Waymo Study Suggests Driverless Vehicles May Be Safer - But What Does That Mean for Ontario Drivers?

July 25, 2026, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

A New Study Highlights the Potential of Autonomous Vehicles

Could self-driving cars eventually make Ontario's roads safer? 

That's the question being asked after a recent independent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that Waymo's autonomous robotaxis were involved in 68% fewer police-reportable crashes per mile than human-driven vehicles operating in the same cities. Researchers compared data from Waymo's driverless fleet in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin against crashes involving human drivers and concluded that autonomous vehicles showed a measurable safety advantage.

While the findings are encouraging, they also raise important questions about how autonomous vehicles could fit into Canada's transportation system—and whether they will one day reduce the number of serious injury collisions.

Human Error Remains the Leading Cause of Collisions

Most motor vehicle collisions are not caused by mechanical failure. Instead, they result from human behaviour, including:

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Impaired driving
• Fatigue
• Failure to yield
• Aggressive driving

Unlike human drivers, autonomous vehicles do not become distracted by a text message, drive while impaired, or fall asleep behind the wheel. Their sensors continuously monitor the environment, allowing them to detect vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, and road hazards in all directions.

This technology has the potential to reduce many of the mistakes that lead to preventable collisions.

Autonomous Vehicles Are Not Perfect

Although the results are promising, autonomous driving technology is still evolving.

Researchers noted that evaluating self-driving vehicles remains challenging because there is currently no standardized reporting system across North America. Waymo is one of the few companies that publicly releases detailed operating data, making independent analysis possible.

Autonomous vehicles have also faced challenges in unusual or unpredictable situations, such as construction zones, emergency scenes, and interactions with pedestrians and cyclists. Continued testing and regulatory oversight will be essential before widespread adoption.

What Could This Mean for Ontario?

Ontario has already begun exploring autonomous vehicle technology through pilot projects and testing programs. While fully driverless vehicles are not yet common on Canadian roads, advances in artificial intelligence and vehicle automation suggest they could become increasingly familiar in the years ahead.

If autonomous vehicles continue to demonstrate improved safety, they may eventually contribute to fewer collisions, fewer injuries, and fewer fatalities. However, even as technology advances, conventional vehicles driven by people will share Ontario's roads for many years.

Injuries Can Still Happen

Whether a collision involves a human driver or a self-driving vehicle, the consequences for injured people can be life-changing.

Victims may suffer:

• Whiplash
• Concussions
• Fractures
• Spinal injuries
• Psychological trauma

Ontario's accident benefits system and personal injury laws will continue to play an important role in helping injured individuals recover, regardless of who—or what—was operating the vehicle.

The Bottom Line

The latest Waymo study offers encouraging evidence that autonomous vehicles may reduce crash rates by removing some of the human errors responsible for many collisions. However, no technology can eliminate every risk on the road.

As autonomous vehicles become more common, lawmakers, insurers, and the legal system will face new questions about liability, regulation, and compensation. Until then, drivers should continue to practice safe driving habits and remain alert whenever they're behind the wheel.

At Deutschmann de Koning Personal Injury Law, we will continue to monitor developments in vehicle safety technology and what they mean for Ontario drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and anyone injured in a motor vehicle collision.

About Deutschmann de Koning Law

Deutschmann de Koning Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann and Nick de Koning focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.ddinjurylaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.