ISO 39003:2023

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 39003
First edition
2023-07
Road traffic safety (RTS) — Guidance
on ethical considerations relating to
safety for autonomous vehicles
Sécurité routière — Recommandations relatives aux considérations
éthiques en matière de sécurité pour les véhicules autonomes
Reference number
© ISO 2023
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Published in Switzerland
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Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction . vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 External factors affecting autonomous vehicle safety . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 The road environment . 2
5 Interested parties in AV design and operations . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Producers – Manufacturers, designers and their suppliers . 3
5.3 Distribution chain – Distributors, sellers . 3
5.4 Purchasers, owners and operators . 4
5.5 Government agencies and other interested parties . 4
6 Governance, assessment and evaluation . 4
6.1 General . 4
6.2 Ethical reference for assessment . 4
6.3 Additional standards . 4
6.4 General . 5
6.4.1 Higher organizational level . 5
6.4.2 Development organizational level . 5
6.4.3 Specific development and implementation processes . 6
6.4.4 Post implementation checking against ethical criteria . 7
6.5 Conducting the assessment . 7
6.6 Expression of results and conclusion . 8
7 Operationalization of ethics - discussion on values and ethics to consider .8
7.1 General . 8
7.2 Ethical framework for the design of AVs (driving action policies and ethical design) . 8
7.2.1 Purpose . 9
7.2.2 Values. 10
7.2.3 Principles . 10
7.2.4 Methods for construction and evaluation of maxims .13
7.3 Background of maxims . 13
7.3.1 Maxim design and construction . 13
7.3.2 Evaluations of maxims . 14
7.4 Driving action policies . 15
7.4.1 Need versus desire driving action policy . 16
7.4.2 Once on the road space . 16
7.4.3 In the lane behaviour (includes braking) . 17
7.4.4 Lane switching . 18
7.4.5 In the presence of the other . 19
7.4.6 Road/infrastructure use cases . 19
7.4.7 Resolving conflict .20
7.4.8 Negotiations. 21
7.4.9 AV unable to function as intended . 21
7.4.10 Yielding to first responders and emergency response vehicles .22
7.4.11 Protecting other road users . 22
7.4.12 Unavoidable collision with other road users . 23
7.4.13 Other issues . 24
8 Framework for rule construction and dealing with violations and deviations .24
8.1 General . 24
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8.2 Framework . 24
8.3 Goals . 25
8.4 Primary rules . 25
8.5 Supporting rules . 26
8.6 Precautionary and disabling rules (prevention) . 26
8.7 Reinforcing and enabling rules (performance) . 26
8.8 Counter rules . 26
8.8.1 Exceptions (prevention and performance) . 26
8.8.2 Discretionary and compensatory rules . 27
8.8.3 Misconduct . 27
8.8.4 Violation . 27
8.8.5 Deviations . 27
8.8.6 Breakdowns .28
8.9 Rule strategy .28
8.10 Boundaries (for prevention of unwanted behaviour) .28
8.10.1 Margins .28
8.10.2 Barriers .28
8.10.3 Buffers .28
8.11 Promoters (for performance) .29
8.12 Further considerations . 29
9 External/internal design .29
10 Sustainability .30
11 Review and re-evaluation following controls system updates .31
Annex A (informative) Overview of ethical philosophy related to AV .32
Annex B (informative) Sustainability issues .34
Annex C (informative) Responsibility and accountability i
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