ISO 26262 Autonomous Vehicle Safety Audit Checklist

A comprehensive checklist for auditing the safety of autonomous vehicle systems, aligning with ISO 26262 principles while addressing the unique challenges of self-driving technologies

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About This Checklist

The ISO 26262 Autonomous Vehicle Safety Audit Checklist is an essential tool for ensuring the safety and reliability of autonomous driving systems in the automotive industry. This comprehensive checklist addresses the unique challenges presented by autonomous technologies within the framework of ISO 26262, while also considering emerging standards specific to autonomous vehicles. By systematically evaluating perception systems, decision-making algorithms, and fail-safe mechanisms, this checklist assists autonomous vehicle developers, safety engineers, and validation teams in identifying potential risks, ensuring robust system designs, and maintaining compliance with evolving safety standards. Implementing this checklist not only enhances the overall safety of autonomous vehicles but also contributes to public trust and regulatory acceptance of self-driving technologies.

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Industry

Automotive

Standard

ISO 26262 - Functional Safety for Road Vehicles

Workspaces

Testing Facilities
Laboratories
Testing Facilities
Automotive Development Centers

Occupations

Autonomous Vehicle System Developer
AI Safety Engineer
Autonomous Driving Validation Specialist
Functional Safety Manager for Self-Driving Systems
Regulatory Compliance Specialist for Autonomous Vehicles

1
Is the perception system compliant with ISO 26262 safety standards?

Select compliance status.

To ensure that the perception system meets safety requirements for autonomous vehicles.
2
What is the accuracy percentage of the sensor fusion system?

Enter sensor fusion accuracy percentage.

To evaluate the effectiveness of sensor fusion in decision-making.
Min0
Target90
Max100
3
Describe the fail-safe mechanisms implemented in the system.

Provide a detailed description of fail-safe mechanisms.

To understand the robustness of safety measures in the autonomous vehicle.
4
Is the operational design domain validated?

Select validation status.

To confirm that the autonomous vehicle operates safely within defined parameters.
5
Has the AI safety review been completed?

Indicate whether the AI safety review has been completed.

To ensure that safety reviews are conducted for AI algorithms.

6
What is the performance rating of the decision-making algorithms?

Select the performance rating.

To assess the effectiveness of algorithms in real-world scenarios.
7
How many incidents occurred during testing on the track?

Enter the number of incidents.

To monitor safety and performance during vehicle testing.
Min0
Target0
Max100
8
When was the last safety review conducted?

Select the date of the last safety review.

To ensure regular safety assessments are maintained.
9
Are emergency protocols readily available for the testing team?

Select the availability status of emergency protocols.

To verify preparedness in case of emergencies during testing.
10
Describe the test environment used during simulations.

Provide a detailed description of the test environment.

To understand the conditions under which the vehicle was tested.

11
Is the reliability status of the sensors confirmed?

Select the reliability status of the sensors.

To ensure that all sensors operate reliably under various conditions.
12
What is the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) for the system?

Enter the MTBF in hours.

To assess the reliability of the autonomous vehicle system.
Min0
Target1000
Max10000
13
Have the redundancy systems been verified for functionality?

Indicate whether redundancy systems have been verified.

To ensure that backup systems are operational in case of primary system failure.
14
Provide an analysis of potential failure modes identified in the system.

Detail the failure modes analysis.

To understand vulnerabilities and areas that require mitigation.
15
When was the last reliability testing conducted?

Select the date of the last reliability test.

To ensure that the system undergoes regular reliability assessments.

16
Is the vehicle compliant with all relevant regulatory standards?

Select the regulatory compliance status.

To confirm adherence to legal and regulatory requirements for autonomous vehicles.
17
Summarize the findings from the documentation review.

Provide a summary of the documentation review.

To provide insights on compliance documentation and any identified gaps.
18
What is the score from the latest compliance audit?

Enter the compliance audit score out of 100.

To quantify the level of compliance achieved during the audit.
Min0
Target85
Max100
19
When is the next scheduled compliance audit?

Select the date of the next compliance audit.

To ensure that future audits are planned in accordance with compliance requirements.
20
Has the training for compliance requirements been completed for all staff?

Indicate whether compliance training has been completed.

To verify that all relevant personnel are trained on compliance matters.

21
Is the latest risk assessment completed and documented?

Select the risk assessment completion status.

To ensure that all potential risks have been identified and assessed.
22
How many risks were identified in the latest assessment?

Enter the total number of identified risks.

To quantify the number of risks recognized during the assessment process.
Min0
Target5
Max100
23
Provide a summary of the mitigation strategies for identified risks.

Detail the mitigation strategies for identified risks.

To understand how identified risks will be managed and mitigated.
24
When was the last risk management review conducted?

Select the date of the last risk review.

To ensure that risk management reviews are performed regularly.
25
Has the emergency response plan been updated based on the latest risk assessment?

Indicate whether the emergency response plan has been updated.

To confirm that the emergency response plan reflects current risks.

FAQs

This checklist extends ISO 26262 principles to address specific challenges of autonomous systems, including AI decision-making, sensor fusion, and complex operational design domains (ODDs) unique to self-driving vehicles.

The primary users are autonomous vehicle system developers, AI engineers, safety analysts, validation and verification specialists, and regulatory compliance managers working on self-driving car technologies.

The checklist covers perception system reliability, AI and machine learning safety, ethical decision-making algorithms, cybersecurity for autonomous systems, and safety of the operational design domain (ODD) definition and management.

It incorporates flexibility to accommodate emerging autonomous driving standards and best practices, while maintaining core safety principles from ISO 26262, ensuring relevance as the technology and regulatory landscape evolves.

This audit should be applied throughout the entire development lifecycle, from initial concept and system architecture design through to final road testing and post-deployment monitoring of autonomous vehicles.

Benefits

Ensures alignment of autonomous vehicle systems with ISO 26262 safety principles

Addresses unique safety considerations for self-driving technologies

Facilitates comprehensive risk assessment for autonomous driving scenarios

Enhances validation and verification processes for AI-driven vehicle systems

Supports the development of fail-safe and fault-tolerant autonomous architectures