Through this collective work, we define 12 guiding principles of safe automated driving development for SAE Level 3 and Level 4 automated driving systems, derived from a comprehensive collection of publications and recommendations from public authorities and consumer associations. The work expands to apply the principals to the development life cycle of automated driving technology, covering requirements development through Verification and Validation and continuing beyond product deployment. The guidance provided in the paper defines a base framework to initiate industry alignment on developing a safe automated driving vehicle, benefiting everyone from start-ups to OEMs.