ISO TR 21959-1-2020 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/TR 21959-1:2020 — Road vehicles — Human performance and state in the context of automated driving — Part 1: Common underlying concepts. This technical report introduces common foundational concepts and terminology for describing driver performance and driver state in relation to automated driving functions, to support human-factors assessment, testing and product information development.

Abstract

This report presents basic, common underlying concepts related to driver performance and driver state in the context of automated driving. It is intended to be applicable to automated driving functions that require the human driver to be engaged or to be fallback-ready (notably SAE levels 1, 2 and 3) and may also be used for functions that enable resumption of manual control (compatible with SAE levels 1–5). The guidance is informative (not normative) and is aimed at supporting human-factors assessments across simulators, closed-track tests and public-road evaluations for all vehicle categories.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 9 January 2020
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 43.020 (Road vehicles in general)
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2020)
• Number of pages: 24

Scope

The document defines and explains concepts for describing human performance and human state in relation to automated driving. It covers terminology, high-level constructs (for example attention, workload and readiness), contexts of use (simulator, test track, public road) and the relationship of these concepts to different levels of driving automation. The content is informative and intended to support consistent reporting, study design and product documentation rather than to prescribe normative requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and common terminology for driver performance and driver state (e.g., attention, situational awareness, workload, drowsiness).
• Applicability to automated driving levels that require human engagement or fallback readiness (primarily SAE levels 1–3) and relevance to functions that allow resumption of manual control (SAE levels 1–5).
• Use of concepts for human-factors assessments across environments: driving simulators, restricted test tracks and public-road tests.
• Guidance to support design of experiments and consistent measurement/reporting of human performance and takeover/transition processes (informative, not normative).
• Recommendations for clarity in product descriptions and owner manuals regarding driver responsibilities and expected state/readiness.

Typical use and users

Researchers studying human interaction with automated driving systems, human-factors and ergonomics engineers, vehicle manufacturers and OEM development teams, test laboratories and simulation centres, regulators and safety assessors, and authors of product documentation and owner manuals will use this report to align terminology, experimental design considerations and interpretation of human-performance observations.

Related standards

ISO/TR 21959-1 is part of a set of reports on human performance and state in automated driving. ISO/TR 21959-2:2020 provides complementary guidance on designing experiments to investigate transition (takeover) processes and common measures for takeover performance. Other related documents commonly referenced in this area include ISO 15007 series (measurement of driver physiological and behavioural parameters) and SAE J3016 (taxonomy and definitions for driving automation levels). The 2020 edition of ISO/TR 21959-1 replaces the earlier 2018 edition.

Keywords

automated driving, driver state, driver performance, human factors, takeover, transition, SAE levels, driving simulator, human–machine interaction, ergonomics

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/TR 21959-1:2020 is an ISO technical report that defines common concepts and terminology related to human performance and human state in the context of automated driving; it provides informative guidance to support human-factors work and documentation rather than normative requirements.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers high-level constructs (attention, workload, readiness), terminology, contexts for assessment (simulator, test track, public road), and how these concepts apply across automation levels—especially when a human is required to be engaged or fallback-ready. The content is intended to aid consistent assessment and reporting.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Human-factors researchers, automotive OEMs, AD system designers, test labs, regulators, and documentation authors use the report to align terminology and experimental approaches when evaluating or describing human performance and takeover/transition scenarios.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2020 edition (ISO/TR 21959-1:2020) is the published, current edition that superseded the 2018 edition. Users should check the ISO catalogue or national standards bodies for any amendments or later revisions.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 1 of the ISO/TR 21959 series. Part 2 (ISO/TR 21959-2:2020) deals with considerations for designing experiments to investigate transition (takeover) processes and provides related measures and test-design guidance.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Automated driving, driver state, driver performance, human factors, takeover, transition, SAE levels, HMI, driving simulation.