The Importance of a Car Bumper

The Importance of a Car Bumper

A lot of people may not know what exactly a car bumper does and how important it is. Some people may be under the impression that a bumper can help reduce injury during an accident, while others think it only has aesthetic value. The truth is that it combines different features that can be very beneficial for the driver. The main purpose of car bumpers is to soften the impact to the rear or front of the vehicle—mostly mild impacts. While some car bumpers are solely made out of steel, plastic, or rubber to absorb shocks of impact, some contain more than one element to take advantage of the different features of each. In this article, we’ll be discussing what makes car bumpers so important and why you shouldn’t ignore them.

The Importance of a Car Bumper   

[ photo: pexels by orest sv ]

Installing Bumper Guards

One of the best ways to use your bumper is by installing a car bumper guard. A guard can substantially improve the protection of the bumper, both for you and the car altogether. It can reduce the impact of fender benders, making them less dangerous by softening the whiplash. 

The PVC-free rubber used in the bumper bully is quite formidable and makes it able to withstand scratches even from knives. This durability is thanks to the vinyl-coated steel cable furnishing inside. Guards can even transform bumpers that do not meet the federal safety standards into legal ones, thanks to the extra fortification provided.

The Legal Importance

21 states believe that car bumpers are directly related to the vehicle’s safety features, and their laws define not having a bumper on any car as illegal. Around 7 states believe that a vehicle must have a car bumper or its replacement if the car was originally manufactured with them. 

In those 7 states, if your car left the factory with a bumper, then it’s illegal to leave your car without it. 22 states have no explicit laws about car bumpers, but since the police have the authority of penalizing you for driving an unsafe vehicle, it’s better to stay on the safe and legal side by always having a bumper.

Protection When Parking

You’ll notice that vehicles get most of the minor bumps during parking. Parallel parking, for example, carries the risk of hitting the cars in the front and the back, not to mention poles, fences, and other objects. The more cramped the parking situation is, the more likely you are to slightly hit an object. The car bumper will be able to absorb most—if not all—of the damage while ensuring that if another still car is hit, it won’t take a lot of damage.

Car bumpers have so many extremely important uses that it simply doesn’t make sense to drive a vehicle without them. Some states have gone as far as illegalizing not having a bumper. You don’t want to be worried all the time about your safety and the condition of your car when you’re driving or parking. Meanwhile, installing a car bumper guard can be considered the cherry on top.