Jump to content

Bull Bars


Guest paul thompson

Recommended Posts

Guest paul thompson

Hi Guys,

I have just got a new job as brand manager for a company making EEC approved frontal protection systems.

Did any of you guys know that as of May 25th it will be illegal to sell or fit non EEC approved bull bars?

Take a look at this and let me know what you think of this product.

 

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ConceptMouldings

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its just a shame that as of May 25th it won't be illegal to use non EEC approved bull bars.

 

it might be my ignorance but i just cant see the point of them in 99% of uses

other than "look at my big 4x4 with big shiny bits of metal bolted to the front...scared now?"

 

willing to be shot down in flames! :unknw:

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul (Swan Jnr), you are not alone. Modern vehicles are deliberately designed to absorb pedestrian impact, either through thin, pliable bonnets near the screen, or through the properties of the screen itself. These areas provide a certain amount of protection to the head at speeds under 40 mph. At 40 and above pedestrian collisions tend to be fatal because the head impacts at the top of the screen near the roof, causing massive trauma, or the pedestrian is thrown clear over the vehicle.

 

Any 4x4 will afford less protection to the pedestrian in these circumstances, and adding a mass of 3" chrome tubing to the front will have devastating effect. They should all be banned as they serve no function whatsoever other than decorative.

 

Another pet hate of mine is drivers who affix some form of metal mascot to their bonnets. When I used to work Royal Ascot you would see dozens of members/owners vehicles with elaborate silver mascots of horses in the middle of their bonnets. Imagine being knocked down by one of them! You would be instantly disembowelled. :shok:

 

Paul T, good luck with the new job. I'd be interested to know what the criteria for an EEC type-approved roll bar is...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest TerryBarry

I can understand the use of metal bar systems in certain areas overseas, for defence against moose or kangaroo etc.

Even then driving round Sydney or Toronto city centres with these fitted must be dubious.

In this country there can be no reasonable excuse for their fitment

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest paul thompson

To get EEC approval you have to be type approved for the car to which you want to fit it to. Concept has done a lot of testing and can say that thier product (a soft energy absorbing protection system, not bull bar) improves pedestrian safety over a vehicle without one fitted. take a look at

http://www.endura-fps.com/ for more info.

Any comments?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest paul thompson

Enforcer,

I wonder what the bib will do if anything to police the new law. You will not legally be able to sell a non EEC product to fit to the front of cars as of May (I wonder if EBAY will stop people selling them?), but if your car was registered before this date, how will anyone know if you fitted it after?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're probably right. This is more likely to be an issue for Trading Standards until such time as a contravening vehicle is involved in a serious collision.

 

Typically I am not aware of any 'heads-up' for us on this. Legislation just 'appears' one day! There will be specialist Roads Policing Units who will be tackling this sort of issue.

 

No doubt those caught infringing this will enquire as to why we weren't catching robbers and rapists etc :sorry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

enquire as to why we weren't catching robbers and rapists etc :sorry:

 

Yeah, why aren't you?

 

:)

 

 

(Sorry Richard couldn't resist!)

 

On topic I think they (metal bolt-on aftermarket bull bars) are lethal and should be banned outright, irrespective of model year / date of first registration. It seems ridiculous to legislate for better pedestrian crash protection and not legislate against the fitment of accessories that negate that protection.

 

Having said that I've seen some plastic ones that were fitted by the car manufacturer at the factory, so are type approved. Look good and don't compromise safety. I've no issue with these, providing they conform (which they must do).

 

That'll be £0.02, please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest stu205

Im pleased that they are stopping the big metal things, one killed my first 205, according to the repairer if they wernt on the 4x4 (jeep) then my 205 would have been fixable, however due to poor fitment it also twisted the jeeps chassis leg so that was buggered too!

 

according to hummers site metal bull bars are still an option :roll: pimp my 4x4 :roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yet another case of knee-jerk legislation and people jumping on the bandwagon saying they should all be banned without thinking about it.

 

A "modern" vehicle is designed to protect pedestrians. I had a 1969 Airportable Land-Rover with a bull-bar. Anyone like to argue how much more dangerous the bull-bar made that? If I had the misfortune to be hit by it I'd rather the bull-bar was there. It's not an isolated case either. There are plenty of older cars where a bull-bar makes no difference or actually improves matters.

 

Bull-bars doing extra damage to other vehicles - so it wasn't the 2+tons of metal behind it then? Your repairer should look for a job he knows something about (or where bull-poo is valued). They simply aren't that strong on their own.

 

The one area where I agree they need looking at is where parts of a pedestrian can get caught between the bar and the rest of the vehicle. Easy - same as SVA there must not be a gap between them and the body of more than x millimetres.

 

As for having to justify them - you justify a car that can do more than 70mph let alone 100mph. Justify a car that costs more than £15k - you can get a perfectly good family sized car for that. People will always want something faster, bigger and in their eyes "better". It's just a shame that these days if it upsets someone that's prepared to shout loud enough there will follow legislation against it.

 

Iain

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Iain but I don't follow your arguement.

 

Do you think that it is safer for pedestrians to be struck by a vehicle with a bull-bar or by one without, allowing the victim to take their chance against the crumple zones, soft plastic bumpers, pliable bonnet and impact-absorbing windscreen? Why worry about getting a finger caught between the bull bar and the bonnet when the impact is going to shatter your ribcage or pelvis launching a shrapnel of bone fragments through your internal organs?

 

Have you ever seen a dead pedestrian or broken the news to their family? :huh: Bull bars serve no purpose other than cosmetics and can cause massive and essentially avoidable injury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rest my case

 

"a vehicle"

 

A bull-bar on a Honda HRV or Ford Escort makes it worse. On my Land-Rovers it made it better - pliable was not part of the MOD brief when they were designed. The legislation and your comments are simply tarring every vehicle and driver with the same brush without stopping to engage brain. How's about for a change we actually think about whether a modification actually makes a vehicle more or less dangerous before we start ranting about it.

 

Regarding bit's of people's anatomy getting stuck behind them - I'm thinking arms and legs rather than fingers.

 

I'd be interested to know how the wishbones on a hood would compare to a bull-bar if coming into contact with a body at speed.

 

Any plans on the horizon to ban glass carriers on the side of vans? or would we maybe be better forcing the owners to make them safe on the particular they are fitted to?

 

Iain

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not the first time you and I have locked horns Iain. We'll have to agree to differ on this one - you talk from your experience and I talk from mine. I've aired my views; others can make their own minds up :friends:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...