Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has released a study that further solidifies its claim to being a safer mode of transportation than human-driven vehicles. In collaboration with insurer Swiss Re, the study analyzed liability claims related to collisions from 25.3 million fully autonomous miles driven by Waymo in four cities: Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin.

The study's findings are striking, with Waymo's autonomous vehicles showing an 88 percent reduction in property damage claims and a 92 percent reduction in bodily injury claims compared to human driver baselines. Across 25.3 million miles, Waymo was involved in only nine property damage claims and two bodily injury claims, a significant improvement over the average human driver, who would be expected to have 78 property damage and 26 bodily injury claims over a similar distance.

What's more, Waymo's vehicles also outperformed new vehicles equipped with the latest safety tech, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind spot detection. When compared to this group, Waymo's autonomous driving system showed an 86 percent reduction in property damage claims and a 90 percent reduction in bodily injury claims.

This study marks a significant milestone for Waymo, which has been working to improve the safety of its autonomous vehicles. The company has submitted its latest comparisons with Swiss Re's insurance data to a scientific journal for publication, further demonstrating its commitment to transparency and accountability.

The debate around the safety of driverless cars continues to rage on, with many arguing that they are necessary to combat the crisis of traffic fatalities, which claim around 40,000 lives annually in the US. Proponents of autonomous vehicles point out that they never get drunk, tired, or distracted, and are able to avoid the human errors that often lead to crashes and deaths.

However, critics argue that there is still a lack of certainty around the safety of driverless vehicles, mainly due to the limited amount of data available. Humans drive close to 100 million miles between fatal crashes, so it's likely that hundreds of millions of miles from autonomous vehicles will be needed before meaningful comparisons about safety can be made.

Despite these challenges, Waymo remains committed to its vision of a safer transportation system. The company is one of the few willing to publicize its own collisions in order to make the case for autonomous vehicles. As the industry continues to evolve, studies like this one will play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation.

It's worth noting that not everyone agrees that autonomous vehicles are the solution to traffic safety. Many urbanists and safety advocates argue that the real solution lies in reducing the number of cars on the road and designing communities that support more car-free transportation options, such as biking, public transportation, and walking.

As the autonomous vehicle landscape continues to shift, one thing is clear: Waymo is leading the charge in terms of safety and transparency. With its latest study, the company has further solidified its position as a leader in the industry, and its commitment to improving transportation safety is a welcome development.