This paper describes the development of aggressivity ratings for Australian passenger vehicles. Two measures have been considered: (1) aggressivity to occupants of other cars. This type of aggressivity rating is based on two-car crashes between passenger vehicles, and measures the injury risk each make/model in the collisions poses to the drivers of the other vehicles; and (2) aggressivity to unprotected road users. The aggressivity ratings of this type reflect the threat of severe injury to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists by the make/model of vehicle colliding with them. The analysis was based on nearly 102,000 drivers involved in tow-away crashes with the makes/models which were the focus of the study, and on nearly 22,000 injured pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists. The aggressivity ratings are presented and discussed, along with their relationship to crashworthiness ratings for the same makes and models of vehicles. The results suggest that crashworthiness and aggressivity are two different aspects of a vehicle's safety performance, with good performance on one dimension not necessarily being associated with good performance on the other.
Samenvatting