Is the regulation of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) a wicked problem and why does it matter?

The anticipated public deployment of highly connected and automated vehicles (‘CAVs’) has the potential to introduce a range of complex regulatory challenges because of the novel and expansive way that data is generated, used, collected and shared by CAVs. Regulators within Australia and internationally are facing the complex task of developing rules and regulations to meet these challenges against the backdrop of continuing uncertainty about the ultimate form of CAVs and the timeframe for their introduction. This paper undertakes a novel examination of whether the regulation of high level CAVs and their associated data will constitute a ‘wicked problem’. The wicked problem framework provides a valuable lens through which to examine difficult issues that are faced by regulators and, in turn, to aid in developing regulatory responses and to navigate such issues. A new four quadrant framework is developed and applied. It draws on and expands the seminal work on wicked problems by Rittel and Webber, and Alford and Head. The framework is used to critically reflect on whether CAVs are a ‘wicked problem’, and, if so, what might be the potential consequences for policy and regulatory development involving the data environment. This paper considers whether evaluating the ‘wickedness’ of a problem is a useful exercise for regulators, and the potential impact on developing novel approaches to regulatory responses.