Despite concerns among some experts and politicians about the safety of autonomous vehicles (AVs), a growing body of research points to their significant benefits. The data indicate that driverless cars are involved in crashes far less often than human-driven cars, with far fewer injuries. In addition, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which are already mandatory in new cars, also help reduce injuries and deaths among passengers and pedestrians, as well as insurance claims.
The effectiveness of driver assistance systems
Automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems capable of detecting pedestrians have reduced pedestrian crashes by 27%, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These systems are scheduled to become mandatory for all light vehicles in the US by 2029, with more than 90% of new models already meeting the requirements under a voluntary agreement among car manufacturers. Another IIHS study found that automatic braking reduced rear-end crashes by 50% and injuries in such crashes by 56%. Vehicles equipped with AEB alone showed a 13% reduction in insurance claims. Comprehensive ADAS packages, including automatic braking for pedestrians, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning, led to reductions in insurance claims of up to 39%.
Waymo test results
Waymo reports that its robotaxis have completed 20 million paid trips covering more than 220 million miles, equivalent to 250 human lifetimes behind the wheel. An independent study of Waymo, published in March, found 92% fewer crashes resulting in death or serious injury compared with human drivers in similar urban conditions, representing a 13-fold reduction. This includes a 92% reduction in pedestrian injuries, an 83% reduction in crashes involving airbag deployment and an 82% reduction in crashes involving any injuries. Particularly significant is the 96% reduction in crashes involving injuries at junctions, which are considered among the most dangerous parts of the road network.
Comparing data and research methodology
This raises the question of whether data from Waymo robotaxis, which currently operate in favourable weather conditions in several US cities, are comparable with data on human drivers operating in a variety of conditions. IIHS is working to refine the data, since roughly half of crashes involving human drivers and up to a third of crashes involving injuries go unreported, which may skew the statistics in favour of human drivers. Despite Waymo’s transparency, not all robotaxi operators voluntarily disclose their vehicles’ total mileage. The latest IIHS study confirmed that driverless cars are involved in crashes less often than human drivers, with particular attention paid to crashes that meet police reporting criteria. A comparison of crash rates for human-driven cars and Waymo taxis in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin showed that Waymo taxis were involved in 68% fewer crashes overall. The figure was 76% in Phoenix, 71% in Los Angeles and 35% in San Francisco. A small increase of 4% in Austin may be attributable to the extremely small sample size. It is important to note that the number of crashes involving injuries per distance travelled was 81% lower for Waymo vehicles.
Regulation and prospects
Supporters of autonomous vehicles highlight their advantages, such as the absence of driver intoxication, fatigue or distraction. However, the industry still lacks national performance and safety standards, while fragmented legislation at state and municipal levels makes it difficult to compare crash rates. IIHS is calling for improved federal reporting standards. Eric Teoh, director of statistical services at IIHS, described the findings as encouraging but stressed the need to improve data collection to ensure safety as these technologies become more widespread. On 30 July, the US Department of Transportation (NHTSA) granted Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary, the first-ever exemption from certain vehicle safety standards, allowing its robotaxis to operate commercially without steering wheels or pedals. NHTSA also announced a partnership with SAE Industry Technologies to develop the first national performance and competency standards for AVs through a three-year consortium costing 5 million dollars. Medical professionals are calling for driverless cars to be viewed not as a technological breakthrough but as an important public health tool. Given that around 40 000 people die in road crashes in the US each year, and 1,16 million worldwide, reducing deaths by even 50% could save hundreds of thousands of lives, surpassing the impact of introducing seat belts or campaigns against drink-driving.
Source: IEEE Spectrum
