Austin first responders train to respond to autonomous car incidents

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin first responders were recently trained on how to respond to incidents that involve autonomous or self-driving vehicles.

The Austin Fire Department posted on social media that members of AFD, the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS participated in training last week to help them be prepared to respond to incidents involving the cars.

This comes after safety concerns were shared by some Austin drivers after two driverless Cruise cars blocked lanes of traffic in different parts of the city the same night.

No injuries or crashes were reported as a result of the incidents, and a Cruise spokesperson said it happened because when the driverless cars are uncertain of the safest way to proceed, they will pull over and turn on their hazard lights.

Within roughly the last two years, there have been 11 incidents affiliated with autonomous vehicles reported in Austin, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data collected over a multi-year span. Since Cruise began operating in Austin in late 2022, there have been four crashes tied to the company's driverless cars.

The fire department did not mention if the training was a response to incidents that have already occurred involving autonomous vehicles, but it did say it wants to be prepared to deal with any that may happen in the future.

"With this growing technology advancing in our city, it’s crucial for our members and partner agencies to stay current on new technology, ensuring we’re always able to respond, keep the community safe, and help save lives," the fire department said in an Instagram post.