Stoppability — Operational test: Time-to-halt targets are met during drills or real incidents, with outcomes logged.
Operational test "Time-to-halt targets are met during drills or real incidents, with outcomes logged." for Stoppability in the Ethotechnic capabilities (what systems must be able to do) glossary category.
Operational test
Time-to-halt targets are met during drills or real incidents, with outcomes logged.
Use this test to validate operational readiness.
Pair this test with the minimum evidence criteria to capture both qualitative and quantitative signals.
- Evidence artifact: Artifact documenting how Stoppability is expected, enforced, or governed.
- Behavior signal: Observed behavior showing Stoppability in practice during real use or drills.
- Metric signal: Metric tracked to monitor Stoppability performance over time.
Context
How this test fits the glossary entry
Category: Ethotechnic capabilities (what systems must be able to do)
A system's ability to halt harmful processes quickly, safely, and deliberately—without requiring heroism or escalation. Stoppability pairs ethical interrupts with measurable time-to-halt targets and clear operator authority. Strong stoppability means stop paths are rehearsed, observable, and usable under stress—not hidden behind exceptional permissions.
C. Ethotechnic capabilities (what systems must be able to do). Design requirements that keep people safe when systems scale.
Adapts safety engineering stop controls to moral risk and accountability.