On Sunday evening, a deadly multi-car collision occurred in San Francisco, marking the first fatality in the U.S. involving a fully autonomous vehicle with no driver. The incident involved a self-driving Waymo car, which was not responsible for the crash. A fast-moving vehicle collided with a line of cars stopped at a traffic light, striking six vehicles. Among those struck, a passenger and a dog in one of the other cars tragically lost their lives, while several others sustained injuries. The Waymo vehicle was unoccupied at the time of the accident.
Incident Details and Waymo’s Response
The Waymo vehicle was operating autonomously and was in a line of standstill traffic when it was rear-ended by a vehicle. This second vehicle had been impacted by another car traveling at an extremely high speed. A Waymo spokesperson clarified the situation, emphasizing that the company prioritizes the safety of the community and is working closely with local officials. Although the Waymo vehicle was stationary and not at fault, the crash resulted in serious consequences for those involved in the other vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tracks collisions involving self-driving vehicles, regardless of fault. According to NHTSA data, Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have been involved in over 30 accidents since the agency began collecting such data in 2021. However, Waymo has asserted that in nearly all of these cases, the accidents were caused by human-driven vehicles. The company has been required to report all incidents, but only two previous collisions involving its autonomous vehicles resulted in injuries, for which insurance liability claims were filed.
Safety Analysis and Comparison with Human Drivers
Waymo continues to tout the safety of its autonomous vehicles, highlighting a recent report in which the company concluded that its self-driving cars perform better than human drivers in several key safety metrics. The report, produced in collaboration with Swiss Reinsurance, found that Waymo vehicles had around 90% fewer insurance claims for property damage and bodily injury than human drivers. Despite the recent fatal crash, the data suggests that autonomous vehicles, like those from Waymo, may offer safer alternatives compared to traditional human-driven cars.
Although this incident marks the first fatal crash involving a fully autonomous vehicle with no driver, a previous deadly accident involving a self-driving car occurred in 2018. In that case, an Uber autonomous vehicle with a human safety driver struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. This tragedy led to investigations highlighting flaws in Uber’s safety culture and vehicle operation procedures. Meanwhile, Waymo’s autonomous fleet has been operating since 2015, having traveled over 33 million miles and providing over five million rides. The company remains a pioneer in autonomous ride-sharing, with its vehicles now offering regular, paid rides in San Francisco and other cities.