Our team have gone above and beyond the Australian safety standards to create a range of bull bars that are unrivalled in pedestrian safety, without compromising on the safety of your vehicle, yourself and passengers.
Vehicle Safety
It goes without saying that when it comes to bull bars, safety is paramount.
Each of our bull bars have been tested to comply with all of the compulsory and non-compulsory sections of Australian Safety Standard AS4876.1-2002, demonstrating the superb safety capabilities and resilience of a SmartBar bull bar – which is much more than a “plastic bar”.
We can proudly demonstrate that SmartBar bull bars perform better than any available alternative under all impact conditions and offers a higher level of safety to its users. This is a claim no other manufacturer in the world can make.
“…a great leap forward in vehicle front crash safety…It shows that Australia is capable of good lateral thinking” – Graham Lawrence, Transport Research Laboratories in Europe
Factors such as vehicle design, crush rate, airbag deployment, approach angles, accessory fitment, strength, weight and aesthetic are all taken into consideration when undertaking the development of every SmartBar bull bar.
We test such factors as impact and occupant safety requirements, material testing (UV rating), winch loads (static and dynamic), electrical interface and lighting compatibility.
We’re meticulous in addressing all of these considerations, but our primary concern is always the safety of the vehicle, its occupants, other road users and pedestrians.
Pedestrian Safety Testing
Tests by the Centre of Automotive and Safety Research (CASR) for Head Injury Criteria (HIC) measure the head trauma and accident survival probability of a person at certain speeds. This is how we measure pedestrian safety.
The results of these tests found that a SmartBar bull bar outperformed all other frontal vehicle protection systems available.
In a simulated collision with a pedestrian at 30km/h it was proven that in many cases, a vehicle fitted with a SmartBar bull bar is less likely to cause a fatal injury through impact than the original front vehicle assembly.
Exhaustive testing, along with the above test results are just some of the reasons that allow us to confidently stand behind our bull bars.
Smarter Safety
What sets a SmartBar bull bar apart is that it acts as an injury-prevention and cushioning device in the event of a slow speed collision, such as with a pedestrian. This reduces the likelihood of serious injury.
How?
A SmartBar bull bar is hollow and constructed from flexible, durable plastic. This allows the structure to compress under impact before bouncing back to almost perfect shape in many cases.
The results from an airbag non-deployment test illustrate this perfectly and are shown in the chart below.
From here it is easy to see how far the structure of the SmartBar can compress under impact to absorb the forces; observing that at 16kh/m the bar compresses between 85mm and 110mm.
Not only did the SmartBar pass these tests comfortably by not triggering the SRS airbag upon impact, they also highlighted that the material yield is less aggressive with the SmartBar compared to bare metal systems. This indicates that our bull bars are more absorbent and flexible to help keep your vehicle, its occupants and pedestrians safe.
Europe’s only approved bull bar
Our StealthBar is the only bull bar in the world to have been approved for use in Europe in the last 10 years. It is now available internationally.
This focus on vehicle and pedestrian safety has made SmartBar bull bars the number one choice for many emergency service vehicles in Australia.
If the safety of others around your vehicle is important to you, or you simply want exceptional frontal protection for your vehicle, chat to one of our stockists to find out more.
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