A team is developing an autonomous emergency braking system for vehicles. However, they decide to classify it based on its industry (automotive) rather than the potential hazards associated with failure. What is one critical failure mode they might overlook with this approach? (Select the best answer.)

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let’s break down the question and each answer choice to understand which is most critical. The scenario focuses on a safety-critical feature (autonomous emergency braking) and warns that labeling by industry rather than hazard could cause overlooked failure modes.
Option 1: 'The system may not be optimised for fuel efficiency.' While fuel efficiency is relevant for some automotive features, it is not a primary safety hazard for an emergency braking system. This misses the core risk related to collision avoidance and life-threatening outcomes, so it is not the most critical failure mode.
Option 2: 'The system could be mistaken as having no issues because the answer is left blank or missing.' This option describes a formatting or data integrity problem rather than a substantive failure mode of the system. It does not identify a real hazard or failure scenario, making it an improper candidate for the best answer.
Option 3: 'The system could cause discomfort due to sudden braking.' Sudden braking can be an undesirable user experience and may affect acceptance, but it is a secondary consequence rather than a fundamental safety failure mode. It highlights comfort concerns rather than a failure to detect or respond to hazards, so it is not the best choice.
Option 4: 'The system may not detect pedestrians in low-visibility conditions, leading to fatal accidents.' This choice directly addresses a core hazard associated with autonomous emergency braking: failure to perceive pedestrians when visibility is poor, which can result in severe or fatal outcomes. It aligns with hazard-centric thinking and is the most critical failure mode from a safety standpoint.
Option 5: 'The system might not support multiple vehicle brands and manufacturers.' While interoperability is important for deployment, it does not relate to the intrinsic safety hazard of the braking system itself. It concerns ecosystem compatibility rather than a direct failure mode that could cause harm.
In summary, among the options, the most dangerous and safety-critical failure mode is the system's potential inability to detect pedestrians in low-visibility conditions, which could result in fatal accidents. This focuses on the core mission of autonomous emergency braking: preventing collisions by correctly perceiving and responding to hazards under challenging conditions.

SWEN90010_2025_SM1 Formative Quiz: High-Integrity Systems and Their Classifications

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