  Research on automated vehicles has experienced an explosive growth over the
past decade. A main obstacle to their practical realization, however, is a
convincing safety concept. This question becomes ever more important as more
sophisticated algorithms are used and the vehicle automation level increases.
The field of functional safety offers a systematic approach to identify
possible sources of risk and to improve the safety of a vehicle. It is based on
practical experience across the aerospace, process and other industries over
multiple decades. This experience is compiled in the functional safety standard
for the automotive domain, ISO 26262, which is widely adopted throughout the
automotive industry. However, its applicability and relevance for highly
automated vehicles is subject to a controversial debate. This paper takes a
critical look at the discussion and summarizes the main steps of ISO 26262 for
a safe control design for automated vehicles.
