When a bullbar is fitted to a vehicle it can be dangerous to pedestrians and can adversely affect the safety of the vehicle too.
In rural areas, bullbars are used to protect vehicles in a collision with an animal (e.g. a kangaroo) or trees.
A bullbar protects the cooling system of the vehicle and reduces the chances of a driver and any passengers being stranded.
It also protects the vehicle from scrub and bushes when driven off-road or on overgrown tracks.
A bullbar can be used with winches to recover other vehicles, animals or equipment.
Bullbars in the suburbs, are the cause of a number of road safety issues which can put the lives of pedestrians and vehicle occupants at greater risk of death and serious injury.
Australian fatal crash statistics show that each year, about 90 people are killed in crashes involving vehicles fitted with bullbars.
So unless you really need a bullbar for driving in rural areas, then you shouldn’t have them fitted to your vehicle.
In a crash, a bullbar fitted to a passenger vehicle may result in more severe injuries to pedestrians.
Research has shown that a vehicle fitted with a bullbar can cause death of a pedestrian at half the speed of a vehicle without a bullbar.
A pedestrian can usually survive a collision with a vehicle travelling at, or below 60 km/h. However, if the car is fitted with a bullbar, the speed at which the pedestrian will survive, is only 30 km/h.
In other words, by fitting a bullbar to a vehicle, the pedestrian survival factor is reduced by 50 per cent.
These are the reasons why a fitting a bullbar could make your vehicle less safe for you and your passengers.
Vehicle manufacturers conduct considerable research to ensure airbags will inflate properly to protect the vehicle’s occupants. If the bullbar is fitted to the vehicle, the secondary restraint system, such as an airbag, may not inflate correctly in a crash, and cause additional injuries to its occupants.
The front structure and panels of a vehicle are intended to crumple in a collision to minimise the likelihood of injury to its occupants. However, a bullbar may reduce the effectiveness of crumple zones and collapsible steering columns.
Occupants of a vehicle hit, in a side impact collision, by a vehicle fitted with a bullbar, are more likely to be seriously injured. Also the forces exerted by the vehicle with a bullbar, particularly a 4WD, will impact higher up the other vehicle, and closer to the chests and heads of its occupants.
The bullbar or fittings should not obscure the headlights, parking lights, turning indicators or any other lights on the vehicle.
The bullbar should not obstruct the vision of the driver. It should also not project further beyond the front of the vehicle than is necessary. When sitting in the driver’s seat, in the rearmost position, the driver must be able to see, either the surface of the road 11 metres in front of the front of the vehicle , or the front edge of the vehicle, when looking across the top of the bullbar.
In a crash, pointed corners and sharp edges of a bullbar can be dangerous to other road users. They increase the risk of injury to a person, or damage to another vehicle.
A newer style of bullbar such as the nudge bar, and those made of plastic, are typically smaller, use lighter materials and are more compatible with airbags.
If you want to fit a bullbar for either a new or used car, the following information will help you.
Ensure that it:
To comply fully, bullbars must meet both the Australian Standard and the VicRoads regulations.
A bullbar that complies with the Australian Standard, generally follows the shape of the vehicle to which it is fitted, and does not have forward facing protrusions or sharp edges. Examples of acceptable and unacceptable bullbars are shown below.
These line drawings are published by Standards Australia.
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