Automotive functional safety

Functional safety refers to the safety of a system or component in terms of its ability to perform its intended function safely and without causing harm to users or the environment. In the automotive industry, functional safety is critical for the design and development of vehicles, ensuring that they meet the required safety standards.

Safety Requirements and Standards

At Ricardo, we understand the importance of adhering to safety requirements and standards in the automotive industry. Our team of certified functional safety experts are well-versed in the latest functional safety standards, including ISO 26262 and SOTIF, and can help you ensure compliance with these regulations.

Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment

Hazard analysis and risk assessment are essential aspects of functional safety. Our team of experts can help you identify potential hazards and evaluate associated risks, ensuring that you have a clear understanding of the safety risks associated with your product.

Safety Integrity Level (SIL) and Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL)

The Safety Integrity Level (SIL) is a measure of the probability of a system failing and causing harm. In the automotive industry, the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) is used to evaluate the safety performance of automotive systems. Our certified functional safety engineers and experts can help you ensure that your vehicle meets the required ASIL.

Our functional safety services focus on ensuring your product or component complies with ISO-26262 Road Vehicles - Functional Safety standards.

Ricardo has an unrivalled depth of knowledge and capability in delivering functional safety programmes for our clients. Our capability encompasses analyses and processes, to the ability to support and implement delivery of hardware, software and manufacturing with our own dedicated resources and infrastructure.

Ricardo sits on the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) steering committee making active contributions to MISRA standards. Our team helped to develop ISO 26262 as part of the UK working group of experts.

We have extensive knowledge of the most frequently used standards for safety critical system development and high integrity software, including:

• ISO 26262
• IEC 61508
• MISRA standards
• ISO/TR 15497
• Automotive SPICE^© (ISO/IEC 15504)

Our functional safety services are offered as non-recurring engineering (NRE) engagements based on an agreed statement of work.

Our programmes are supported by our global technical centres offering in-house design, testing, manufacturing, and prototyping facilities complementing our expert strategic consultancy services.

Ricardo works across a broad range of market sectors and industries. Our functional safety software development is aimed at organisations within the automotive industry, specifically original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tier 1 suppliers.

We primarily design and develop solutions for following types of applications:

• Passenger vehicles
• Commercial vehicles
• Off-highway vehicles
• Motorcycles
• High performance vehicles

We’ve worked with many high-profile clients across our entire automotive consultancy and engineering business. Get in touch for more information.

Functional safety standards are critical in ensuring that vehicles meet safety requirements. Our certified functional safety experts are well-versed in the latest standards and can provide you with the expertise needed to ensure that your vehicle meets the required functional safety standards.

ISO 26262 and SOTIF

ISO 26262 and SOTIF are critical standards that define the requirements for functional safety in electric and electronic systems in road vehicles. ISO 26262 addresses possible hazards caused by malfunctioning behavior of safety-related electronic systems used in production road vehicles, including interaction of these systems.

Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) is a framework used to ensure the safety of intended functionalities where proper situational awareness is essential to safety. The framework provides guidance on the applicable design, verification and validation measures, as well as activities during the operation phase, that are needed to achieve and maintain the SOTIF, particularly where driving automation is a feature.

The development process is a crucial aspect of functional safety in the automotive industry. At Ricardo, we can help you establish safety goals and implement a robust development process that includes hazard analysis, risk assessment, and safety validation. Our certified functional safety engineers and experts can provide you with the necessary guidance to ensure that your development process meets the required safety standards.

Our team of certified functional safety engineers and experts play a critical role in the development of safe and reliable vehicles. They are responsible for ensuring that your vehicle meets the required safety standards and regulations, identifying potential safety risks, and implementing appropriate measures to mitigate them.