Kodiak Self-Driving Tech Compared To Humans In Nauto Safety Study
A new study by fleet safety tech company Nauto Inc. comparing the safety performance of Kodiak AI's autonomous trucking system with human drivers has surprising results.
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AI truck system matches top human drivers in massive safety showdown with perfect scores
Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.
Kodiak Driver's autonomous truck safety evaluation results
Kodiak's VERA Score of 98 matched the highest rating among all fleets evaluated. Fleets with Nauto's safety technology average a score of 78, while those without the technology average only 63.The Kodiak Driver achieved perfect scores of 100 in inattentive driving, high-risk driving and traffic violations. Its lowest score, 95, came in aggressive driving. The VERA Score combines over 20 vision-based AI variables into one clear safety rating.
Nauto found that every 10-point increase in VERA Score cuts collision risk by about 21%. A near-perfect score like Kodiak's represents a strong improvement over typical human performance on the road.
The strong results didn't come as a surprise to Kodiak's leadership. Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak, told CyberGuy: "Achieving the top safety score among more than 1,000 commercial fleets in Nauto's Visually Enhanced Risk Assessment (VERA Score®) proprietary safety benchmark is a testament to the Kodiak's focus on safety. Safety is at the foundation of everything Kodiak builds. Our core value is ‘safety first and always.’ We believe independent safety evaluations like Nauto's help to validate what we already know: the Kodiak Driver is already among the safest drivers on American highways. They also help to establish and build public awareness around how safe our technology truly is."
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The growing impact of AI on truck driving safety
Nauto equipped the trucks with advanced monitoring and hazard detection systems. These tools track both the driving environment and vehicle behavior in real time. Removing human factors such as distraction, fatigue and delayed reaction directly improves safety.Burnette said in a company statement that the system "is never drowsy, never drunk, and always paying attention." That constant awareness allows the Kodiak Driver to operate defensively and predictably, two traits linked to safe driving.
The VERA Score also gives fleets a consistent way to measure safety. Companies can now shift from reacting to crashes to preventing them.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data support the trend. U.S. commercial truck crashes dropped from more than 124,000 in 2024 to roughly 104,000 this year. Fewer crashes mean fewer fatalities and safer highways overall.
Kodiak’s self-driving trucks combine AI vision and real-time data to reduce risky behavior and improve on-road performance. (Kodiak)