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Tests conducted by the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that the difference in
bumper height between cars and sport utility vehicles
often leads serious accidents. Car bumpers
are required by a federal standard to match up reasonably
well. However, no such requirements apply to SUVs and
some of these vehicles don't even have bumpers.
A federal standard specifies a zone on cars
for bumper protection extending from 16 to 20 inches
off the ground. When two cars collide at low
speeds, the bumpers are more likely to engage. Then
they have a chance to absorb energy and prevent damage.
Because no such bumper requirements apply to SUVs, pickup
trucks, or minivans, these vehicles often have flimsier
bumpers than cars or no bumper at all. The heights of
their bumpers often are different from the mandated
heights for car bumpers.
Many advocates believe that federal rules should
be changed to make SUVs and cars more compatible.
In a crash, the higher bumper on many taller vehicles,
such as SUVs and trucks, hits a typical passenger car
above the car's bumper line and crumple zone, exerting
its force into weaker portions of the smaller vehicle
and inflicting greater damage. To address this, many
SUVs--especially car-based models--are being designed
with lower bumpers. Other models, including the 2003
Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, have had the
bumpers lowered when they received a major redesign.
Automakers recently announced plans to design SUVs
and pickup trucks in ways that will make them less dangerous
to occupants of passenger vehicles. The design changes
will be completed by the 2008 model year.
If you were injured in an accident
with an SUV, your injuries may be due to substandard
bumper design. Contact our accident lawyers today for
a free and confidential case evaluation.
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