Self-driving car kills duck in Texas neighborhood, raising concerns about autonomous vehicles

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:40:00 +0200

In Austin, Texas, a tragic incident involving a self-driving car sparked outrage among residents when an Avride autonomous vehicle killed a mother duck in the Mueller Lake neighborhood. The vehicle, which was operating in autonomous mode with a human safety operator behind the wheel, did not stop after hitting the duck, causing anger among locals. Many of them had been familiar with the duck, which was nesting near a local restaurant. In response, the company has modified its testing area, excluding certain streets near the incident. While the vehicle did stop at relevant stop signs, Avride is reviewing its technology to prevent future incidents and running simulations to improve safety. This incident has raised broader concerns about the impact of autonomous vehicles on wildlife and their integration into urban environments, a sentiment echoed by the growing number of autonomous vehicle operations in the city, including those by Zoox, Tesla, and Waymo.