State by State: Where Autonomous Vehicles Crash Most
California has 2,739 incidents. Texas has 684. Arizona 567. Here's the full state-by-state breakdown of AV safety data.
Autonomous vehicle regulation in the United States is a patchwork. There's no single federal law governing where AVs can operate, how they're tested, or what happens when they crash. The result: massive variation from state to state — and a concentration of incidents in just a handful of states.
Top 10 States by Incident Count
California: The Epicenter
With 2,739 incidents — 44% of the national total — California is the undisputed epicenter of AV activity. Of those, 1,592 are ADS and 1,147 are ADAS, reflecting both Waymo's massive robotaxi operations and Tesla's large consumer base. San Francisco alone accounts for 1,170 incidents. Los Angeles adds another 384.
The Regulatory Divide
States like California and Arizona actively permit and regulate AV testing. Others, like New York, have almost no ADS incidents (0 ADS, 131 ADAS) — they lack the regulatory framework for robotaxis. Florida has embraced AV-friendly legislation, leading to 303 incidents including Waymo's Miami expansion.
The fatality distribution is telling: California's 24 fatalities reflect its sheer volume, but Florida's 7 fatalities from only 303 incidents — a 2.3% fatality rate — suggest higher-severity crashes, likely from Tesla ADAS on Florida highways.
Cities to Watch
San Francisco (1,170 incidents), Phoenix (261), Los Angeles (384), Austin (242), and Houston (73) are the main AV crash hotspots. These cities represent the front lines of the AV experiment — and where safety outcomes will ultimately determine whether AVs go mainstream or face restrictions.
The policy gap
Federal AV legislation has stalled in Congress for years. Until national standards exist, each state sets its own rules — creating a regulatory maze that makes consistent safety oversight nearly impossible.