Beyond the tech: the real questions around Connected and Automated Vehicles

Connected and automated vehicles are back in the spotlight and the narrative - faster, safer, cleaner mobility - is compelling. But as transport professionals we should be asking harder questions. Not can CAVs work, but for whom? By Sandra Witzel, Co-Founder, Women in Mobility UK

Connected and automated vehicles are back in the spotlight and the narrative - faster, safer, cleaner mobility - is compelling. But as transport professionals we should be asking harder questions. Not can CAVs work, but for whom?

Not just what will change, but who decides how that change unfolds? These are the questions Women in Mobility UK is bringing to the table on 21 May, when we convene a cross-sector panel to explore the real-world implications of CAV deployment.

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Sandra Witzel is a Co-Founder of Women in Mobility UK and CMO at SkedGo. The free webinar Beyond the Tech: The Real-World Impact of Connected & Automated Vehicles takes place on Thursday 21 May 2026, 10:30–12:00. Speakers include Karla Jakeman (TRL), Rebecca Posner (RiDC), Susmita Das (Steer) and Mariat James Elizebeth (University of Warwick)

"In many technology implementation scenarios, the technology is established and proven, but the human, social and economic factors lag behind. With CAVs, the technology is still not performing convincingly in complex driving scenarios.

Add questions of affordability, accessibility and what people actually want from their transport, and we have a fascinatingly complex picture. Our webinar is sure to probe into many of these interesting questions," says Jennie Martin MBE, FCILT FCIHT, Women in Mobility UK.

In many technology implementation scenarios, the technology is established and proven, but the human, social and economic factors lag behind. With CAVs, the technology is still not performing convincingly in complex driving scenarios

Safety: New risks as well as old ones solved

The case for CAVs often leads with enhanced safety. UK government road casualty statistics identify driver error as a major contributing factor in reported collisions. Proponents argue automation could significantly reduce this toll.

That case deserves to be taken seriously.

But the safety picture is more complex.

Automation introduces new failure modes: software errors, sensor limitations, cybersecurity vulnerabilities and the challenge of mixed-traffic transition periods when CAVs and human-driven vehicles share the same space. Liability frameworks remain unsettled.

There is also a dimension rarely featured in the CAV literature: personal security. For women and girls, for older travellers and for disabled people, feeling safe in a vehicle is about more than crash statistics.

An unoccupied or driverless vehicle raises legitimate concerns that must be treated as design requirements, not afterthoughts.

CAVs offer a rare chance to redesign the journey experience from scratch.

But that opportunity is only realised if women, disabled people and older users are co-designing these systems from day one, not after the decisions are already made.

Equity and inclusivity: design for all or a new divide?

CAVs carry genuine potential to extend mobility to those underserved by current transport systems - older people who can no longer drive, disabled people for whom existing services fall short and communities with poor connectivity. But the risk of a new access divide is equally real.

"When we talk about accessibility, it is often better to reframe it as inclusivity. CAV services must be accessible by design — physically and digitally — widely available and affordable.

Accessibility must cover the whole end-to-end journey: from planning, booking and paying, to information provision, boarding, exiting and onward travel. Simply looking at vehicle design will be insufficient. If services are only offered in limited areas, equitable access cannot be achieved.

Affordability is equally critical — and this is where public transport and shared services offer real potential, through fare subsidisation and integrated provision. Most importantly, CAVs must not become a luxury item. They must be integrated as part of public service provision, says Rebecca Posner, Director of Inclusive Research, Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC).

Without deliberate policy intervention, deployment risks first serving affluent urban areas, widening the very gap it promises to close. Local and regional authorities need to be shaping procurement, regulation and subsidy frameworks now, not retrofitting equity afterwards.

When we talk about accessibility, it is often better to reframe it as inclusivity. CAV services must be accessible by design — physically and digitally — widely available and affordable

Labour and Net Zero

The pace of deployment makes workforce questions urgent.

"The UK plans to introduce commercial pilots of automated passenger services using taxi and shuttle-style vehicles this year.

These services could add £4.5 billion to the UK economy and support 52,000 high-tech jobs in manufacturing, AI and related sectors by 2050," says Susmita Das, Associate, New Mobility, Steer.

"However, this also creates a displacement risk for ridehailing drivers and gig workers without deliberate transition support. Investment in retraining and workforce engagement is necessary to ensure that the benefits of automation are equitably distributed."

These are significant workforces, often in communities that have already experienced industrial transition. Reskilling pathways cannot be an afterthought.

On climate, the picture is more ambiguous than often presented.

Electrification and automation could work in synergy, but transport researchers have raised concerns about a rebound effect: the convenience of automated door-to-door travel can increase vehicle kilometres travelled and draw journeys away from walking, cycling and public transport.

A decarbonised vehicle generating more trips is not an unambiguous win for net zero.

Public transport and infrastructure

Whether CAVs complement or cannibalise public transport is perhaps the most consequential open question for planners. Automated first- and last-mile connections feeding into mass transit is an achievable scenario, but it requires active network design.

The alternative is that door-to-door automation draws passengers away from buses and trains, undermining their viability. Local and combined authorities should be modelling both scenarios.

Investment in retraining and workforce engagement is necessary to ensure that the benefits of automation are equitably distributed

On infrastructure, the decisions being made today - on road design, kerbside management and digital connectivity - will shape the environment into which CAVs are eventually deployed.

These are long lead-time investments. Treating CAVs as a distant future technology risks locking in assumptions that will be costly to undo.

The decisions that will shape whether CAVs serve the public interest are being made now, in policy frameworks, procurement decisions and planning guidance.

The transport profession's expertise in systems thinking and equity analysis is exactly what this moment calls for. Women in Mobility UK's webinar on 21 May is one contribution to that conversation. We hope to see you there.