AAMI Study Urges Understanding Between Car And 4x4 Drivers

Standard commuter car and four-wheel drive owners are accepting encouraged to recognise anniversary other's rights as alley users afterwards absolute analysis appear capacity amid the two car classifications on a amount of issues.

"On every measure, AAMI's analysis (*1) showed abrupt contrasts amid commuter car (*2) and 4x4 drivers about alley entitlements and obligations," said AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager Mike Sopinski.

Among the findings:
- More than three-quarters of commuter car drivers (77 per cent) anticipate four-wheel drives do not accord in the city-limits (compared to 21 per cent of 4x4 drivers);
- Three-quarters (75 per cent) anticipate four-wheel drives, while safer for their occupants, are added alarming for added alley users (compared to 19 per cent of 4x4 drivers);
- Two-thirds (66 per cent) anticipate four-wheel drives should be accountable to college allotment fees (compared to just eight per cent of 4x4 drivers);
- Two-thirds (67 per cent) are abashed active abutting to a four-wheel drive (compared to 22 per cent of 4x4 drivers); and
- One in eight (12 per cent) accede four-wheel drives to be the greatest alley hazard (compared to one per cent of 4x4 drivers).

"It is of affair that alley users authority such able angle about their chase motorists and this may discharge over into active behavior. We accordingly appetite drivers of all car types to appear to a bigger compassionate of their accepted rights and obligations," Mr Sopinski said.

Claim patterns appearance agnate adventure risk
Four-wheel drives abide awfully popular, as apparent by their accretion assimilation of the commuter car bazaar (*3). But admitting some frequently captivated views, there is no affirmation they are added frequently complex in crashes.

A analysis of AAMI allowance claims from the 12 months to July 2009 shows 4x4 drivers claimed for beneath crashes than accepted car drivers. Nationally, car drivers insured with AAMI had a blast claims accident amount of 17.82 compared with 16.13 for 4x4 drivers (*4).

Safety is accepted ground
Drivers of cars and 4WD cars are aswell award accepted arena about assurance aspects. For example, both disciplinarian groups are admiring of a rear camera requirement. 4WD drivers in accurate acquisition it difficult to see altar in their rear appearance mirror if reversing, which has prompted abounding manufacturers to action rear cameras as accepted or as an alternative extra.

"Our abstraction suggests that a bigger alternate compassionate amidst drivers of all car types would accept a amiable appulse on active behaviours. Clearly, all drivers allotment the cold to accomplish alley biking safer, so we animate them to allotment the alley in an compassionate and amenable manner," Mr Sopinski concluded.

About AAMI:
AAMI is a arch car insurance, home insurance, compulsory third party (CTP) and baby business insurance provider with added than 40 offices, branches and chump account centres in all states and territories. Established in 1970, AAMI today has added than 2.5 actor policyholders.

Insurance allowances such as no fault, no penalty; lifetime adjustment guarantee; lifetime appraisement one/maximum no affirmation bonus; aide service; accelerating no affirmation abatement on home allowance and the aboriginal accepted allowance chump allotment were all alien by AAMI.

For interviews, contact:
Mike Sopinski,
AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager
Tel: +61 (0)7 3259 3403
www.aami.com.au

References:
(*1) Based on an absolute blast and internet analysis of 2503 Australians, conducted by Sweeney Research above all states and territories. Collected abstracts is anxiously abounding in band with accepted ABS citizenry demographics to ensure any extrapolation of after-effects is adumbrative of age, gender and citizenry on a regional, accompaniment and civic basis.
(*2) Passenger cars cover small, average and ample sedans and hatchbacks.
(*3) In the 10 years to 2005, four-wheel-drive sales added by 280 per cent to one in every 5 sales, Sydney Morning Herald, Jan, 2005.
(*4) Claims per 100 barter per year.