Bullbar or Crash Guard

A bullbar or crash guards or even push bumper is a device installed on the front of a vehicle to protect its front from collisions, whether an accidental collision with a large animal in rural roads, or an intentional collision with another vehicle in urban areas. They range considerably in size and form and are normally composed of welded steel or aluminium tubing, or, more recently, moulded polycarbonate and polyethylene materials. The "bull" in the name refers to cattle, which in rural areas sometimes roam onto rural roads and highways.

Studies have shown that using bull bars increases the risk of death and serious injury to pedestrians. This is because the bull bar is rigid, and so transmits all the force to the pedestrian, unlike a bumper which resists some force and crumples.

For long, vehicles in India have been accessorised with bullbars, often available at the point of sale itself. While some feel the accessory adds to the look of their vehicles, others are of the opinion that bullbars and crash guards help protect their vehicle’s body in low impact scenarios. However, the fact is that these extraneous parts can actually reduce the effectiveness of safety systems built into the car’s structure.

And that’s because bullbars are typically fixed to the vehicle’s body structure at two points; in an impact, the crash energy is transmitted directly to these two points rather than being dispersed through the crumple zone. Further, bullbars can also hamper the functioning and timely deployment of the airbags.