An analysis of real-world crashes involving self-driving vehicles

A study by the University of Michigan performed a preliminary analysis of the cumulative on-road safety record of self-driving vehicles for three of the ten companies that are currently approved for such vehicle testing in California (Google, Delphi, and Audi). The analysis compared the safety record of these vehicles with the safety record of all conventional vehicles in the US for 2013 (adjusted for underreporting of crashes that do not involve a fatality).
October 30, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A study by the University of Michigan performed a preliminary analysis of the cumulative on-road safety record of self-driving vehicles for three of the ten companies that are currently approved for such vehicle testing in California (1691 Google, 7207 Delphi, and 2125 Audi).

The analysis compared the safety record of these vehicles with the safety record of all conventional vehicles in the US for 2013 (adjusted for underreporting of crashes that do not involve a fatality).

Taking into account the fact that the distance accumulated by self-driving vehicles is still relatively low compared with conventional vehicles and that the vehicles were driven only in limited conditions, the study came up with some interesting results.

These, including the facts that self-driving vehicles may have a higher crash rate per million miles travelled than conventional vehicles, and self-driving vehicles were not at fault in any crashes they were involved in, are available in the report abstract on the university’s website. (link %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal http://www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/PDF/UMTRI-2015-34_Abstract_English.pdf Visit Umich false http://www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/PDF/UMTRI-2015-34_Abstract_English.pdf false false%>).

Related Content

  • Asia Pacific dignitaries to see connected vehicle showcases at ITS World Congress
    June 14, 2013
    ITS Japan will use advances in the country’s ITS capabilities since it last hosted the event in 2004 as the basis of several showcases and sessions the forthcoming World Congress (Tokyo 14 – 18 October), the association’s president Hajime Amano told ITS International.
    Read More
  • USDOT launches EAR workshop on vehicle noise
    August 2, 2013
    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is to convene a two-day n Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program workshop on the use of vehicle noise for roadway, bridge, and infrastructure monitoring. To be held at FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia from 12:30 pm on 20n August to 12:30 pm on 21 August 2013, the workshop will provide participants from academia, the private sector, and government with an opportunity to discuss recent research and methodologies for measuring int
    Read More
  • Flir Academy training courses
    January 7, 2016
    FLIR Traficon Academy is organising a variety of online training in January 2016, including ITS solutions for traffic management and Flir ThermiCam, where participants can learn how its ThermiCam/TrafiSense sensor can be used for pedestrian presence detection, bicycle presence detection, vehicle presence detection, inverse direction detection, and data collection. The company is also offering traffic training on intersections and crossings in May. Visit the Flir website for more information on the ran
    Read More
  • AVs could make driving ‘more dangerous’: report
    May 23, 2018
    Automated vehicles (AVs) could make driving more dangerous – that is the stark suggestion from a new report by the International Transport Forum (ITF). The report - Safer Roads with Automated Vehicles? – casts doubt on claims that 90% of road deaths could be avoided because the introduction of AVs would eliminate human error. ITF says such claims are at best “untested”.
    Read More

Highlighted Content