The purpose of this study is to examine consumer needs for automotive safety information and the most cost-effective and meaningful methods of communicating this information. Current programs and the need for a process to support continuing improvement of consumer vehicle safety information and thereby provide additional incentives for manufacturers to enhance vehicle safety are addressed. The focus is primarily on development of better safety information for new car purchasers, particularly safety-conscious consumers. Following an executive summary, Chapter 1 contains an introduction and overview. The key data sources and state of knowledge about vehicle crash avoidance and crashworthiness as a basis for for providing consumer vehicle safety information are summarised in Chapter 2. The strengths and weaknesses of currently available consumer safety information are reviewed in Chapter 3, and recommendations are made for improving current information. An overview of what is known about how consumers think about automobile safety and how they search for and use information in making automobile purchase decisions is given in Chapter 4. Research to fill current gaps in knowledge is identified. Recommendations for developing and communicating improved consumer vehicle safety information, including summary measures of vehicle safety, are presented in Chapter 5, and an organisational structure and an implementation strategy to promote continuing improvements in consumer safety information and vehicle safety design are proposed in Chapter 6. (A)
Abstract