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Automated driving levels and ASIL D: They describe different things.
TARGET TechNews · Updated
SAE J3016 levels classify who performs the driving task. ASIL D is an integrity level within functional safety. Certification of a QNX software component, the safety assessment of the complete vehicle and vehicle type approval address different scopes.
Level and certification are different things
SAE J3016 classifies how the driving task is shared between the driver and the system. A level applies to a specific feature and its operating conditions, not to the vehicle as a whole.
In certification, an independent body verifies that defined requirements have been met. ISO does not issue certificates. Type approval is the official process required before a vehicle can enter road traffic.
What does the level tell us?
It shows how the task is shared between driver and system; it does not award a safety score or road approval.
What does certification verify?
Which product and version were assessed, within what scope and by which organisation.
A higher level does not mean greater safety
At Levels 0–2, monitoring the road remains the driver's task. At Level 3, the system drives under defined conditions and may request intervention. Level 4 can operate without a driver within defined conditions; Level 5 is full automation.
They can be used together because they address different risks.
It addresses functional-safety risks caused by hardware or software faults.
It focuses on risks that may arise from perception and decision limitations even when no fault occurs.
It addresses the management of cybersecurity threats throughout the product lifecycle.
QNX provides a safety-focused foundation for automated driving
QNX is not a driving algorithm. It provides ADAS and automated-driving applications with a real-time, predictable and isolated operating environment.
This certificate does not cover the final vehicle. The manufacturer must validate the system separately within its own architecture and operating conditions.
Who monitors and intervenes at Levels 2, 3 and 4?
A vehicle can contain driving-support features at different levels. Rather than assigning one label to a brand or an entire vehicle, identify the engaged feature and its operating conditions. This summary follows SAE's official explanation of the levels; it does not assign a safety score.
| Level | Driving and monitoring | User responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 | The feature may support both steering and speed control. | The driver continuously supervises the road and the support feature, intervening as needed. |
| Level 3 | The system performs the driving task within defined operating conditions. | The user must be ready to respond to a request to intervene. |
| Level 4 | The system performs driving and fallback within its defined operational domain. | Within that domain, the user is not expected to take over driving. |
An operational design domain, or ODD, does not mean every road in every weather condition. Evaluate both the operating limits and the system's behavior as those limits are approached.
What needs review when certified software enters a system?
Using QNX OS for Safety as a safety component does not automatically validate every application requirement. QNX describes the product as a Safety Element out of Context and identifies delivered artifacts, including Safety and Security Manuals, that must inform integration. The assumptions governing use of the component matter alongside the certificate's scope.
- Match the selected product and release to the processor, BSP and toolchain.
- Review integration conditions in the safety and security documentation.
- Define workload scheduling, shared resources and expected fault behavior.
- Maintain traceability from application requirements to tests and system-level safety evidence.
This checklist is not a certification procedure. It helps prepare an engineering evaluation using the QNX OS for Safety documentation.
How do OS for Safety and Hypervisor for Safety differ?
OS for Safety provides the safety-focused real-time operating-system foundation for applications. Hypervisor for Safety adds virtualization and separation for guest operating systems and workloads with different criticality levels. Consolidating workloads on one SoC does not remove the need to design resource and interface boundaries.
Distinguish the standard and Safety hypervisor variants, then confirm target hardware and guest support. Explore the TARGET QNX portfolio for product context, or the separate SDV, zonal architecture and OTA article for the broader architecture discussion.
Why do the scores differ?
Euro NCAP assessed nine systems for assistance competence and safety backup in critical situations.
Euro NCAP 2025 Assisted Driving results
4 June 2025, nine systems, two measures; scores out of 100.
The EU maximum speed for automated valet parking. The small-series limit for this application was removed in 2026.
UNECE 2026: safety management, credible testing, a safety case, post-deployment monitoring and data recording.
