Is Waymo safe? What the crash data really says

Short answer: on the best data available, yes, Waymo is safer than the average human driver on the same roads. Through June 2026, across more than 270 million fully driverless miles, Waymo reports 82% fewer injury crashes and 95% fewer crashes causing serious injury or worse. It is not risk-free: in 2026 it paused freeway trips and recalled software on 3,871 cars over construction-zone errors.

"Is it safe?" is the first question people ask about robotaxis. Here is what the numbers say, what they leave out, and what to do as a rider to stay safe. If you have been in a crash, go to robotaxi accident: who is liable and what to do.

Waymo's crash data in one table

Waymo data through June 2026, over 270 million fully autonomous miles in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Atlanta, compared with human-driver benchmarks for the same areas.

How to read these numbers

• It is company data, but the method is public, it covers every police-reportable crash, and earlier versions have been published in peer-reviewed journals.
• It counts all crashes Waymo is involved in, including those caused by other drivers. Many Waymo crashes are other cars hitting a stopped Waymo.
• The comparison is local: human crash rates for the same cities and road types, not national averages that include rural highways.
• Freeway miles are few so far, so the data mostly describes city driving.

What independent studies found

In December 2024, a study with reinsurer Swiss Re looked at insurance claims across 25.3 million Waymo miles and found 88% fewer property damage claims and 92% fewer bodily injury claims than human drivers, including drivers of new cars with modern safety systems. Insurance claims are a useful check because they don't depend on Waymo's own crash definitions.

Recent incidents and recalls

• Freeway pause (May to July 2026): federal regulators said Waymo cars had missed ramp closures and driven into planned freeway work zones in Arizona and California. Waymo paused all freeway trips, pulled 3,871 fifth-generation cars for a software update, and resumed freeways gradually in Phoenix from July 29, 2026.
• Police and emergency scenes: robotaxis blocking emergency vehicles led California to pass AB 1777. Since July 1, 2026, police can issue "notices of noncompliance" to AV companies, first responders get a 24/7 line, and companies must move a car out of an emergency geofence within two minutes.
• Weather and floods: Waymo paused San Antonio service after April 2026 floods and resumed in September, an example of the cautious approach it takes to unusual conditions.

What about Tesla and Zoox?

Tesla's Robotaxi Safety Report covers 3.1 million miles without anyone in the car (January 22 to October 18, 2026) and reports zero injuries; reporting on it noted two events excluded from the count. That is a much smaller sample than Waymo's. Zoox has not published a comparable dataset. See Tesla Robotaxi vs Waymo.

Staying safe as a rider

• Wear your seat belt for the whole ride; it's required.
• Pick well-lit pickup points at night, and check your initials on the car before getting in.
• If something feels wrong, press Pull over, then Support to talk to a person.
• Stay inside after a stop unless there is an urgent danger: other traffic is the main risk.
• Kids under 8 need a car seat in the back: see kids and teens.

Frequently asked questions