Waymo Car Accident? A Guide for Drivers and Pedestrians

Key Takeaways 

• Waymo operates one of the largest autonomous vehicle fleets in the U.S., with about 2,500 robotaxis on the road as of late 2025.  
• The company plans to more than double that fleet to roughly 3,500 vehicles by the end of 2026.  
• Autonomous cars are being developed through advanced AI, sensors, and rigorous simulation/testing before public deployment. 
• Understanding liability after a Waymo car accident requires knowing how these vehicles operate, how they’re programmed, and how fault is determined. 

Waymo robotaxis are fully autonomous vehicles designed to operate without a human behind the wheel in certain environments. Unlike human drivers, Waymo vehicles rely on on-board sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) software to navigate traffic, detect pedestrians, and respond to road conditions. 

As of late 2025, Waymo runs a fleet of approximately 2,500 robotaxis across the United States. And the company plans to expand that number to about 3,500 by the end of 2026.  

Because these vehicles share public roads with human drivers and pedestrians, accidents can and do happen. 

So what happens after a Waymo car accident, and how does it differ from a traditional motor vehicle injury claim? 

How Do Waymo Vehicles Work? 

AI, Sensors, and Software 

Waymo’s autonomous system, often called the Waymo Driver, combines multiple high-tech components: 

• LiDAR sensors (light-based radar) that create a real-time 3D map of the surroundings. 
• Cameras and radar units that detect lane markings, traffic signals, and unexpected obstacles. 
• Advanced AI software that interprets sensor data and makes real-time driving decisions. 
• Simulation and real-world testing to refine responses to rare or complex situations. 

Before a Waymo car ever enters public roads, its software has been trained on hundreds of millions of miles of real and simulated driving data, allowing it to recognize patterns and handle dynamic traffic scenes.  

This software architecture is the core of how Waymo vehicles operate. 

Manufacturing and Deployment 

Waymo partners with automakers to produce its physical vehicle platforms. Earlier generations relied on Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs, but newer models include vehicles like Hyundai Ioniq 5s and Zeekr minivans outfitted with Waymo’s autonomous system.  

Once assembled and equipped with sensors and compute hardware, each vehicle undergoes extensive testing and calibration before it begins carrying passengers or operating in public driverless mode. 

How Many Rides Does Waymo Complete Each Week? 

Fleet size tells only part of the story. What really shows the scale of autonomous transportation is how often these vehicles are actually being used. 

As of 2025, Waymo reports providing more than 100,000 paid rides per week across its active service markets. That translates to millions of autonomous trips completed each year, with riders using the service for daily commutes, airport trips, and routine errands. 

That volume matters for two reasons: 

• It reflects how quickly self-driving vehicles are becoming part of everyday traffic. 
• It increases overall exposure, meaning even rare incidents can become legally significant simply because of scale. 

Industry projections suggest autonomous ride-hailing services could expand dramatically over the next decade, with hundreds of thousands of robotaxis operating globally by the mid-2030s. As adoption increases, questions around liability, safety oversight, and post-crash accountability will become more common, not less. 

What Happens in a Waymo Car Accident? 

When a Waymo vehicle is involved in a collision, several layers of analysis come into play: 

1. Data Capture

Waymo cars constantly record detailed sensor and software logs. These records are central to understanding what the vehicle “saw” and how it reacted before, during, and after an incident. 

2. Fault Determination

Accidents involving autonomous vehicles raise unique liability questions: 

• Was the autonomous system active? 
• Did Waymo’s software misinterpret sensor data? 
• Did human road users behave unpredictably? 
• Was the Waymo car responding to another vehicle’s negligence? 

These questions often require expert analysis of both software behavior and physical crash dynamics. 

3. Regulatory Reporting

In the U.S., autonomous car operators must report accidents that result in injury or property damage to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Those reports become part of public safety oversight and help regulators identify patterns or system issues.  

What Should You Do After a Waymo Car Accident? 

If you’re involved in a Waymo car accident, take these steps: 

• Seek medical attention immediately, even if injuries seem minor. 
• Document the scene with photos and notes about time, location, and vehicle behavior. 
• Collect witness contact information if possible. 
• Preserve any video or sensor data available, this can be critical. 
• Contact a Los Angeles car accident lawyer experienced in autonomous vehicle cases, because liability can involve the vehicle operator, software developers, and even the manufacturer. 

Because autonomous vehicle technology is still evolving and heavily regulated, early investigation matters. Waiting too long can make it harder to preserve evidence or coordinate experts who understand both driving and robotics. 

Are Autonomous Cars Safer Than Human Drivers? 

Industry data suggests that autonomous systems like Waymo’s have the potential to reduce serious crashes. For example, in large samples of real-world driving miles, autonomous driving systems have shown significantly lower rates of serious accident types compared to human benchmarks.  

However, no technology is perfect. Waymo vehicles have been involved in accidents, including non-fatal collisions. Some accidents (such as crashes involving unexpected behavior near school buses or pedestrians) have drawn regulatory scrutiny.  

That underscores an important point: autonomous technology can improve safety overall, but it also introduces complex questions about responsibility, decision-making logic, and risk allocation. 

Protecting Drivers and Pedestrians After a Waymo Car Accident 

If you’re on the road – whether in a car, on a bike, or on foot – understanding how autonomous vehicles behave helps reduce risk. 

Waymo cars are programmed to observe traffic laws, anticipate obstacles, and react within parameters defined by millions of hours of testing. But they operate in the same unpredictable environments as human-driven vehicles. 

A Waymo car accident can involve: 

• Complex sensor behavior analysis 
• Software logic review 
• Multiple potential sources of fault 

That makes legal and technical expertise important for anyone injured by or involving an autonomous vehicle. 

Working with Our Waymo Accident Attorneys 

Autonomous vehicles are here to stay it seems. But with innovation comes complexity. Whether you’re a driver, pedestrian, or passenger, knowing your rights and understanding how these vehicles work is critical if an accident occurs. 

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Waymo car accident, you don’t have to navigate the aftermath alone. Contact our team to talk about your case, preserve evidence early, and understand your options in this rapidly changing legal and technological landscape.