Skip to main content

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%>).

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Call for Contributions still open, ITS World Congress 2018
    December 11, 2017
    The Call for Contributions are still open for the ITS World Congress 2018, in Copenhagen. Through ITS, it aims to find answers to climate, air pollution, urbanization, congestion, and traffic safety through its main theme Quality of Life. The deadline for the submission of papers is 15 December 2017. Next year’s event is expected to attract over 10,000 visitors, 4,000 delegates and 400 exhibitors and will be held in the Bella Center from 12-21 September 2018. More information in the Call for Contribution
  • ATRI seeks input on truck platooning
    November 25, 2014
    Working in collaboration with two FHWA-sponsored project teams, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is conducting research to explore trucking industry perspectives on the use of automated truck platooning, also known as Driver Assistive Truck Platooning. This concept is based on a system that controls inter-vehicle spacing based on information from forward-looking radars and direct vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Braking and other operational data is constantly exchanged between th
  • Ford and Baidu to trial self-driving vehicles in China
    November 5, 2018
    Ford has joined forces with technology company Baidu to test Level 4 self-driving vehicles in China over the next two years. Level 4, established by the SAE International (formerly the US Society of Automotive Engineers), will allow the vehicles to operate without intervention from a human driver. A report by CNBC says Ford’s self-driving vehicles are equipped with Baidu’s autonomous driving system Apollo. The cars are expected to be deployed in on-road tests by the end of 2018. Sherif Marakby, pr
  • Viajeo Plus sustainable urban mobility showcase
    October 31, 2014
    Viajeo Plus, an EC funded FP7 international cooperation project for implementation of innovative and efficient urban mobility solutions, has organised a City Showcase in Chengdu Heritage Park, China, on 11 November. The event aims at facilitating knowledge exchange and experience sharing between China and Europe on sustainable urban mobility. It will gather technical experts, policy makers and researchers to present their achievements on sustainable urban mobility solutions, to discuss their needs and to