Monday 25 July 2022
BSI, in its role as the UK National Standards Body, publishes new international guidance on the intended functionality (SOTIF). The standard has been developed to support the automotive industry to help with ensuring the safety of road vehicles given the increasing levels of automated and advanced driving features on roads.
The fast development of connected and autonomous technology has led to a rising number of assist driving functions. The new guidance helps vehicle designers and manufacturers to consider the safety of the ever-growing selection of electrical/electronic (E/E) features that drivers and passengers face.
The standard, BS ISO 21448, Road vehicles — Safety of the intended functionality, sets out SOTIF guidance, which is the absence of unreasonable risk due to a hazard caused by functional insufficiencies. It details the applicable design, verification and validation measures, as well as activities during the operation phase, that are needed to achieve and maintain the SOTIF.
The guidance is applicable to intended functionalities where proper situational awareness is essential to safety and where such situational awareness is derived from complex sensors and processing algorithms, especially functionalities of emergency intervention systems and systems having levels of driving automation from 1 to 5. It is also applicable to intended functionalities that include one or more E/E systems installed in series production road vehicles, excluding mopeds. In addition, it details operation or assistance of a vehicle by a remote user or communication with a back office that can affect vehicle decision making when it can lead to safety hazards.
Nick Fleming, Associate Director of Mobility and Transport Standards at BSI, said:
“A recent BSI poll1 found that almost three quarters of the public surveyed (70 per cent) see benefits of connected and automated vehicles with safety gains rating as the top benefit. However, this potential must be balanced with safe introduction of such technologies as advanced driver assistance systems and increasingly automated driving features.
“Given the growing reliance on vehicle technologies BS ISO 21448 is an important standard for the industry in managing unreasonable safety risks that arise as a result of their intended functionality.”
The standard has been developed by an international committee2 of experts including UK representation.
Download the standard here.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
1 Full research findings here
2 Committee - ISO - ISO/TC 22/SC 32 - Electrical and electronic components and general system aspects
