Hi Everyone:
Sometimes I think of things and wonder why no one else thought of it. Today I am talking about car and truck bumpers. Not the strength of bumpers, but rather the height of front and rear bumpers. Yes the height. Why? That's a good question.
If you really gave it some thought, all bumpers should be the same height. Not just car vs car bumpers, but all bumpers of all vehicles should be the exact same height. Therefore a tractor trailer would not be able to go over the bumper of a smaller car it hits in front of it. Similarly, SUV's also then would not be able to go up and over the bumper of a smaller car it hits in front of it. The same would hold true for both front and rear end collisions.
Common sense tells me that if bumpers on all vehicles were the same height, a lot of lives (drivers and/or passengers) could conceivably be saved who are involved in these kind of accidents. It would seem that the easiest way to achieve the same height would be to lower the height of bumpers on the larger vehicles such as large cars, SUV's, vans, trucks and tractor trailers. Then when there is an accident different size vehicles would at the very least hit bumper to bumper and not have the larger vehicle ride up on the smaller one.
Cars and trucks have been manufactured for over 100 years and you would think that someone would have thought of this idea before. They certainly have had enough time to solve this problem. The solution is simplicity at its best and does make common sense. Let's also not forget that with higher fuel prices and increases in greenhouse gases of greater concern, it is inevitable that there will be a greater number of smaller vehicles on the roads and they need all the protection that they can get with these type of collisions. I wonder why this isn't so?
I understand why manufacturers are not presently addressing this problem, but hopefully will be in the near future.
Til next time.
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OK, so now the bumper on my Corvette, which can't go over a 4" high curb, must be as high as a tractor trailer? or the tractor trailer (TT) should be lowered so that the chassis, which is attached to the bumper so that it will absorb impact must be 8" off the ground? That would mean that the TT chassis would be picking up ground effect from the road, which would decrease the mileage, and increase the cost of, well, everything. What about Jeeps? or that old International of yours? It wouldn't be able to go over all the rocks that we went over. Either that, or my Corvette wouldn't go around a corner, the center of gravity would be too high. Nope, not good common sense this week, Peter...
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