The European Safety Council has estimated that 2,000 people
(pedestrians) die, and 18,000 serious injuries are caused every year in Europe
because of the use of bull bars. Yet in Britain, more then 600,000 vehicles have
them - despite being little more than fashion accessories and not connected with
safety in any way. The Department for
Transport acknowledges, the majority of bull bars fitted are of a shape and
hardness which research shows makes them more likely to injure pedestrians in
collisions than if the vehicle was not fitted with a bull bar. In fact, the most
recent consultation document said: "The Government, therefore, believes that
action is needed against aggressive bull bars."
Work in the European Parliament resulted in the car industry
volunteering to stop fitting bull bars as original equipment on new cars. There
is also a proposal for a new directive, which would make this a
legislative ban and would also cover bull bars supplied as independent items for
the after-sales market. But the Government could take action now in Britain and
not wait on decisions within Europe.
The Royal Society for
the Prevention of Accidents RosPA
Has
this to say about bull bars fitted to on road vehicles.
"In the majority of cases,
bull
bars are an
unnecessary addition to road-going vehicles.
RoSPA is concerned
that bull
bars fitted to
the front of a vehicle are likely to increase the severity of injuries sustained
by a struck pedestrian.
Manufacturers should not fit
bull
bars to road-going
motor vehicles. The Government should take steps not to ‘Type Approve’ vehicles
which have them fitted. A small number of exemptions could be afforded for
vehicles used entirely off-road and which clearly need the protection of
bull
bars from rough terrain or
animals.
The retro-fitment of
bull
bars on road-going
vehicles should be banned.
The Society
accepts that plastic protective devices, similar in appearance to
bull
bars, that may be less
damaging to people who are hit by vehicles fitted with such devices than by the
vehicle front, are being developed. However, this type of device is only
condoned because the design of motor vehicles, especially flat-fronted ones, is
poor and needs to be improved to be more ‘pedestrian friendly".
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