Indian government bans crash guards on cars, SUVs

Such accessories have been banned due to the safety risk they pose. 

The Ministry of Highways and Road Transport, in a recent letter to the transport commissioners of all Indian states, has issued a notification to ban crash guards on cars and SUVs.

Furthermore, the ministry has also issued a strict warning that action will be taken against unauthorised fitment of crash guards on motor vehicles under the Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Additionally, penalties will be levied under Section 190 and 191 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Crash guards, also popularly called bull bars, are a commonly found fitment on cars and SUVs now a days. People opt for such accessories to save their vehicles from potential scratches and dents which are quite common in bumper to bumper traffic. Additionally, SUV owners often fit bull bars to add to the vehicle’s butch stance.

However, such accessories end up causing more harm than good. All modern day vehicles are designed with crash safety as a high priority - bull bars often fiddle around with the vehicle's structure - thus compromising on safety, and making it less aerodynamic as well. In case of a high speed crash, bull bars can tamper with a vehicle's crumple zones, potentially leading to severe injuries. Also, pedestrian safety is highly compromised with such accessories - increasing the chance of fatalities in case of a mishap.

Presently, crash guards/ bull bars are commonly sold in most automotive accessory stores. Levying penalties on such fitments is bound to discourage their usage, thus making our roads a safer place.