A Self-Driving Car Strikes and Kills a Beloved Duck in Texas
Residents of Austin, Texas, are expressing their outrage after a self-driving car allegedly struck and killed a duck near Mueller Lake Park. The incident has sparked a heated debate about the safety and ethical implications of autonomous vehicles.
A local witness shared their experience on a Facebook group, describing how an Avride self-driving vehicle ran over a duck that was resting near the lake. According to the witness, the car did not slow down or hesitate, continuing on its way without stopping to check what had happened.
“I saw an Avride self-driving car, with a person in the driver’s seat not touching the wheel, run over and kill a duck near the park,” the witness wrote. “It didn’t slow down or hesitate at all, just steamrolled right through, and the person inside did not stop to see what happened, just kept on driving.”
The witness also mentioned that the car ran through a stop sign and almost hit their vehicle before hitting the duck. They noted that the duck appeared to be near a nest of eggs when it was killed.
This is not the first time that autonomous vehicles have been linked to incidents involving wildlife in the area. A community member commented on the post, saying, “That’s not the first time an autonomous car killed one of the ducks here.”
Avride Investigates the Incident
Avride, the company behind the self-driving technology, has responded to the incident by stating that it is investigating the matter and has adjusted its operations in the area. Yulia Shveyko, Avride’s head of communications, told the Daily Mail that the company takes safety seriously and has taken several measures to ensure the well-being of both people and animals.
“Avride takes safety very seriously. As a precaution, we have adjusted testing routes and provided additional training and guidance to safety personnel as part of our standard procedures,” Shveyko said. “We are also actively evaluating technological measures to further enhance safety.”
The company has excluded roads around the lake from testing operations, but denied the claim that the car failed to stop at a stop sign. “The vehicle came to complete and appropriate stops at all relevant stop signs,” Shveyko added. “We will, however, continue to carefully analyze all related data to ensure a full understanding of the situation.”
Community Outrage and Calls for Banning Autonomous Vehicles
The incident has led to widespread anger among locals, many of whom are calling for autonomous cars and robotaxis to be banned from the area. One person wrote on Facebook, “Anything self-driving needs to be outlawed. They don’t even stop for school busses.” Another added, “Ridiculous. Take them off the road.” A third person wrote, “The tech that no one asked for strikes again. And again. And again. And…”
The duck’s death comes just months after a similar tragedy occurred in San Francisco, where a beloved tabby cat named KitKat was killed by a self-driving Waymo car. The incident raised concerns about the ability of autonomous vehicles to detect and avoid obstacles, especially in urban environments.
KitKat, a nine-year-old feline, was well-known across San Francisco as the pet who ‘patrolled’ the Randa’s Market corner store on 16th Street. The cat was hit by the Waymo robotaxi around 11:30 pm on October 27, according to Mike Zeidan, the cat and shop’s owner.
An anonymous complaint alleged that the Waymo robotaxi did not slow down, swerve, or try to avoid KitKat. In response, Waymo stated, “The trust and the safety of the communities we serve is our highest priority. We reviewed this, and while our vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat darted under our vehicle as it was pulling away.”
The company added, “We send our deepest sympathies to the cat’s owner and the community who knew and loved him, and we will be making a donation to a local animal rights organization in his honor.”
