This document gives guidance on ethical considerations with regards to road traffic safety of autonomous vehicles (AVs).

It is applicable to vehicles in level 5 mode according to SAE J3016 in 2022, as part of its report.

This document does not apply to the technical method used to control the decision-making process, nor does it give any guidance on the desired outcomes of those decisions; it gives guidance on ethical aspects for consideration in the design of decision-making process.

This document does not set requirements for the outcomes of ethical decisions, nor does it offer guidance on methodology. It only details aspects of the behaviour of AVs for which considerations may be made by the designer/manufacturer to ensure that key aspects are not overlooked or disregarded.

This document does not offer the technical precision to prescribe the required controls but would, rather, offer a set of “protocol guidelines” that all decision makers regarding automated driving could choose to self-certify against to assure that the desired necessary ethical considerations were addressed during design and effectively controlled.