Safety researchers want car-like bumpers for SUVs and pickups

Posted Tue Jul 1 2008 10:10 AM by Ralph Hanson

Researchers from America’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have found that the impact from accidents between cars and pickups or SUVs could be greatly reduced if heavier vehicles were forced to meet the same bumper design requirements as cars. The IIHS plans to formally petition the U.S. government later today for a rule extending the federal bumper regulation to light trucks and SUVs.

The researchers claim that damage to vehicles could be much less severe if bumpers on cars and trucks matched up better. Cars are currently required to have bumpers that protect an area 16 to 20in above the ground, taking a 2.5mph impact into a flat barrier with no major damage. SUV bumpers are allowed to sit much higher, reports Automotive News. The Ford Explorer (pictured), which has bumpers that line up better with cars than most other SUVs, caused far less damage to cars during crash tests than most of its rivals.

There are concerns that forcing manufacturers to add lower bumpers to SUVs and pickups would diminish their utility, however, IIHS president Adrian Lund said in a prepared statement these concerns are both outdated and wrong.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tends to reject proposals from outside agencies and has already rejected petitions to extend the bumper standard to light trucks twice since 1984.

Reader Comments

Tue Jul 1 2008 10:33 AM
bambam says

Yeah that research is right, Its not hard to do anyway and its a better design
Tue Jul 1 2008 10:35 AM
chris says

actually ford is one of the only companies (and was at the time the first company) to make sure that all of their bumpers ligned up on all of their cars. saw a segment on 20/20 about it... how bumpers between a lot of different cars will not match up the way they are supposed to but between any ford car and truck or SUV.... 2.5mph... no issues.
Tue Jul 1 2008 12:31 PM
PJE says

Chris, the only thing wrong with Ford bumper compatibility work is that due to their dwindling market share it's harder to find one to hit ;o)

I do think the work they've done can be applauded, and should be made mandatory for all passenger trucks/cars/etc.
Wed Jul 2 2008 11:02 AM
Gus says

When I drive my Expedition, I worry about hitting someone someday in a small car, it just looks unsurvivable. So, I drive even more carefully, which people with these big vehicles need to do more, but unfortunately the opposite seems to be true...

MotorAuthority