A bull bar is a protective device fitted to the front of a vehicle to protect it and its occupants from damage in a collision with an animal. It consists of a heavy-duty horizontal bar attached to the vehicle's bumper or frame, and is designed to absorb the impact of a collision and prevent the animal from penetrating the vehicle's cabin.
Bull bars are most commonly used on four-wheel drive vehicles and commercial trucks in Australia, where they are known as roo bars after the country's largest marsupial, the kangaroo. However, they can be fitted to any type of vehicle, and are increasingly popular in other countries as well.
While bull bars can offer significant protection in a collision with an animal, they also have some drawbacks. The main one is that they can increase the severity of injuries sustained by pedestrians or cyclists who are hit by a vehicle fitted with one. This is because the bull bar acts as a battering ram, pushing through anything in its path without absorbing any of the impact. As such, there have been calls for their use to be banned or restricted in some countries.
Another downside of bull bars is that they can make it more difficult for emergency services personnel to access the occupants of a vehicle following an accident. This is because they often block access to doors and windows, making it necessary to cut through them in order to reach those inside.
Despite these drawbacks, many people feel that the benefits of having a bull bar outweigh the risks. For those who frequently travel on rural roads where animals are common, or who work in occupations such as farming or wildlife management where collisions with animals are more likely, fitting a bull bar to their vehicle can give them peace of mind knowing that they have extra protection against potential damage – both to their vehicle and themselves.