What is ISO 26262?
ISO 26262 is the global standard for functional safety in road vehicles. It defines a risk-based approach to ensure that automotive electrical and electronic (E/E) systems perform their intended functions safely and reliably, even in the presence of faults. The standard covers the entire safety lifecycle, including management, development, production, operation, service, and decommissioning of safety-related systems.
A key concept in ISO 26262 is the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), which classifies risks based on severity, exposure, and controllability. The standard prescribes specific requirements and processes for each ASIL level to minimize the risk of hazardous failures. These include hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA), development of safety goals and requirements, system design, verification and validation activities, and confirmation measures such as audits and assessments.
ISO 26262 applies to all organizations involved in the development of automotive E/E systems, including OEMs, suppliers, and software developers. Compliance helps ensure that vehicles meet stringent safety expectations, reduces liability risks, and supports regulatory approval in global markets. The standard is often used alongside ISO 21434 (cybersecurity) and ISO 21448 (SOTIF) to address all aspects of vehicle safety.
ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization. It is an independent, non-governmental international body that develops and publishes standards to ensure the quality, safety, efficiency, and interoperability of products, services, and systems across a wide range of industries.
Swift Navigation’s Skylark Precise Positioning Service is the first and only real-time cloud-based service to achieve ISO 26262 certification for the functional safety of road vehicles. Read the press release here.
