A duck’s death in Austin’s Mueller Lake has sparked concerns about autonomous vehicles in the area. Typically attributed to human drivers, animal roadkill now brings scrutiny to new technology. Local news highlighted the incident after a resident’s Facebook post claimed an Avride autonomous vehicle, with a human safety operator, hit and killed a duck without stopping. Familiarity with the nesting duck outside a local eatery fueled further distrust. Residents have moved the duck’s eggs to an incubator.
Avride confirmed the vehicle’s autonomous mode during the incident but didn’t halt broader road testing, instead avoiding certain Mueller streets. A claim that the vehicle ignored a stop sign was unsubstantiated by Avride. The company reviewed the incident and is considering technology enhancements to prevent similar events.
Other companies like Zoox, Tesla, and Waymo, in collaboration with Uber, also test autonomous vehicles in Austin.