Oxbotica achieves safety landmark with autonomous vehicle assessment

Oxbotica has become the first company to have its autonomy safety case assessed by BSI against the requirements of the UK Code of Practice 2019, PAS 1881:2020 and PAS 1883:2020, certifying the safety conformity of its autonomous vehicle trials and testing.

This landmark assessment was completed as part of Project Endeavour – the UK’s first multi-city demonstration of autonomous vehicle services and capability – and is an important next step in the commercialisation of Oxbotica’s autonomy system.

PAS 1881:2020 – Assuring the Safety of Automated Vehicle Trials and Testing specifies requirements for operational safety cases for automated vehicle trials and development testing in the UK. It applies to all types of autonomous on-road activity, from passenger-carrying shuttles to goods transportation, such as grocery delivery.

The assessment was split across two stages over the course of six months, and encompassed the whole of Oxbotica’s safety case, including a review of documentation, on-site visits to Oxbotica’s facilities, and culminated with an on-site visit to Project Endeavour’s live autonomous vehicle trial in Birmingham.

The audit was completed by BSI, with Project Endeavour partner, TRL, acting as an independent observer and safety expert assessor. As part of the work, they assessed Oxbotica’s safety case in line with CCAV’s Code of Practice for Automated Vehicle Trialling, and PAS 1883:2020 – Operational Design Domain (ODD) taxonomy for an automated driving system.

The voluntary audit and UK-first assessment gives safety assurances that Oxbotica is operating in line with the highest standards in the UK and is fundamental in helping to shape the future of mobility. It follows the permit granted by the independent inspection body, TÜV SÜD, to conduct live trials on public roads in Germany – another first for Oxbotica – further cementing its position as a global leader in autonomous vehicle technology.

Dr Alexandro Badea Romero, Head of Safety at Oxbotica, said: “This is a great accomplishment for Oxbotica. It has been a real team effort and we are delighted to be the first AV company able to publicly demonstrate conformity to safety requirements for AV trials and testing. We are thrilled about it but we can’t afford to be complacent, we are committed to safety and the bar has just been set higher.”