ISO 21448-2022 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 21448:2022 — Road vehicles — Safety of the intended functionality (SOTIF). This international standard provides a framework and guidance for achieving and maintaining the Safety Of The Intended Functionality for intended vehicle functions whose safe operation depends on correct situational awareness derived from complex sensors and processing (for example advanced driver assistance and higher levels of driving automation).

Abstract

ISO 21448 defines SOTIF as the absence of unreasonable risk due to hazards resulting from functional insufficiencies of the intended functionality or from reasonably foreseeable misuse. The standard gives guidance on identification of hazardous scenarios, specification, design, verification and validation measures, and operational activities (including field monitoring) required to achieve and maintain SOTIF for E/E-based intended functionalities installed in series-production road vehicles (excluding mopeds). It also lists exclusions such as faults covered by ISO 26262, cybersecurity threats, and hazards directly caused by system technology.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: June 2022.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 43.040.10 (Road vehicles engineering).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2022).
• Number of pages: 181 pages.

Key bibliographic and lifecycle information as published by ISO.

Scope

Applicability: intended functionalities where correct situational awareness is essential for safety and is derived from complex sensors and processing algorithms — especially emergency intervention systems and systems with levels of driving automation (levels 1–5). The standard applies to functions including one or more E/E systems installed in series-production road vehicles and addresses reasonably foreseeable misuse and remote operation/assistance when these can affect decision making. ISO 21448 does not cover faults already addressed by ISO 26262, cybersecurity threats, hazards directly caused by the sensing technology itself, or deliberate feature abuse; it supersedes the earlier ISO/PAS 21448:2019.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition and scope of SOTIF (absence of unreasonable risk from functional insufficiencies and foreseeable misuse).
• Systematic hazard identification for intended functionality including scenario-based approaches and recognition of “triggering conditions.”
• Requirements for specification of intended functionality at vehicle level and for E/E implementation to avoid functional insufficiencies.
• Design measures and architecture considerations (including sensor complementarity and redundancy where appropriate).
• Verification and validation strategies: testing, simulation, scenario catalogs, statistical validation for machine-learning components, and proving coverage across the operational design domain (ODD).
• Field monitoring, data collection, continuous improvement and change management to detect new hazards post‑release and maintain SOTIF over the vehicle lifecycle.
• Guidance on reasonably foreseeable misuse and human–machine interaction considerations (transitions of control, warnings, and driver responsibility).
• Clear exclusions and the relationship to ISO 26262 (functional safety) and to other domains (e.g., cybersecurity is out of scope of SOTIF itself).

These topics reflect the standard’s practical guidance for development, testing and operational monitoring of perception‑dependent vehicle functions.

Typical use and users

Used by vehicle manufacturers (OEMs), Tier‑1 suppliers, system architects, safety engineers, test and validation teams, algorithm and sensor developers, regulators and third‑party assessors. Typical uses include defining SOTIF requirements for ADAS/ADS functions, structuring hazard analyses, specifying validation programs (simulation, track and field testing), and establishing field monitoring and update processes to sustain safety in production fleets.

Related standards

Closely related to the ISO 26262 series (functional safety) — SOTIF addresses hazards not caused by random hardware faults covered by ISO 26262. It should be used alongside standards and guidance on testing, machine‑learning validation, data management and (where applicable) regulatory requirements for automated driving. An updated work item (AWI) for a next edition of ISO 21448 is under development to capture lessons learned and extensions.

Keywords

SOTIF, Safety of the Intended Functionality, road vehicles, ADAS, ADS, sensors, perception, hazard analysis, verification, validation, field monitoring, ISO 21448:2022.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 21448:2022 is an ISO international standard titled "Road vehicles — Safety of the intended functionality" (commonly abbreviated SOTIF) that provides guidance and an argumentation framework to identify and mitigate unreasonable risks arising from functional insufficiencies and foreseeable misuse of intended vehicle functions.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers specification, design, verification, validation and operational activities (including field monitoring) needed to reduce SOTIF hazards for functions whose safety depends on situational awareness from sensors and algorithms; it excludes faults already covered by ISO 26262, cybersecurity threats, and hazards directly caused by the sensing technology itself.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: OEMs, Tier‑1 suppliers, systems and safety engineers, test and validation teams, and regulators use ISO 21448 to structure SOTIF analyses, define validation programs, and set up field‑monitoring and update practices for perception‑based vehicle functions.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 21448:2022 (Edition 1, published June 2022) is the published standard that replaced ISO/PAS 21448:2019 (withdrawn). Work on a revised edition (AWI) is in progress, so stakeholders should monitor normative updates.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a standalone ISO standard focused on SOTIF but is intended to be used in conjunction with the ISO 26262 functional safety series and other relevant technical guidance for automated driving and vehicle E/E systems.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: SOTIF, Safety of the Intended Functionality, ADAS, ADS, perception, sensors, hazard analysis, verification, validation, field monitoring, ISO 21448.