Waymo has released new data indicating its autonomous driving system has surpassed 170 million rider-only miles while significantly reducing crash rates compared to human drivers. The update, published through the company’s Safety Impact hub, highlights the growing scale of its robotaxi operations and its ongoing effort to demonstrate safety performance through real-world data.
According to Waymo, its fully autonomous vehicles have driven 170.7 million miles without a human driver as of December 2025. These miles were accumulated across key operating markets, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, where the company runs commercial ride-hailing services.
The data compares Waymo’s “Rider-Only” driving performance to human driver benchmarks, focusing on crash rates per mile rather than total incidents. This approach is designed to account for differences in driving exposure and provide a more accurate safety comparison.
Waymo reports substantial reductions in serious crash categories. The company says its vehicles experienced 92% fewer crashes resulting in serious injury or worse than human drivers. It also reported 83 percent fewer crashes involving airbag deployment and 82 percent fewer crashes that resulted in any injury.
The company also highlighted improvements in safety outcomes for vulnerable road users. Waymo reported 92 percent fewer pedestrian injury crashes, 85 percent fewer cyclist injury crashes, and 81 percent fewer motorcycle injury crashes relative to human benchmarks.
In addition to aggregate reductions, Waymo’s data shows lower incident rates across all operating regions. For example, serious injury or worse crash rates were significantly below human benchmarks in every city analyzed, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.
Waymo emphasized that its safety analysis is based on publicly reported crash data submitted under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Standing General Order. The company also noted that its methodology builds on peer-reviewed research and is designed to allow independent verification by third parties.
The Safety Impact hub includes detailed breakdowns of crash types, incident rates per million miles, and methodology explanations, reflecting Waymo’s broader effort to increase transparency around autonomous vehicle safety.
Despite the positive data, the company acknowledges that comparing autonomous and human driving is complex due to differences in reporting standards and data availability. Waymo noted that human crash data is often underreported, particularly for minor incidents, while autonomous vehicle operators are required to report a wider range of events.
The release comes as Waymo continues expanding its robotaxi footprint and scaling operations in multiple US cities. The company argues that increasing deployment will further validate the safety benefits of autonomous driving over time.
KEY QUOTES:
“The trust and safety of the communities where we operate is paramount to us. That’s why we’re voluntarily sharing our safety data. The data to date indicate the Waymo Driver is already making roads safer in the places where we currently operate.”
“The research shows that the Waymo Driver is safer than the overall human driver population in the same geographical areas where it operates, measured by the number of crashes of a given outcome per vehicle mile traveled.”
Waymo, Safety Impact Report
