Since this year, Moritz Schneider has been a member of the program committee for Safetronic, the international conference on the holistic safety of road vehicles. In this interview, the functional safety expert at the BMW Group discusses his motivation and explains why safety is more than just a technical objective.
April 15, 2026
© Fraunhofer IKS
H. T. Hengl:
Mr. Schneider, Safety is a bit like health in that well-known saying, so one could say: Safety isn’t everything, but without safety, everything is nothing. Was that the motivation when you decided to make vehicle safety your focus?
Moritz Schneider:
Absolutely, that statement hits the mark. Safety is the indispensable foundation upon which all further innovations and developments are built. It was clear to me from the very beginning that without a robust safety concept, new technologies would never gain acceptance. Safety is therefore not just a technical goal, but a commitment to the people who use our vehicles.
H. T. Hengl:
And that prompted you to join the Safetronic program committee?
Moritz Schneider:
Safetronic is a unique platform that brings together experts from industry, research, and standardization to collaborate on cutting-edge safety solutions. My role on the program committee gives me the opportunity to actively shape the dialogue, share best practices, and promote innovations that will ultimately make a significant difference in improving safety in tomorrow’s mobility.
H. T. Hengl:
In your opinion: What are the key challenges regarding the safety of autonomous vehicles or autonomous driving?
Moritz Schneider:
The greatest challenges lie in the complexity of the systems and their interaction with the environment. Autonomous vehicles must make reliable decisions in real time, even in unpredictable situations. This means that hardware, software, and sensors must function extremely robustly and without error. Furthermore, safe interaction with other road users is essential.
It appears that enhanced safety measures from the infrastructure—such as a „tele-operator”—can be an effective means of mitigating the completeness dilemma.
© Moritz Schneider
Moritz Schneider is a functional safety expert at the BMW Group. His responsibilities to date have included roles in safety management and safety engineering, training in functional safety, establishing the safety management system within the BMW Group, and conducting functional safety audits and assessments. In addition, he represents BMW in several national working groups focused on the standardization of functional safety. Internationally, he is involved in ISO/TC 22/SC 32/WG 14 on the scope of Safe AI (ISO PAS 8800) and chairs ISO/TC 22/SC 32/WG 8 for the further development of, amongst others, ISO 26262 and ISO 21448.
H. T. Hengl:
To what extent is safety a „selling point” for vehicles?
Moritz Schneider:
Safety is definitely a strong selling point, especially when it comes to complex technologies such as automated driving or AI applications. This is also evident in the acceptance and relevance of consumer protection organizations like NCAP, which are increasingly focusing on active safety in their rating systems. This provides customers with transparency regarding safety aspects, which can actively influence their purchasing decisions.
H. T. Hengl:
Since late 2025, you have held a key position in the standardization of functional safety in automotive, specifically regarding the ISO 26262 standard, serving as Convenor of ISO/TC22/SC32/WG8. Do you see Safetronic as a platform to achieve progress in this area as well?
Moritz Schneider:
Yes, Safetronic provides an excellent platform for discussing and advancing current challenges and developments in functional safety. As convenor of WG8, I am committed to further developing standards in a way that is practical and to fostering dialogue between standardization bodies, industry, and research. Safetronic facilitates precisely this dialogue, which is crucial for shaping standards in a forward-looking manner.
Submit your abstract by April 27, 2026, and join the international conference on holistic road vehicle safety.
Safetronic 2026 will take place from
November 18–19
in Stuttgart | Leinfelden-Echterdingen.
Details about the Call for Papers can be found here.
The program and registration will be available in June.
H. T. Hengl:
Three years ago, you gave a presentation at Safetronic on the application of a Safety Management System (SMS). What role do you attribute to Safety Management Systems, particularly in relation to your standardization work?
Moritz Schneider:
Managementsysteme sind eine gute Maßnahme, um lösungsoffen zu regulieren. Das bedeutet, Behörden fordern per Gesetz ein Managementsystem zur transparenten Beachtung von Herausforderungen, bspw. Gefährdungen. Unternehmen etablieren Management systems are an effective way to regulate while allowing for flexibility. This means that authorities require, by law, a management system to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., hazards). Companies establish management systems for specific technologies or domains without hindering their ability to innovate. Examples include the Cybersecurity Management System (CSMS) in accordance with ECE R 155, the Software Update Management System in accordance with ECE R 156, and the Safety Management System (SMS) in accordance with ECE R 157 and ECE R 171. Approaches involving an Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) are also currently under discussion for compliance assessment under the EU AI Act. Thus, it is not only SMS but the fundamental approach of management systems that forms an adequate bridge between regulation and standardization.
H. T. Hengl:
What do you see as the next major step toward the safety of autonomous vehicles?
Moritz Schneider:
The next major step toward ensuring the safety of autonomous vehicles is undoubtedly the widespread adoption and further development of the Safe AI Standard ISO PAS 8800, which recently began its revision process. Automation functions cannot exist without AI and developing them safely is an essential step toward gaining acceptance among developers, companies offering related products, and customers alike.
