The rapid evolution of automotive systems toward higher levels of automation, electrification, and software-defined functionality has fundamentally transformed the landscape of functional safety. ISO 26262 has emerged as the cornerstone standard governing automotive functional safety, providing a structured framework for managing risks associated with electrical and electronic systems. However, the increasing integration of complex software architectures, semiconductor-based platforms, autonomous driving features, and artificial intelligence-driven decision-making challenges the traditional interpretation and application of the standard. This research article presents an in-depth, theory-driven, and critically elaborated examination of ISO 26262 compliance across the automotive development lifecycle, with particular emphasis on Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) allocation, decomposition, fault analysis, dependent failure assessment, safety monitoring, and the implications of intelligent and autonomous system behaviors. Drawing strictly from the provided scholarly and industrial references, the article synthesizes conceptual modeling approaches, algorithmic ASIL allocation techniques, bottom-up and top-down safety decomposition strategies, hardware reliability concerns, and emerging safety governance paradigms. The study adopts a qualitative, analytical methodology grounded in comparative literature interpretation, conceptual reasoning, and systemic analysis. The findings reveal that while ISO 26262 remains robust as a foundational safety framework, its practical application increasingly depends on advanced modeling, automation, and adaptive safety reasoning to address system complexity. The discussion highlights theoretical tensions between deterministic safety assurance and adaptive system behavior, identifies limitations in current compliance practices, and outlines future research directions necessary to ensure trustworthy and scalable safety assurance for next-generation automotive systems. This work contributes a comprehensive academic resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers seeking to understand and advance functional safety in the era of intelligent mobility.

ISO 26262, Functional Safety, ASIL, Autonomous Vehicles

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