Underwriters Labs Publishes First AV Safety Standard

UL 4600 is not a test. Its goal is to standardize how an AV company describes that its vehicles are safe.

On April 1, 2020, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced that it published UL 4600 as an American National Standard. With its publication, UL 4600 became the auto industry's first dedicated standard for fully autonomous-vehicle (AV) safety.

Consumers who are familiar with UL safety certifications might assume that the 281-page UL 4600 document would prescribe the necessary technology and testing required to ensure AV safety. But this standard instead focuses on the quality of the safety argument.