Reported crashes involving autonomous vehicles in the United States reached a record monthly high of 118 in January 2026, according to compiled accident data. Monthly counts had climbed through 2025, reaching 110 in May and 112 in November before setting the new high early this year.

The cumulative figures show the scale of testing and deployment. As of November 17, 2025, data showed 5,202 reported autonomous vehicle accidents in the United States, associated with 451 injuries and fatalities, including 65 fatalities. Reporting analysts noted that fully autonomous driving systems had begun to account for more reported accidents than driver-assist systems.

Individual companies carry different shares of the totals. Waymo led fully autonomous vehicle crash reports with 907 incidents, while Cruise recorded 155 before shutting down its robotaxi service. Tesla reported the most accidents among driver-assist systems. A January 2026 incident in Santa Monica, in which a Waymo vehicle braked hard but struck a child who ran into the road, prompted a federal investigation into whether the vehicle exercised appropriate caution.

Comparative safety data accompanies the rising crash counts. Reported figures put Waymo's accident rate at 2.1 incidents per million miles, below the 4.85 rate cited for human drivers. The data presents a mixed picture, with total reported incidents climbing as deployment expands while per-mile rates for some operators run below human benchmarks.

Source: ConsumerShield - https://www.consumershield.com/articles/self-driving-car-accidents-trends