PURPOSES : This study investigates the abrasion characteristics of coarse aggregate using the Los Angeles (L.A.) abrasion test and the accelerated polishing machine (APM) test. The coarse aggregates are randomly exposed on the surface of asphalt concrete pavements and on exposed aggregate concrete pavements. The exposed aggregates play a very important role in providing skid resistance. Therefore, the adequate abrasion resistance of coarse aggregate must be ensured to maintain the skid resistance during service life. In Korea, the LA abrasion test is conducted according to the KS F 2508 standard for the evaluation of the abrasion resistance of coarse aggregate. However, the road surface abrasion is caused by the friction between the tire and the road surface structure; hence, whether the LA abrasion test, which evaluates the abrasion caused by the impact of coarse aggregates and steel balls, can evaluate the road surface abrasion is questionable. A comparison and an analysis between the APM and LA abrasion tests were conducted herein to evaluate the road abrasion. An analysis was also performed to analyze whether the abrasion characteristics appeared depending on the type of coarse aggregate. METHODS: The results of the APM and LA abrasion tests for various aggregate types were obtained through a series of experiments and literature reviews. The correlation between the LA abrasion loss and the PV data was derived. In addition, the influence of the aggregate type on the abrasion resistance was investigated. RESULTS : An abrasion resistance database was established, and the relationship between the rock types and the abrasion resistance was statistically determined. The results showed that the PV was increased to 0.54 along with a 1% increasing rate of the LA abrasion loss with a 0.67 coefficient of determination. The abrasion resistance was also influenced by the aggregate type, which was found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: A good relationship between the PV and the LA abrasion loss was obtained, allowing the use of the LA abrasion test (KS F 2508) alone, to reasonably evaluate the abrasion resistance of the exposed aggregate texture. The aggregate types were also found to have an impact on the abrasion resistance.