State Lift Laws What Is Legal In Your State? “Drivers should understand the heavy fines they subject themselves to when driving a lifted vehicle with illegal bumpers,” said Jeff Mohr, president, Mohr Manufacturing. “The cost of one citation or... read more
1) What is a bumper? A bumper is a shield made of steel, aluminum, rubber, or plastic that is mounted on the front and rear of a passenger car. When a low speed collision occurs, the bumper system absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the car. Some bumpers... read more
The most frequent accident on the highway is the rear end collision – at 29.7%. 75% of rear end collisions are less than 10 mph. Most are direct hits (which is why you don’t need anything to protect the corners – backing accidents get the corners). 94% of rear... read more
Bumpers have been a long standing battle between automakers and auto insurers with consumers stuck in the middle. Automakers want to make lighter, lower-cost, plastic bumpers with sleek cab-forward designs and short overhangs. Insurers want big, strong bumpers that... read more
1. What function should bumpers serve? Bumpers should be designed to protect car bodies from damage in low-speed collisions, absorbing crash energy without significant damage to the bumper itself. Low-speed crashes occur by the thousands every day on congested streets... read more
Someone once referred to motorists driving on the highway without insurance as “naked” drivers. Well, there’s a lot more of them driving on the roadway today than ever before and its only getting worse. As of 2004, 14.6% of all the drivers on the... read more
There Are More Rear End Accidents Than Any Other Kind! The three most frequent vehicle accidents are getting hit while parked, the rear end collision and backing incidents. If You Want Additional Protection – Start In The Rear, Not The Front. Finally, if you’re... read more
FAIRY TALE #1 All Automobiles Manufactured In The United States Have 5 MPH Bumpers. FACT: In 1982, the federal government bowed to pressure from automakers and rolled back impact test requirements from 5 to 2.5 mph for 1983 and later model cars. The 2.5 mph standard... read more
Anyone who parks in a parking garage or on the street knows all too well the risks involved. Dents, dings and scratches usually end up all over your vehicle, especially on the bumpers. A survey of parking garages indicates that the number of accident related... read more
Myth #1: If you see that you’re going to get rear-ended and you “tense up” you’re more likely to get injured. Fact: Researchers like Dr. Arthur Croft from the San Diego Spine and Research Clinic and his human crash dummies say you’re less... read more
Every year hundreds of children and adults are injured and some are killed as a result of vehicles backing over these victims. Most back up accidents involve children under the age of 5 and elderly persons over 60 years of age. These backing up deaths occur in SUVs,... read more
You’ve seen them. The toys that proliferate the vehicles with receiver hitches! You have probably got one or two – I do. Hitch covers, lighted hitch covers, hitch steps, lighted hitch steps, propellers, cartoon characters, and the list goes on. Your... read more
Did you know that over four billion dollars each year is spent on automobile repairs – just from backing accidents! That’s right: Self-Inflected Vehicle Damage. We hardly have to worry about someone else running into us – or do we? Although over 4... read more
The Most Common Receiver Hitch Mistake – You’re Probably Doing it Right Now – Driving With Your Ball Mount! Why It’s Not A Good Idea When passenger cars hit your higher riding pickup truck or SUV they dive because of their soft suspensions.... read more
You know when I was first learning to drive, my dad would jokingly say, “back-up until it sounds expensive”. Well, back in those days, the 50’s and 60’s, you actually could do that. You could smack into something and there would hardly be a... read more
If we take a lesson from well documented fleet vehicle accidents you’ll find that the two most frequent vehicle accidents for fleets are: 1. Getting Hit While Parked and 2. The Rear End Collision. For fleet vehicles in 2006, being hit while parked constituted... read more
Years ago you wouldn’t dare drive anywhere without a spare tire. Back in the 50’s when I first started to drive you needed a couple of sets of tires on hand. Summer tires and winter tires and, if you got 25,000 miles out of them you were lucky. Back in the... read more
The two most frequent vehicle accidents are getting hit while parked and rear end collision. For the rear end collision, approximately 75% of them are less than 10 miles per hour, 94% occur on straight roads and most are direct hits. The average claim is less than... read more
Andy Rooney – 60 Minutes If you would like a few good laughs and want to read what Andy Rooney had to say about bumpers read on… ”You might not think that those of us who do 60 Minutes set out every day to do good deeds and root out evil, and I don’t want to... read more
Of all the crash test results conducted by the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, the SUVs with the spare tires located on the back seem to receive the most damage (7 of the 10 in this group have the spare tire on the rear). 1999–2003 Models – Total Damage... read more
It sustained $3,317 damage in the 5 mph rear-into-pole impact alone. Intrusion of the spare tire mounted on the back of this SUV crushed both of the rear tailgates and shattered the glass. “This is a very poor performer. The Trooper is the worst midsize SUV... read more
The smooth, flowing lines of most new cars and trucks conceal bumpers so well consumers rarely give them a second thought. But back into a pole in a Wal-Mart parking lot on a busy weekend and bumper design suddenly becomes an important part of your life. If you ram... read more
In low speed rear-end collisions (less than10 mph), women are twice as likely to come away with whiplash injuries than men. In low speed rear-end collisions (less than10 mph), women are twice as likely to come away with whiplash injuries than men. Now I don’t want to... read more
Someone once referred to people who parallel park by feel as “braille parkers.” Anyone who parks in a parking garage or on the street knows all too well the risks involved. Dents, dings and scratches usually end up all over your vehicle, especially on the bumpers. In... read more
1. They’re Too Short – They Don’t Protect The Corners…Answer: They were designed to protect your vehicle from the two most frequent vehicle accidents – getting hit while parked and the rear end collision. For rear end collisions, 94% occur on straight roads and most... read more
What Is Under Ride? When any vehicle collides with the rear end of another and it continues to travel beneath the taller chassis of the larger vehicle; that is, the striking vehicle (bullet vehicle) “rides under” the larger one (target vehicle). The... read more
If you’re contemplating purchasing a lighted hitch step, hitch cover or any other additional lighting for the rear of your vehicle in hopes that they will prevent a rear end collision here’s the real truth… 48% Of The People That Hit The Rear Of Your Vehicle Are Not... read more
