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Evidence & Reach
Waymo's published safety data — based on tens of millions of fully-autonomous miles driven across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin — shows substantial reductions in injury crashes, police-reported crashes, and airbag deployments compared to the human-driver baseline in the same cities. Waymo, Cruise (before its operational pause), Zoox, and Tesla's FSD platform have collectively logged over 100 million driverless miles. Globally, 1.19 million people die in road traffic crashes each year per the WHO; ~94% are caused by human error.
Sources:Waymo Safety HubWHO Global Road Safety StatusIIHS autonomous vehicle research
A Specific Story
A woman with a vision impairment in Phoenix takes a Waymo every morning to her job at a downtown law firm — a 35-minute trip that previously required either a $40 ride-share or a 90-minute transit chain. She's one of an estimated 25 million American adults with vision loss for whom autonomous vehicles aren't a convenience but a step toward genuine mobility independence.
What's Next
Waymo + Uber's expansion to additional metros through 2026, regulatory frameworks for highway autonomy from NHTSA, and the development of AV-specific insurance products. Long-term: a re-think of how cities are designed when 30%+ of urban land currently dedicated to parking becomes available for other uses.