  Modern automobiles have evolved from just being mechanical machines to having
full-fledged electronics systems that enhance vehicle dynamics and driver
experience. However, these complex hardware and software systems, if not
properly designed, can experience failures that can compromise the safety of
the vehicle, its occupants, and the surrounding environment. For example, a
system to activate the brakes to avoid a collision saves lives when it
functions properly, but could lead to tragic outcomes if the brakes were
applied in a way that's inconsistent with the design. Broadly speaking, the
analysis performed to minimize such risks falls into a systems engineering
domain called Functional Safety. In this paper, we present SafetyLens, a visual
data analysis tool to assist engineers and analysts in analyzing automotive
Functional Safety datasets. SafetyLens combines techniques including network
exploration and visual comparison to help analysts perform domain-specific
tasks. This paper presents the design study with domain experts that resulted
in the design guidelines, the tool, and user feedback.
