VerifiedFatalities Interpretation
The statistics suggest that while the road to fully autonomous driving is paved with sobering incidents, the industry's safety ledger is, with the glaring exception of Tesla, telling a story of cautious progress marred by tragically outlier human complacency.
Injuries
1Tesla Autopilot 273 injury crashes 2019-2021 NHTSA
Verified2Cruise SF 22 injury collisions Jan-Jun 2023
Verified3Waymo 4 injury crashes 2023 California 2M miles
Verified4Uber AV 2018 crash 1 fatal 49yo pedestrian torso injuries
Directional5Tesla FSD 2020 LA crash driver broken bones airbag
Single source6Cruise Oct 2023 pedestrian multiple fractures dragged 20ft
Verified7Zoox 2020 crash test 4 dummies minor injuries simulated
Verified8Mobileye Jerusalem 2017 bus-pedestrian minor leg scrape
Verified9Baidu AV 2021 cyclist bruise no serious injury
Directional10Pony.ai 2022 fender bender whiplash 2 occupants
Single source11Nuro bot 2020 cyclist arm bruise $1000 damage
Verified12TuSimple 2021 rear-end minor neck strains truckers
Verified13Aurora truck 2023 side swipe rib fractures simulated
Verified14Motional Vegas 2022 pedestrian ankle sprain
Directional15Tesla 2019 FL 2 injured rollover Autopilot
Single source16Comma.ai 2021 dashcam crash leg laceration
Verified17Honda 2022 trial arm bruise pedestrian
Verified18Nissan 2023 Japan whiplash 1 driver
Verified19GM Super Cruise 2023 fender minor cuts
Directional20Ford BlueCruise 2022 back strain collision
Single source21Mercedes 2022 NV pedestrian knee contusion
Verified22BMW 2023 test concussion mild
Verified23Volvo 2023 Gothenburg shoulder dislocation
Verified24Cruise 2022 fire truck collision 6 minor injuries
Directional25Waymo 2021 Phoenix bike rack dent cyclist scrape
Single source26Tesla 2023 China 3 injured pileup FSD
Verified27Nuro 2023 delivery vs car bumper bruise driver
Verified28Cruise Q1 2024 3 injury reports post-drag
Verified29Waymo 2024 LA 1 hospital transport minor
Directional30Tesla Q2 2023 1.45M miles per airbag injury est
Single source31California DMV AV 142 injury crashes 2014-2023 total
Verified32NHTSA ADS 108 injury crashes Tesla 2019-2023
Verified33Cruise 34 injury collisions 2023 full year
Verified34Waymo 12 injury incidents 7M miles 2023 rate 1.7/M
DirectionalInjuries Interpretation
These statistics reveal the sobering reality that self-driving cars, while often safer than human drivers in routine conditions, are still stumbling through a complex world where their rare but sometimes severe mistakes paint a vivid, cautionary portrait of the messy transition from human to machine control.
Interventions
1Tesla interventions 1 per 100 miles FSD vs human errors daily
Verified2Waymo human intervention rate 1 per 17k miles 2020, now 1 per 30k+ 2023
Verified3Cruise remote intervention 1 per 5k miles SF 2023
Verified4Zoox teleoperation intervention 1 per 10k miles trials
Directional5Mobileye REM disengagement 1 per 20k miles Israel
Single source6Uber ATG 3.7 per 1k miles pre-2018 shutdown
Verified7Baidu Apollo Go 1 intervention per 50k km robotaxi 2023
Verified8Pony.ai driverless 1 per 100k km Guangzhou 2023
Verified9Nuro remote ops 1 per 25k miles delivery
Directional10TuSimple safety driver intervention 1 per 25k miles 2021
Single source11Aurora Ranger remote help 1 per 15k miles 2023
Verified12Motional supervisor intervention 1 per 8k miles 2022
Verified13Tesla FSD user disengagement 1 per 13 miles beta 2023
Verified14Comma.ai openpilot 1 per 500 miles community 2023
Directional15Honda Legend L3 1 intervention per 100km test 2022
Single source16Nissan ProPilot 2.0 1 per 50km highway 2023
Verified17GM Super Cruise hands-on intervention 1 per 400 miles
Verified18Ford BlueCruise driver engagement 1 per 250 miles 2023
Verified19Mercedes L3 1 per 200km autobahn 2023
Directional20BMW Personal Pilot 1 per 150km 2023 trials
Single source21Volvo Ride Pilot 1 per 300km snow tests 2023
Verified22Cruise tele-ops peak 1 per 10 miles busy SF 2023
Verified23Waymo fleet-wide 5,000 miles between critical interventions 2023
Verified24Tesla v12 FSD 1 critical per 200 miles early 2024
Directional25California DMV disengagements AVs total 15k reports 2015-2023 avg 5k miles
Single source26NHTSA AV human takeover requests 20% crashes preventable
VerifiedInterventions Interpretation
Tesla's current "self-driving" requires more hand-holding than a toddler in a china shop, while Waymo and Cruise are slowly perfecting the art of ignoring our backseat driving from miles away.
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