In 2018, Autonomous Vehicles Drove 2 Million Miles in California

"Autonomous vehicles (AVs) notched more than 2 million miles on California roads in 2018, according to a batch of reports released by the state," reports Jason Plautz. "The reports are required of the companies permitted to test AVs in the state and tally the number of miles driven and disengagements, meaning when human safety drivers had to take control."

Waymo drove by far the most of that total, driving 1.2 million miles. Cruise, the autonomous vehicles company owned by General Motors, was second with 447,621 miles.

Disengagement statistics add another extra layer of data helpful in gauging the status of autonomous vehicles. Waymo reports a disengagement rate 0.09 per 1,000 self-driven miles in 2018—half of what it reported in 2017.