The process of testing automotive systems can involve many personal safety hazards — high-speed machinery, extremely flammable and potentially explosive fuels, and the possibility of loss of vehicle control is a combination that can be fatal if sensible precautions are not followed.

As the system designer and tester, it is your responsibility to ensure that your working practices are specifically designed to minimise or eliminate the possibility of personal injury, and to incorporate into your designs such fail-safe functionality as is necessary. This includes the avoidance of certain dynamical situations such as open throttles and other 'positive feedback' scenarios where control of the system may be lost.