The UL 4600 Guidebook: What to Include in an Autonomous Vehicle Safety Case

ANSI/UL 4600 is the most comprehensive standard for highly automated vehicle safety, applying to any vehicle in which a human driver can take their eyes off the road. It provides a way to check the completeness and correctness of a safety case that spans a broad range of concerns related to safety, including design, deployment, and lifecycle support. There is a special emphasis on computer hardware and software, as well as operational concepts and interaction with other road users. While other relevant standards can and should be used as well, UL 4600 provides an umbrella to make sure things don’t get missed for assuring safety.

This book, written by the author of the original UL 4600 standard proposal, serves as a high-level guided tour. Early chapters provide historical context, a description of the distinctive UL 4600 prompt element approach, a discussion of key terms, and how a safety case works in the context of the standard. Then comes a chapter-by-chapter tour of UL 4600, explaining overall concepts and how all the pieces fit together for each area covered by the standard, from safety cases to hazard analysis to assessment. This book will help technical readers prepare for diving into the nitty gritty of the standard, as well as provide a more accessible discussion for those who want to understand what UL 4600 covers at a higher level. The last chapter provides pointers to further information, including how you can view the current version of UL 4600 for free.