Car Insurance
Bumpers costing £250 million a year
Wed, 19 Oct 2005
Poorly designed car bumpers are costing motorists £250 million a year in bills and car insurance claims, a report has revealed.
Thatcham insurance industry research centre found that prangs at speeds as low as ten miles per hour can lead to around £4,000 worth of damage, because bumpers cannot absorb the energy of even a low impact, or are placed at the wrong height.
"Despite outward appearances too many cars on the road do not have sufficient bumper protection," Thatcham crash laboratory manager, Matthew Avery, told BBC news.
"Underneath the cosmetic bumper cover the bumper beam on many cars is either too small, poorly positioned or missing."
Pedestrian safety was also pointed out as a further key factor in the issue, with car design currently focusing on protecting the bodywork of the vehicle rather than pedestrian wellbeing.
"Consider the elderly, consider the disabled, consider children. This is what we have to consider as manufacturers," said Mr Avery.
Thatcham research centre is now planning an initiative to create industry-wide guidelines to address the problem, insisting that vehicle manufacturers make alterations to ensure car bumpers provide adequate protection.
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