bullbars for country and city
Submitted: Saturday, Dec 07, 2002 at 01:00
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splatt
We have just gone thru and had our bars tested for air bag compatablity and now they are saying that they want the bull bars to slope backwards. Don't you think if they are airbag compatable that they would also be pedestrain friendly also as in the case of an animal strike, pedestrian strike my bull bar brackets are designed and tested to bend and allow the bullbar to push backwards. Also I can design a large bullbar that would crumple as easy as a car bonnet,guard grill etc due to metal thickness and tensile, aluminum only, yet not fly apart in a major accident,also brackets with a sheer pin effect made of perhaps nylon for city applications where a decent kick will break it and face the bull bar back to the windscreen possibly brass or such for country applications.
Warning from a person building bullbars for 17 years
A bullbar that slopes backwards 10-15 deg at 50km will put a person on the bonnet and possibly into the windscreen or a bonnet which slopes up to the windscreen will do the same, 80km and over would put you under the wheels of any vechile following,
Keep bullbars facing forward or at least straight up so that an animal strike will go elsewhere than in the windscreen and thus keeping our drivers a little safer
PS......
Ever had a 5ft angry kangaroo sitting in the car next to you, I know I wouldn't like it
Plus it would only happen to you once and you wouldn't be around to tell the story
Reply By: Member - Richard- Saturday, Dec 07, 2002 at 01:00
Saturday, Dec 07, 2002 at 01:00
Bullbars slanted forward are believed to push be more likely to push a person under the car,causing greater injury.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Splatt - Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Our bullbars don't only slope slightly forwards, they have whats called a cow catcher which slopes forward at the bottom to stop anything from going under the car.
Like the original cow catchers found on old steam trains
FollowupID:
4774
Reply By: Truckster - Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Can I ask WHY you would have it tested?? I wouldnt! What I dont know dont bother me.... I like my bar as it is thanks.
As for sloping forward pushes pedistrians under the car, it also pushes roo's, cows, Emus, etc etc UNDER where you want them... remember thats the idea of them. (Ever had a 5ft angry kangaroo sitting in the car next to you, I know I wouldn't like it... - thats why it SHOULD slope forward!)
If pedistrians are dumb enough to be in the road, not on crossings, lights etc, then .... they cant complain. Its not that hard... This has been done to death, its the same as if a Falcodore hit them at 60kph, they are going to be shagged.
EDUCATE NOT LEGISLATE
Educate them to cross at crossings and LIGHTS....
AnswerID:
9402
Follow Up By: Royce - Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
hmmmm I'm just working out how you DO THAT COLOUR THING TRUCKSTER! Here goes..... TESTING,
TESTING, TESTING, TESTING, hmmmm can't figure it out.
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Reply By: splatt - Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Sunday, Dec 08, 2002 at 01:00
Well we tested so that we can give the people with VY VU BA and AU a bull bar that would give them a chance against roos and such.
Also because you can't fit a bar to a car without it being tested for airbag deployment.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Robert - Monday, Dec 09, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 09, 2002 at 01:00
Splatt,
Yes I agree with your comment that bullbars should be sloping forward.
I would think that a bullbar has two main design objectives:
1. Prevent damage to the lights, grill etc and the leading edge of the bonnet.
2. Prevent an animal from going over the bonnet and possibly going through the windscreen.
And to best achieve both these requirements I would think that a bullbar should be sloping forward.
When I recently queried ARB on this, (via e-mail) this is part of the reply I got from them:
"Our own experience and
feedback from customers tells us that, in most cases, when struck by a four wheel drive vehicle fitted with a correctly designed ARB bull bar, an animal will most likely bounce off the front of the bar, glance of the side of the bar or go under the vehicle. It is unusual for an animal to go over the bonnet."
This left me wondering if that was the case then why were all bullbars until recent times designed sloping forwards?
Interestly when I asked ARB this very question I got no reply from them!
If the rear sloping bullbar is designed to allow a person to go over the bonnet then doesn't it stand to reason that a kangaroo would also go over the bonnet? I find it hard to believe that a kangaroo will be deflected totally different to a person.
One can only assume that pedestrian safety is far more important than occupants of a vehicle.
People have stated that they think a person being pushed forward and downwards is dangerous and maybe it is. But I also question how safe is it, for a vehicle design that allows a struck person to go over the vehicle and then possibly land in the path of the following vehicle?
AnswerID:
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Reply By: splatt - Monday, Dec 09, 2002 at 01:00
Monday, Dec 09, 2002 at 01:00
This is exactly why we are fightting to have the rules stay the way they are for safety of occupant in the vechile especially in rural areas.
Thank you for your response
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