Ensuring the intelligent safety of intelligent and connected vehicles (ICVs) presents significant challenges in research and commercialization. ICVs must adeptly navigate through critical and complex traffic scenarios. This predicament underscores the multifaceted nature of intelligent safety, encompassing aspects such as the safety of the intended functionality (SOTIF), the safety of artificial intelligence, and the intricacies of cybersecurity and ethical dilemmas. Furthermore, this issue not only highlights the challenges associated with intelligent safety but also provides insightful solutions proposed by researchers and engineers from academia, industry, and policymakers. These solutions focus on the development and application of cutting-edge technologies, with an emphasis on decision-making and motion planning to ensure secure driving in real-world environments. We anticipate that this special issue will be valuable to researchers and engineers with an interest in this field, contributing to the advancement of research and the successful commercialization of ICVs.