Google's self-driving cars had reportedly been involved in 11 accidents. This revelation came only after the Associated Press learned that the driverless cars had been involved in three crashes in California.

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Google notified California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of its self-driving car crashes since September as it was required for such companies to report accidents as part of the permits for tests on public roads, according ZDNet.

Disclosure of the total number of collisions of Google's self-driving cars were defended by the company, saying none have been the cars' faults, but by the drivers.

The 11 car crashes were said to be all "minor." This meant light damage and no injuries, according to Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car program, on Monday. "Not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident," Urmson emphasized.

Seven of the accidents of Google's self-driving cars involved another vehicle rear-ending the Google car, two were sideswipes, and the others involved another car reportedly traveling through a red light.

In all 11 accidents, Google highlighted two things: first, the sensors and algorithms of the driverless cars were statistically more attentive and less prone to error than human drivers, and second, the humans' error-prone behaviors were feeding into better algorithms, making Google's driverless car safer than it already was, reported The Verge.

Google's defense on the safety of their cars came Monday after the DMV had received a total of four driverless car accident reports since September.

The Associated Press also reported Monday morning that three of these involved Google cars, while the fourth involved a vehicle tested by parts supplier Delphi Automotive.

According to an AP source, two of the accident reports involved a car in self-driving mode, while the other two involved a human behind the wheel. However, all four accidents occurred at the speeds of less than 10 miles per hour.

The best way for Google to develop public trust in their self-driving automobiles is through the release of accident reports, which the Department of Motor Vehicles currently considers confidential, according to John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog.

"Google appears to be keeping a big lid on what is going on," said Simpson. "They should simply put out the reports they filed with the DMV."

On Monday, the consumer group also called on the DMV to make all future accidents public.

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