Patent ID: 7703819

Claim:
A method of providing pedestrian protection for a selected road vehicle, by: (a) identifying a pre-defined impact absorption performance standard applicable to the selected vehicle; (b) determining the ability of the vehicle structure to absorb part of an impact pre-defined by the performance standard; (c) providing an additional impact absorbing structure for mounting on the vehicle to provide at least partial absorption of the pre-defined impact prior to impact on the structure of the selected vehicle; (d) determining the ability of the additional structure to absorb part of the impact pre-defined by the performance standard; (e) determining the aggregate impact absorption ability of the vehicle and the additional structure in combination; (f) selecting or designing the additional structure to cause the aggregate ability to be at least sufficient to absorb the pre-defined impact in accordance with the pre-defined standard; and (g) mounting the additional structure on the vehicle to stand up in front of the vehicle, to define a space remaining between the additional structure and the vehicle, wherein the aforesaid steps are practiced such that said absorption of the predefined impact is by means of initial partial absorption by the additional structure and by deflection of said additional structure into said space between the additional structure and the vehicle, and by further absorption by the vehicle.