Safety of automated driving: The need for a systems approach and application of the Functional Resonance Analysis Method

Automated driving is technically advanced but proof of its safety is required for a successful market launch. Unfortunately, this evidence cannot be provided by current approval methods, something that is referred to as the so-called approval trap (Winner, 2015) and new test methods must be developed. This paper therefore argues in favour of the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM) as a risk assessment method in the development process of highly-automated vehicles, primarily to derive system design recommendations and secondly to provide essential insights into reducing the validation work. It begins with a systematic derivation of the benefits and suitability of FRAM. FRAM is then applied to an overtaking manoeuvre on a rural road in a road traffic case study to evaluate its suitability in more detail, followed by a discussion of the first application of FRAM to the road system and a presentation of its strengths as well as limitations. Finally, the conclusions consider the importance of the FRAM method in assessing risk and safety proactively for automated driving, also illustrating the need for further research.