Bull bar: Bully on road

new delhi: If Delhi drivers are in the mould of road warriors, the bull bar could be their most potent weapon. It is strong metal grill fitted on the front of a car that reinforces the macho image. And pedestrians, the underdog among road users, pay a heavy price when they come in the way of this advancing armour. They are not illegal but going by the damage they can do, perhaps, they should be so.
"Bull bars became popular after the market for SUVs grew in India.Some people installed them along with fenders in their cars to protect the engine from extensive damage in case of an accident but it was mostly for cosmetic value,'' said Satbir Singh, who manufactures this accessory in Kashmere Gate.
The origin of the bull bar is traced to hunters who would go into dense forests. It helped in keeping animals who appeared suddenly at bay. It has also been used in rallies where drivers need additional lighting and a base to facilitate it.
The city too may be kind of a jungle and the pedestrians are the unwitting victims of the bull bar on the road. The best argument against it is given by auto expert Sanjeev Taneja. "Cars these days are constructed with a design criteria called 5 mph bumper with shock absorbers which protects a pedestrian during a minor collision by throwing the victim onto the bonnet, hence reducing the chance of an injury. A bull bar negates all that. With the solid iron grill around the bumper, one is likely to injure a person in a bad way and there will be no escape for the victim,'' says Taneja.
Grocery shop owner Mahendra Kumar still limps because of a bad knee he got from an SUV owner last year near his home in Patel Nagar. "I was crossing the road at a traffic signal and was between a black Scorpio and another car when the signal turned green. The Scorpio owner accelerated though not at a high speed and his bull bar hit me in the knee which got dislocated and caused severe ligament damage. I have already undergone two surgeries since then, but I am still limping and cannot walk normally. Doctors told me then that had it not been for the bull bar, I may have escaped with superficial injuries,'' he says.
Taneja says the bull bar is not good for the vehicle either as it is mounted on the chassis which gets completely damaged in case of a high-impact collision. Also, it's not properly designed and add weight to the car. "And this extra weight results in extra fuel consumption and, as a result, more carbondioxide emissions which add to pollution,'' he points out.
Explaining why it's such a major threat to pedestrians, Rohit Baluja, president of the Institute of Road Traffic Education, says: "Only 2% accidents involve motorists, about 30% two-wheeler riders and 50% pedestrians due to lack of safe space. If one puts a bull bar on a big car, it occupies even more space, becoming more hazardous,'' he says. The protruding grills also damage other cars.
But safety is usually discounted by Indian road users; hence the growing popularity of the bull bar. Manufacturer and retailer S K Khatter from Kashmere Gate says even autorickshaw drivers have taken a fancy to it. "It makes the vehicle look good and tough, gives the driver a sense of safety and is not too expensive. Most bull guards cost between Rs 2500 and Rs 8000, both in stainless steel body and fibre body, and can be made in different colours,'' says Khattar.
He cautions that in case of a small accident, the bar may offer some protection to the body of the car from minor scratches, but if the car is involved in a big accident, it will cause more damage than usual. "These are normally made of stainless steel pipe-like structures which are solid from inside. But in the event of a head-on collision, the bull bar will first be pushed inside the body of the car damaging the body and the engine badly,'' he says.
Since it's not banned under the law, it doesn't figure on the traffic police radar.
GRAPHIC
THE COST, AND DAMAGE
Stainless steel model from wholesaler: Rs 2500-Rs 7000
Available at retailer: Rs 8000-14,000
Fibre metal model with a plastic finish from wholesaler: Rs 4000-Rs 9000
Available at retailer: Rs 8000-Rs 18,000
Pedestrians pay a heavy price as it injures them badly
`WE ARE SAFE, THEY ARE SCARED'
Bharat Sharma, who drives a government Ambassador, has solid fenders and a bull bar all around the car. "I have never hit a pedestrian, but if I don't have the bull bar, someone will scratch my car. With these solid grills around, people stay away and most government vehicles have these. Besides, if a car hits a pedestrian, he will get hurt with or without the bull bar,'' he says
Anil Yadav drives a Toyota Innova for visitors to a hotel he works for. "These fenders ensure that in case of an accident, the headlights and body of the car are not damaged because they are very expensive. It is just a safety accessory. Driving in a crowded area, bikes and other vehicles can cause scratches while passing by and this protects the car. It may be more damaging to a pedestrian but how many times is one involved in an accident like that in comparison to driving in crowded areas,'' he asks.
Rajiv, who drives a diplomatic vehicle, says, "Our company paid Rs 5500 for each bull bar on every car. It gives a feeling of safety and other people on the road are also scared of coming near your car. And when they are at a distance, obviously they can't be harmed in any way,'' he argues.