The real value of a bull-bar in traffic accidents?

Always wondered about the real value of bull-bar in traffic accidents ..
(.. related to being able to continue your journey..)

1) Significant vehicle protection in traffic.
2) Limited vehicle protection in traffic.
3) No protection - just dead-weight.

Bull bars in my opinion have been replaced with heavy duty bumpers and winch bumpers for front on protection. However bullbars in a tight over grown greenlane do protect the lights and wings to an extent. They have saved a couple of my discos when deers have jumped out,but then I had to replace the bullbar. Horses for corses realy.

Depends on how fast you are going and what you hit. It's another energy absorbing bit of the car that will get crushed but may save another bit from being destroyed. Aren't they illegal now as they can kill a pedestrian at 15 mph or something

They are there to protect the lights e.t.c. from branches and other larger objects, they are not a crash barrier and should not be thought of as such. They offer no real high speed protection and can actually be quite weak compared to HD bumpers.

They are still legal for vehicles that were offered them as a factory option, nowdays they aren't legal on new vehicles unless they are all padded soft as ****e crap., thats how I understand it...

A discovery is like cardboard in a head on collision, especially if the inner wings are like swiss cheese.
So any form of protection is worth it.

Renault Espace vs. Land Rover Discovery crash test - YouTube

Self preservation society.

A bullbar is great help protecting your car when you hit soft fleshy things like kangaroos (or people)... I've also used them to push over trees in the bush (not illegal don't cry at me). As far as protection in a traffic accident, I'm not so sure. A Kangaroo will bend your bull bar well out of shape, I don't think it would offer much protection if the kangaroo weighed 1.5 tonnes and was made out of metal and plastic.

Bottom line, I'm not sure they're much help here unless you're a farmer or are likely to hit a deer/cow. BUT I don't like that they're "illegal". "Ban bull**** before bullbars" was the sticker out in Oz

I like the sticker ban stupid pedestrians not bullbars


Anyway, I'll be building a full HD bullbar onto my new HD bumper when I make the improved MK2 version of my current zombie killer bumper

A friend at uni had a standard wrap-around bull bar on her 90. She drove into something at low speed, the bullbar folded back on the bumper and trashed both wings, slam panel and bonnet as well as small things like lights and headlight surrounds.

Without the bull bar, the bumper would have bent but that would have been the extent of the damage, which can be fixed in 5 minutes with a sledge hammer.

IMO they do offer protection from animals, small branches and wheelchair users but aren't great on more solid objects unless attached to a more sturdy bumper.

as i understand it its now illegal to market,sell or fit proper bull bars. if one was allready fitted when the law was introduced its still legal.

how anyone can tell when a bullbar was fitted to an old vehicle is your loophole.

I hit a focus at 30mph. Yes, panels dented but it took the brunt, trashed focus. Just pushed battery back inside. Baring in mind that pretty much everything was rusted to hell......

hit a focus head on if it wasn't for the a frame sticking out further than bumper he would of missed me. Cracked bumper bent a frame focus wing bonnet head ligth grill bumper all fuba'd.Cost me 700 quid on next insurance renewal which was six hours after bump

Basically keep an eye out for focus's they are out to get ya!!

chunkymunky said:

Basically keep an eye out for focus's they are out to get ya!!

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so are micra's and avensis's

:d:d:d

chunkymunky said:

:d:d:d

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They hates me

chunkymunky said:

View attachment 34414

I hit a focus at 30mph. Yes, panels dented but it took the brunt, trashed focus. Just pushed battery back inside. Baring in mind that pretty much everything was rusted to hell......

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off topic, all you can see in that photo is the focus ditched! great job by the disco haha

Hehe you should see the close ups......

That'll teach him to cut corners. Crapped myself as there was a lil un in a child seat. Was so worried.

chezvegas said:

Aren't they illegal now as they can kill a pedestrian at 15 mph or something

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more goverment bollx.

Funkykipper said:

A discovery is like cardboard in a head on collision, especially if the inner wings are like swiss cheese.
So any form of protection is worth it.

Renault Espace vs. Land Rover Discovery crash test - YouTube

Self preservation society.

Click to expand...

Have you been in a head on collision with a Discovery? While I agree with you that the inner wing's are like Swiss cheese, I'll also add that the collision I was in was at about 50 mph with a stationary car. So I really cant see what help or protection a bull bar would have afforded me had I had one fitted.

They are not for that though. They are to protect the front from branches, wildlife and rocks. Also spreads some of the impact away from actual point of impact. Remember discos were hardly built with crumple zones were they. Spreading the force will help protect you.