Abstract
This paper aims at comparing the effects of different car characteristics on accident involvement and injury risk. Two types of indicators are used : one relates to primary safety and evaluates crash involvement with respect to a measurement of risk exposure, and the other one relates to secondary safety and concerns the consequences of crashes when these have occurred. The car characteristics examined are mass and performance. Model year, driver age and type of crash are also taken into account. A hierarchy among these risk factors according to the different indicators is established.