Self Driving Car Accidents Trends Chart (2025)

How Many Self Driving Cars Have Crashed?

From July 2021 to November 2024, the number of crashes involving ADS-equipped vehicles has fluctuated but generally increased. Initially, from July to December 2021, crashes ranged from 8 to 14. Moving into 2022, the number steadily increased, peaking at 21 in August. The year 2023 saw sharp spikes, especially in July and August, with 29 and 52 crashes respectively. Recent trends in 2024 show significant monthly changes, peaking at 67 in October and dropping to a low of 20 in April. Understanding these numbers helps identify patterns and causes.

Understanding the Increase in Self-Driving Car Crashes

Several factors contribute to the rise in accidents of self driving car statistics. One significant factor is the increasing number of self-driving cars on the roads, which naturally leads to a higher total number of accidents. Additionally, the limits of the technology play a crucial role. Despite continuous improvements, self-driving technology is not yet perfect. Issues with sensors, software errors, and the difficulty of interpreting complex road situations can all lead to accidents.

Self Driving Car Deaths Comparison to ADAS2

ADAS2 is not a fully self-driving system. It helps with some driving tasks, but the driver must still pay attention. According to the NHTSA, up to November 15 2024, fully self driving car deaths were equal to zero. However, cars with ADAS2, which are not fully automated, have been involved in 45 deaths. This shows the difference in safety between fully self-driving cars and those that still need a driver.

Comparison of ADS Vehicle Accidents by Company

The number of crashes for ADS-equipped vehicles differs a lot among companies. Waymo LLC reports the most crashes with 561, much higher than Cruise LLC's 153. Transdev Alternative Services has 126 crashes, while Zoox, Inc. has the least with 65. This shows that Waymo has the most crashes, and Zoox has the fewest. The differences suggest varying fleet sizes, operations, or safety practices among the companies. However, it is hard to draw any definitive conclusions based solely on these numbers since we do not know the total number of each company's cars on the roads.

Self-Driving Car Accident Rate vs Human

When comparing accident rates, do self driving cars cause more accidents? Self-driving cars have 9.1 crashes per million miles driven, while regular vehicles have 4.1 crashes per million miles. This means that, on average, self-driving cars have more than twice as many accidents as human-driven cars. It is important to note that these rates are based on data up to 2021. Since then, self-driving technology has advanced, potentially leading to improved safety and lower accident rates. However, it is still crucial to understand that continued development and improvement of autonomous vehicle technology are essential.

Who Is Responsible for Self-Driving Car Accidents?

The responsibility for self-driving car accidents will depend on the type of car and the level of autonomy the vehicle possesses. As of now, of the five total levels of autonomy, only four are available. This means that all self-driving cars must have a human in charge, monitoring what the vehicles do.

Because of that, most of the time, the driver will be the one liable. However, there may be instances when that’s not the case. If the technology malfunctions, for example, and prevents the driver from correcting the vehicle, liability can fall on the manufacturer.

If a ridesharing company relies on self-driving cars, and one of them is involved in an accident, the company might be held responsible, too, if the driver didn’t react as they should have or if the car’s maintenance comes into question.

State laws also play a role, with some of them having much more stringent regulations in place regarding liability for drivers.

Waymo Accident Rate

Recently, Waymo conducted a research study and compared it with human benchmarks, showing a significant improvement in safety compared to human drivers. There is a 57% reduction in police-reported crashes, meaning Waymo accident rate is 2.1 incidents per million miles driven. In contrast, human drivers have a rate of 4.85 incidents per million miles. This makes the Waymo Driver's accident rate 2.3 times lower than that of human drivers, highlighting the potential for safer roads with autonomous technology.

Are Self-Driving Cars Safer Than Human Drivers?

When you consider that 1.19 million people die each year around the world because of traffic collision injuries, it can be easy to think that self-driving cars have to be an improvement. The problem, however, is that there isn’t enough data to compare.

Some studies show that self-driving cars have faster reaction times than human-driven cars, mainly because the sensors tend to notice the hazard before human eyes do.

When there are accidents, higher numbers of those in which a human was driving result in minor injuries. In contrast, accidents that self-driving vehicles cause are more likely to lead to moderate to severe injuries.

Driverless technology is still very new and constantly evolving. The number of accidents ADS-equipped cars have until now doesn’t inspire significant confidence, but it may be that in the future, these vehicles will be safer.

Implications for the Future of Self Driving Car Statistics

The increase in self driving car accidents has several effects on the future of these vehicles. Regulators may set stricter safety rules. Public trust in self-driving cars might drop, slowing down their use. Teaching people about the benefits, self-driving car accident rate vs human statistics and safety of self-driving cars is very important.

Conclusion

Self-driving cars are set to change transportation. But more accidents mean we need to stay careful, keep improving, and work together. By learning how many self driving cars have crashed, we can make sure self-driving cars become safer and more efficient in the future.