Bullbar
Vehicle front protection device, controversial for pedestrian safety risks.
A bullbar, also known as a push bumper or roo bar, is a device installed on the front of a vehicle to protect it from collisions, whether accidental with large animals on rural roads or intentional by police with other vehicles. They vary in size and form, and are normally composed of welded steel or aluminium tubing, or more recently moulded polycarbonate and polyethylene materials. The term 'bull' refers to cattle, which sometimes roam onto rural roads and highways.
- field
- Automotive accessory / vehicle safety equipment
- known_for
- Protecting vehicles from collisions with animals and police use for pushing or PIT maneuvers
- materials
- Steel, aluminium, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polished stainless steel
- primary_hazard
- Increased risk of death and serious injury to pedestrians
- regions_of_use
- Europe, Australia, United States, United Kingdom
- alternative_names
- Push bumper, nudge bar, brushbar, bush bar, roo bar, winch bumper
Lore & Background
Bullbars are designed to protect a vehicle's front end from collisions, particularly with large animals like cattle in rural areas or kangaroos in Australia, where they are commonly called 'roo bars'. They are also used by police as push bumpers for battering simple structures or fences, or to push disabled vehicles off the road. The Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) bumper is a specialized type attached to the front frame of patrol cars to end vehicle pursuits by spinning the fleeing vehicle. In the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks, the perpetrator's replica police cruiser was installed with a bullbar used for a head-on collision with an RCMP cruiser.
Reader's Guide
Bullbars have significant safety and legal implications. Studies have shown that using bull bars increases the risk of death and serious injury to pedestrians because the rigid bar transmits all force to the pedestrian, unlike a bumper that crumples. In Europe, official UK studies attributed 2,000 deaths and 18,000 serious accidents per year to rigid fronts of cars with metal bullbars, leading to an EU ban on the sale of new metal bullbars that did not comply with a directive. However, in the UK, sale and refitting of second-hand bars manufactured before 2007 or use of pre-2007 bars already fitted remains permitted. In Australia, bullbar manufacturers must conform to Australian standard AS47861.1/2002, and state legislation may require compliance with Australian Design Rules. Modern designs include plastic bullbars that act like springs, and some incorporate crumple zones or sliders to reduce impact forces. Despite safety concerns, bullbars remain popular as cosmetic accessories on SUVs and trucks, and all US states allowed installation of aftermarket bullbars as of 2018.
Did You Know?
- Bullbars are sometimes used as a platform for mounting spotlights, fishrod holders, vehicle recovery winches, and CB radio antennas.
- The Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) bumper is designed to end vehicle pursuits by nudging the rear quarter panel of a fleeing car.
- In Australia, kangaroos account for the majority of collisions between vehicles and animals, followed by wallabies and wombats.
- Some modern bullbars have crumple zones or are mounted on sliders to reduce impact forces.
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