The death of a duck in the Mueller Lake area of Austin, Texas, has led to concerns among neighbors regarding autonomous vehicles and their appropriateness in the neighborhood. While human drivers often cause animal fatalities, this incident has drawn attention to the new technology. Local media reported the incident after a resident shared in a neighborhood Facebook group that an Avride autonomous vehicle (with a human safety operator) ran over a duck and continued without stopping. The post, covered by KXAN, noted, “It didn’t slow down or hesitate at all, just steamrolled through.”
The duck was familiar to residents as it nested outside a local Italian restaurant, increasing distrust in autonomous vehicle technology. Residents have placed the duck’s eggs in an incubator, according to Axios’ Austin.
An Avride spokesperson confirmed the vehicle was in autonomous mode during the incident. The company has not completely stopped testing on public roads but has restricted its operations in certain neighborhood streets around the lake. The resident also alleged the vehicle ignored a stop sign, but Avride found no evidence to support this, confirming the vehicle made complete stops at all relevant signs.
Yulia Shveyko, an Avride spokesperson, said the team reviewed vehicle data, including simulations of the scene, and is assessing potential technological improvements to prevent similar occurrences. This includes controlled experiments to ensure changes do not compromise safety in other situations.
Avride is not the only company testing or deploying autonomous vehicles in Austin. Zoox is conducting tests, and Tesla and Waymo, with Uber, operate a commercial robotaxi service in parts of the city.