The Automotive Standard ISO 26262, the Innovative Driver for Enhanced Safety Assessment & Technology for Motor Cars

In view of the evidence of about 1,3 million victims/year worldwide [1] caused by road traffic, the automotive industry is under pressure to provide new and improved vehicle safety systems, ranging from airbag systems to extremely complex advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with accident prediction and avoidance capabilities. The inaugurated international Standard ISO-26262 as an adaptation of the generic Standard IEC 61508: “Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems” for the automotive industry represents an effective risk-informed guidance for advanced vehicle design, production and maintenance. The paper illuminates the very voluminous international standard based on the intention that today's safety engineers and the automotive industry should be aware of it. They should take actions to understand fully the intention and content of the Standard, the risk-informed requirements for design of the vehicles, and the confirmation that the requirements are met.