Improved road safety, reduced congestion, increased mobility, a better protected environment, and new economic opportunities – these are just some of the potential benefits that can be gained by broadly adopting connected and automated vehicle technology, according to the Government of Canada. Other governments around the world and industries also recognize the potential of this technology, with many resources being devoted to various R&D efforts and pilot programs.

Just this summer, CSA Group received funding from Transport Canada to develop guidelines and a standardization roadmap that will help drive the safe deployment of connected and automated vehicle technology across the country. The funding stems from the government’s Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System (ACATS) program, which has distributed $2.9 million to select organizations, including CSA Group, to help address barriers to adoption through research, technological demonstrations, codes and standards, and capacity building.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this forward-thinking initiative and to support the advancement of connected and automated vehicle technology across Canada through standardization,” says Mary Cianchetti, President of Standards at CSA Group. “Our expertise in standards development for other emerging technologies has supported innovation by addressing critical safety issues of governments, businesses, and consumers.”

CSA Group will leverage its consensus-based approach to standards development to engage relevant stakeholders in developing deployment guidelines and a standardization roadmap that will pave the way for widespread adoption of this vehicle technology. This work is being supported by the Ontario Centres of Excellence, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Standards Council of Canada.

The new initiative also complements other successful CSA Group efforts to support emerging transportation technologies such as electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and natural gas vehicles as well as the associated electric charging and fueling stations.