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Thatcham bumper ratings show failings of
some cars - 15th December 2007
Thatcham
has carried out impact tests on car bumpers giving them ratings,
and found that many are not protecting the vehicle even in low
speed collisions.
Thatcham, is on behalf of British insurers,
creating
car bumper ratings which they hope will encourage vehicle
manufacturers to improve bumper design, so that there will be
less damage and cost for repairs if the vehicle is involved in a
collision.
The bumper tests being devised by Thatcham
are based on an international standard bumper tests from the
Research Council for Automobile
Repairs (RCAR). Low speed
road accidents
account for around 85 percent of
car accidents in the UK, with thankfully most resulting in
no serious injuries,
whiplash is probably the most common injury from these low
speed collisions.
However some cars are still receiving costly
damage from these low speed collisions, with one model needing
repairs costing around half the vehicles purchase price after a
low speed collision with other vehicles on the front and rear
bumpers. Bumpers should not just be about reducing
vehicle damage, they should be designed to reduce injuries
in
pedestrian accidents.
Euro NCAP carry out tests which are designed to give ratings
on how cars protect pedestrians if the are in collision with
them.
These show that bumpers which are good at
protecting cars from damage in collisions can also reduce
injuries to pedestrians if they are designed well.
Car manufacturers have a duty to design
their vehicles bumpers not only to protect the vehicle and its
occupants if involved in a collision, but to also protect
pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles as much as possible
if involved in a collision with them.
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