Bull Bar Standards
and Compliance

AS 4876.1

Refers to the Australian Standard for Motor Vehicle Frontal Protection Systems (VFPS) which sets out the design, installation and performance requirements for all types of VFPS and specifies the road user protection criteria.

All of our bars have been designed in accordance with this standard and given the wealth of experience our product development team has, stringent protocols have been developed to ensure that future projects also maintain compliance.

ADR

The Australian Design Rules (ADRs) are the national standards for vehicle safety and among many items, cover issues such as occupant protection, vehicle structure performance and lighting. Section 3.1 of the Australian Safety Standard 4876.1 stipulates that any vehicle fitted with a Vehicle Frontal Protection System (VFPS), shall continue to comply with all applicable Australian Design Rules (ADRs).

Our team of designers have the experience required to work in accordance with these rules to ensure that the development of our SmartBar bull bars still allow the vehicles they are fitted onto to be ADR compliant.

SRS Airbag

Prior to release, all of our bull bars are rigorously tested to ensure that the vehicle’s factory Supplementary Restraint Systems are not affected by the fitment of a SmartBar bull bar.

By passing this test, it is confirmed that the vehicle’s compliance with ADR 69/00 (Full Frontal Impact Occupant Protection) and 73/00 (Offset Frontal Impact Occupant Protection) is maintained.

HIC (Head Impact Criteria)

To address the pedestrian safety performance of a bull bar, Section 3.2 of AS4876.1 states that when tested in accordance with the appendices prescribed in the standard, no part of the Vehicle Frontal Protection System (VFPS) which is more than one metre above the ground shall produce a Head Impact Criterion (HIC) score more than 1500 for in an impact at 30km/h.

A HIC score of less than 1500 suggests that if a pedestrian and vehicle with a VFPS fitted is to collide at 30km/h, there will be a high probability of the pedestrian surviving.

Although it is a non-compulsory part of the standard, we here at SmartBar are proudly the only VFPS manufacturer in Australia to have a product that complies with this section of the Australian Standard. This helps us stand behind our bull bars with confidence, validating the impact absorption characteristics of our SmartBars and demonstrating that when it comes to safety, they are hard to beat.