As the transition towards integrated programmable systems gradually takes place in the automotive industry, there is clearly a need to ensure that new onboard systems and networks will deliver safety-related services with at least the degree of reliability that similar services have been delivered by conventional systems in the past. Current trends show that in the near future we will see the emergence of integrated safety related electronic systems that will be able to share a multiplicity of sensor data over a common computing infrastructure to provide new functions that will improve the active safety of vehicles. Such systems will include driver assistance systems such as (the so called) intelligent bywire braking, steering, electronic stability, and obstacle/ collision avoidance systems. These systems will run on networked architectures and assume direct electronic control of the steering, braking, suspension and powertrain functionality, taking actions that would depend on the current driving conditions and environmental influences.