In a large number of cases, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) will not have bull bars or grille guards as a standard feature. SUV owners are allowed the freedom to choose whether they would wish to have this 4x4 accessory installed on their automobiles.

This article provides answers to two questions that an SUV owner looking to buy their first bull bar may have.

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Bull Bar Installation?

The installation of bull bars on an SUV is advantageous in a number of ways. For one, a well-installed bull bar will protect vehicle headlights, grilles, and bumpers against the potentially damaging effect of their exposure to sudden impact. Sudden impact in this context emanates from rocks projected into the air, wayward tree branches, and the impact of collision.

Bull bar installation is also advantageous in the sense that the bull bar will often serve as a platform for extra accessories. For example, a large number of SUV bull bars are pre-drilled to allow the vehicle owner an opportunity to bolt secondary (off-road) lights onto the protective device. Some bull bar manufacturers incorporate light tabs into the design of the device for the same purpose.

The main disadvantage associated with the installation of bull bars is that their presence on a Sports Utility Vehicle increases the risk of injury to third parties in the event of an accident. The increased risk of injury is often seen when a bull bar-fitted SUV crashes into another vehicle from the side.

In the same breath, the installation of bull bars increases the risk of injury to other vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

What Is The Relationship Between Bull Bars And Automobile Airbags?

When shopping for a bull bar, SUV owners are advised to ensure that their preferred choice of bull bar is compatible with the triggering mechanism of the vehicle's airbags.

The technology used to make sensors and computers that trigger the inflation of airbags in accident scenario is constantly changing. Improper installation of a bull bar can interfere with the triggering mechanism of the airbags, thereby making the airbags less effective in the event of an accident.

Incompatibility of bull bars with vehicle airbags often stems from the use of aftermarket bull bars that are not recommended by the manufacturer of the Sports Utility Vehicle.

The decision to invest in a bull bar is a wise one. SUV owners whose vehicles don't have bull bars as a standard feature should not hesitate to invest in the same.

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