How Do Bumpers Protect My Car in a Collision?

While you might know how to identify a car bumper, it’s not uncommon to be unfamiliar with what purpose they serve on your vehicle. They are there for a reason. In fact, of all the features on the exterior of your vehicle, bumpers may be the most important. They mainly protect your vehicle in the event of a collision, but they also protect your passengers.

Bumpers are also very important when it comes to insurance. According to recent research, about 14% of all insurance claims for auto damage involve low-speed parking lot collisions. The damage from these types of auto collisions would be much more severe if cars didn’t have bumpers.

What Are Car Bumpers?

Car bumpers are protruding shrouds of either plastic or metal that surround energy-absorbing materials. They are designed to absorb the impact to the front and back of vehicles during collisions and minimize damage from a low-speed collision. By design, they specifically protect important parts of your vehicle such as the hood, trunk, grille, fuel, exhaust, and cooling system. Protecting these areas is extremely important as damage to them can mean extremely costly repairs.

On today’s vehicles, bumpers typically have a plastic cover and a reinforcement bar underneath. This bumper reinforcement bar could be made of steel, aluminum, fiberglass composite, or plastic. Bumper systems should also have mechanisms that absorb energy during a crash. For example, plastic honeycomb or polypropylene foam is often used. The most effective bumpers will have some distance between the bumper reinforcement bar and the metal that protects it.

Bumpers reduce the overall impact forces from an auto collision, but they don’t actually protect occupants as their main purpose. Instead, they help the car’s frame to crumple in strategic areas to protect the driver and passengers from injury. Essentially, they minimize the extent of damage to the front or rear end of your car.

While it may not seem to be important to protect a vehicle from such low-speed collisions, these actually happen by the thousands every single day. These include accidents that occur on congested streets, parking lots, and even traffic jams. In these kinds of impacts, effective bumpers could mean the difference between needing to repair costly damage or no damage at all.

Car Bumper and Auto Standards in the United States

In the United States, car bumpers must be able to absorb a five mile per hour impact from another vehicle without any damage to the body of the car. The foam or plastic that is found underneath the bumper cover is what makes this possible. When an impact occurs, that material squishes down between the bumper cover and the vehicle’s body. However, this requirement only applies to passenger cars - not vans, pickup trucks, or SUVs. There are no regulations on bumper auto performance for these vehicles because it could potentially compromise the vehicles’ utility in operating on loading ramps and off road situations.

The US standard requires there to be protection in the region of 16 to 20 inches above the road surface. However, the manufacturer can provide that protection by any means. For example, some cars have solid bumpers across the entire front and back of the vehicle. Meanwhile, others have strategically placed bumper guards and corner guards.

Are All Bumpers the Same?

Unfortunately, not all bumpers are made the same. They can vary greatly in terms of components and performance. This can even be true for cars of similar sizes and types and even cars from the same automaker.

Certain bumper designs put more of an emphasis on style than protection. Some carmakers don’t allow bumpers that project beyond body parts. While these bumpers may look more appealing visually, it could mean that even the most minor collisions cause extensive damage. In addition, bumpers that have built-in lights may also be more appealing, but they could sustain significant damage even in a very low-speed crash.

Car Bumpers and Auto History

Originally, bumpers only served decorative purposes. The first car bumper was invented by a British mechanical engineer in 1901. He based the design on railway engine buffers that were used during that time. The first widely used bumpers were on the Ford Model A and they were made of thin metal bars. But since then, bumpers have come a long way. This is due to advancements in technology and more attention to vehicle safety. For example, chrome bumpers were introduced in the 1920s as a more attractive alternative to metal bumpers.

Interestingly, bumpers were probably strongest in the 1980s. To illustrate, the 1981 Ford Escort had bumpers that withstood front and rear-into-flat-barrier Institute crash tests at 5 miles per hour without damage. This was required by the federal standard that was in effect at the time. But the vehicle also sustained no damage in two other 5 mile per hour tests, front-into-angle-barrier and rear-into-pole. You can compare that to recent models that have sustained over $1,000 in damage in the same tests.

When It’s Time to Replace Your Bumpers

Before reading this, you might have only thought that bumpers only served aesthetic purposes. It is true that many drivers use their bumpers as a place to customize their vehicle and change its overall look. But now you know that they play a vital role in protecting your car when it has been in a collision.

If your bumper has sustained damage, even if you think it is mild, make sure you get them either repaired or replaced. Even one small collision can cause damage to your bumpers that makes them significantly less effective in the future. You may not want to spend the money now on replacing your bumpers, but it will be worth it if and when another collision occurs.

Finding the right bumpers for your vehicle can be difficult. How do you know if they will hold up or if they will even fit your vehicle at all? That’s why you should look for your bumper replacement from FitParts. Our parts often exceed OEM standards, meaning there is no sacrificing quality. Plus, we offer a guaranteed fit! If your bumper doesn’t fit, we’ll give you your money back!