Operationalization of Scenario-Based Safety Assessment of Automated Driving Systems

Olaf Op den Camp Integrated Vehicle Safety TNO Helmond, the Netherlands 0000 - 0002 - 6355 - 134X Erwin de Gelder Integrated Vehicle Safety TNO Helmond, the Netherlands 0000 - 0003 - 4260 - 4294 Abstract -- Before introducing an Automated Driving System (ADS) on the road at scale, the manufacturer must conduct some sort of safety assurance. To structure and harmonize the safety assurance process, the UNECE WP.29 Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) is developing the New Assessment/Test Method (NATM) that indicates what steps need to be taken for safety assessment of an ADS . In this paper, we will show how to practically conduct safety assessment making use of a scenario database, and what additional steps must be taken to fully operationalize the NATM. In addition, we will elaborate on how the use of scenario databases fits with methods developed in the Horizon Europe projects that focus on safety assessment following the NATM ap proach. A safety assurance process that is conducted by the manufacturer before introducing an Automated Driving System (ADS), intends to assure that the ADS responds appropriately in all situations it is designed for and that the ADS is able to avoid any reasonably foreseeable and reasonably preventable collision s . The information out of the safety assurance process is not only important for manufacturers, but also for authorities that have the responsibility to guard the safety of their citizens in traffic. Safety assurance is most important for consumers (and fle et owners) using an ADS with the expectation that the system is saf e, reliable, and trustworthy . To structure and harmonize this process, t he UNECE WP.29 Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (GRVA) is developing the New Assessment/Test Method (NATM) [1], which is already recognized across many countries (e.g., Japan, South Korea, the EU and the USA).