New Bumpers May Save 1,000 Lives Annually

June 2006

Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickups will soon sport a new look that could save an estimated 1,000 lives per year. Automakers agreed back in December 2003 to have new standards in place by 2009 that require lower heights at which vehicles' front ends collide with cars. But many automakers didn’t hesitate to redesign the vehicles, some of which are already hitting the road..

SUVs and pickups will have lowered bumpers and frames that allow the force of impact to be directed to the car’s frame instead of the car’s passenger compartment. If automakers do not want to totally redesign the frame then a hollow steel bar will be added behind and below the bumper. The newly aligned bumper zones should reduce the risk of death in an accident.

Studies on the newly designed bumpers showed:

• Fatal side-impact crashes were reduced by 50% when the bumper was lowered or a bar was installed underneath.
• Wearing a seatbelt in addition to the new standards reduced fatalities by 18% to 21%.

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