Abstract
Connected Vehicles (CV), Automated Vehicles (AV), and their combination as Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) have been among the most important developments in surface transportation within the past few years. California has been a national leader in the development of these technologies and their predecessors for several decades, but that leadership position is in jeopardy as other states court CAV development and testing outside of California. The paper suggests California actively engages in CAV through a number of different outlets; encouraging the development of state-of-the-art testing facilities where a wider range of vehicles can be tested, building on existing DMV regulatory frameworks, and convening open public discussions about the safety of CAV systems. Public sector engagement and action on this topic are needed in order for California to capitalize on the potential safety, efficiency, and productivity benefits of connected and automated vehicles.
