Waymo says its driverless cars safer than those driven by humans

SAN FRANCISCO - Self-driving car company Waymo said a new study proves that its vehicles are much safer than those operated by humans.

The study, led by reinsurance Swiss Re, examined whether Waymo cars in San Francisco and Phoenix exhibit better safety performance on the road than cars driven by humans, as measured by third-party auto liability insurance claims data.

Waymo said the insurance data reveals a 100% reduction in the frequency of bodily injury claims and a 76% decrease in property damage claims compared to those operated by human drivers.

Critics of self-driving vehicles continue to call for increased industry regulation, citing concerns about public safety. 

Recently, robotaxi operator Cruise agreed to cut its fleet of autonomous vehicles following two crashes in San Francisco.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles asked for the reduction after a Cruise vehicle collided with a fire truck that was responding to an emergency call. 

In an unrelated incident, an autonomous vehicle obstructed an ambulance at the scene of a collision at the intersection of 7th and Harrison Streets in San Francisco, according to fire officials. At that location, firefighters found a person who had been struck by a car, and that victim later died.

The fire department alleged that the driverless vehicle impeded first responders' efforts to save a person's life.