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Equipment Tests > Bull Bars
Bull Bars
Words by Gregor Stronach
Frontal protection bars, 'roo bars or bullbars, whatever you call them, they are always going to be a part of 4WDing. Whether you feel you need a bullbar to protect your car in a supermarket parking lot or from a 'roo on Australia's country roads, the decision making process prior to fitting the bar is not one to be taken lightly. From small nudge bars to full winch bars, all have been specifically designed to protect your vehicle, and the occupants, as best they can.
However, bullbars mainly serve to stop your vehicle being immobilised after even a relatively minor accident. A bullbar could mean the difference between a very long walk home and an anecdote about crazed wildlife on the highways in the bush. The basic design of bullbars has come a long way in recent years. Hard, angular designs which pushed obstacles down underneath the vehicle have been replaced by body-hugging, rounded designs which throw obstacles up and over the roof of the vehicle, increasing the chances of survival for either an animal or pedestrian in the wrong place at the wrong time. Current trends in bullbar manufacturing are also moving away from heavy steel bars to lighter and more flexible alloys and plastics.
read on below advertisement
There is currently a push for greater pedestrian safety from the growing number of people concerned about the presence of bullbars and 4WDs in populated areas. In the UK, tests have been conducted to explore the practicalities of deformable bullbars, in order to try and curb the growing number of injuries sustained in relatively minor accidents. Britain's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has conducted months of testing to ascertain the best possible outcome for everyone involved in accidents with bullbars. The TRL report states that "deformable bullbars could improve protection for vulnerable road users in an impact."
However, purchasing a bullbar means thinking about more than simply providing a higher degree of safety for you and your passengers. Factors important to vehicle owners, such as styling, performance and functionality come into play. Bullbars provide convenient anchoring and mounting points for several other vital pieces of 4WD paraphernalia. Winches, driving lights and radio antennae can all find homes mounted in or on the bullbar. Other important factors to be considered include airflow over the radiator, headlight functionality and side panel protection in the event of a collision.
next page »
Frontal protection bars, 'roo bars or bullbars, whatever you call them, they are always going to be a part of 4WDing. Whether you feel you need a bullbar to protect your car in a supermarket parking lot or from a 'roo on Australia's country roads, the decision making process prior to fitting the bar is not one to be taken lightly. From small nudge bars to full winch bars, all have been specifically designed to protect your vehicle, and the occupants, as best they can.
However, bullbars mainly serve to stop your vehicle being immobilised after even a relatively minor accident. A bullbar could mean the difference between a very long walk home and an anecdote about crazed wildlife on the highways in the bush. The basic design of bullbars has come a long way in recent years. Hard, angular designs which pushed obstacles down underneath the vehicle have been replaced by body-hugging, rounded designs which throw obstacles up and over the roof of the vehicle, increasing the chances of survival for either an animal or pedestrian in the wrong place at the wrong time. Current trends in bullbar manufacturing are also moving away from heavy steel bars to lighter and more flexible alloys and plastics.
read on below advertisement
There is currently a push for greater pedestrian safety from the growing number of people concerned about the presence of bullbars and 4WDs in populated areas. In the UK, tests have been conducted to explore the practicalities of deformable bullbars, in order to try and curb the growing number of injuries sustained in relatively minor accidents. Britain's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has conducted months of testing to ascertain the best possible outcome for everyone involved in accidents with bullbars. The TRL report states that "deformable bullbars could improve protection for vulnerable road users in an impact."
However, purchasing a bullbar means thinking about more than simply providing a higher degree of safety for you and your passengers. Factors important to vehicle owners, such as styling, performance and functionality come into play. Bullbars provide convenient anchoring and mounting points for several other vital pieces of 4WD paraphernalia. Winches, driving lights and radio antennae can all find homes mounted in or on the bullbar. Other important factors to be considered include airflow over the radiator, headlight functionality and side panel protection in the event of a collision.
next page »
