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The problem of incompatibility between different car types has become an important issue in the society. In two- car crashes, the aggressivity to the other vehicles is a factor often mentioned. In this study aggressivity is defined as the influence on injury outcome in the other vehicle due to differences in car structure and mass of the studied vehicle. The study was based on police-reported two-car collisions in Sweden. The influence of car mass and structure on driver relative injury risk was for some vehicle categories analyzed with a new developed technique where the influence of mass and structure was separated. SUVs were found to have 32% higher mass factor and 23% higher structural aggressivity factor than the average value, resulting in a 62% higher total aggressivity factor than the average.

The European crash test program, Euro NCAP, has since its launch presented results of some 80 individual car models. The improvements in the general level of protection have been substantial. While the intention of the test program is to stimulate the use of best practice, and not to predict real-life outcome, it is nevertheless important to validate the positive development, and to pinpoint potential areas not included in the laboratory safety ratings. In this study, Euro NCAP rating results were compared with a comprehensive car model safety rating method based on real-life crashes, developed by Folksam. In addition, correlation with relative injury risks was also studied. In the Folksam method, the ratings are based on the risk of fatalities and long-term consequences due to injury. The car models were grouped together according to the Euro NCAP star ratings.

AIS1 neck injuries are the most frequent disabling injuries among car occupants in road traffic accidents. Although neck injury is mostly regarded as resulting from rear end collisions, almost one third of all neck injuries occur in frontal impacts. Several studies have shown the effect of airbags on injury and fatality rates. However, studies of the effect of airbags on the risk of injuries to different body regions are rare. Airbags and seatbelt pretensioners may influence especially the risk of neck injuries. This paper presents influence of airbags and pretensioners on reported neck injury risk in frontal impacts. Cars fitted with airbags in combination with pretensioners and cars without have been analyzed. Since 1992, approximately 150,000 vehicles on the Swedish market have been equipped with crash pulse recorders to measuring frontal impacts.