---
title: "Self-driving cars could save more than 21,700 lives, $450B a year"
description: "Because 90% of all driving accidents are caused by operator error, automating vehicles through onboard computers would reduce injuries, deaths and related costs by staggering amounts."
date: "2015-06-17"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Greg Richards"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/gregrichards"
url: "https://futurism.com/self-driving-cars-could-save-more-than-21700-lives-450b-a-year"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Self-Driving Vehicles"
tags:
  - "transport"
---

# Self-driving cars could save more than 21,700 lives, $450B a year

![Default Futurism featured image](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Futurism-Filler-Image.jpg>)

- If 90% of vehicles in the U.S. were self-driving, as many as 4.2 million accidents could be avoided, saving 21,700 lives and $450 billion in related costs.
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40% of fatal crashes are the result of alcohol or drug use, driver distraction and/or fatigue.
- Through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, autonomous cars and trucks could reduce freeway and artery congestion by more than 75%, the study said.