System and method for routing, mobility, application services, discovery, and sensing in a vehicular network environment

A method includes selecting a path for routing a data packet from a source node to a destination node in a vehicular ad hoc network, storing the data packet if the selected path is identified as a dead end, and establishing a communication link with a first node. The method also includes forwarding the data packet to the first node if a first distance between the first node and the destination node is less than a second distance between the source node and the destination node. More specific embodiments include sending a query for location information of the destination node, receiving the location information including two or more available paths from the source node to the destination node, and determining the path for routing the data packet is an optimal path of the two or more available paths.