4 ms·

In brazil the government requires tall vehicles to have two bumpers, the normal OEM one, and an extra one intended to stop smaller vehicles crashing into the ba

In brazil the government requires tall vehicles to have two bumpers, the normal OEM one, and an extra one intended to stop smaller vehicles crashing into the back of the tall one. This was because eye-level bumpers tend to decapitate people during pile-ups... since they are, after all, eye level...

magduf 7y ago
It would be nice if the US adopted a law like that... I guess that requires too much governmental competence.
- dmckeon 7y ago
  For commercial trucks, there is a law - search “Mansfield bar” or (possibly NSFW image) https://sparebumper.com/the-mansfield-bar-jayne-mansfield-and-the-collision-that-took-her-life/ https://sparebumper.com/the-mansfield-bar-jayne-mansfield-an...
  - _bxg1 7y ago
    It seems crazy that it doesn't apply to civilian vehicles too
    - kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
      It does but it only gets enforced for new vehicles. See the rear bumper mods that were required for the Mercedes G-Wagen 4x4 Squared. Note that federal regs prevented the activation of the LED aux lights for these as well. https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=229 https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=229 https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=388 https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=388
      - _bxg1 7y ago
        The problem is that most of the inappropriately-tall consumer vehicles get that way after the fact. I.e., people modify them. If this is only getting enforced at the manufacturer level, instead of the vehicle-inspection level, it's not going to accomplish much in that category.
    - kube-system 7y ago
      Passenger vehicles don't need a Mansfield bar, because their primary crash structure has to be between 16 and 20 inches from the ground.
auiya 7y ago
We have those here too. They aren't very effective. https://www.snopes.com/tachyon/images/photos/accident/graphics/texting.jpg https://www.snopes.com/tachyon/images/photos/accident/graphi...
- kube-system 7y ago
  The standard could be improved, and they don't prevent everything, but in general they are effective. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailers-with-good-underride-guards https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailer...
zip1234 7y ago
Note that this does not address the fact that high bumpers are death for pedestrians. This addresses the issue of collisions with cars, but tall vehicles in general are really bad for pedestrians.
- Florin_Andrei 7y ago
  > high bumpers are death for pedestrians The typical counter-argument to that involves some sort of abuse of the notion of freedom. (Not endorsing, of course, just mentioning it.)
  - HenryBemis 7y ago
    "People are stupid" is not a valid argument to move towards a solution. "Developing and establishing Standards, training appropriate authorities and giving them the right tools/equipment to measure/identify violators, legislate appropriate fines" is. Hand anyone who does this a $1000 fine, and see how fast the whole country falls in line.
  - naravara 7y ago
    There is the adage about freedom ending at the point my fist meets your face. In this case, I guess it's more about where my face meets your windshield.
- kube-system 7y ago
  A tall profile is pretty much inevitable for vehicles that carry cargo. Even places with strict pedestrian safety standards haven't solved that.
  - naravara 7y ago
    The problem is that we have way more tall profile vehicles out there than we do cargo being carried. It's not really a necessity, lots of people are just buying these things because they like the aesthetic moreso than having any practical need for them. Plus I'm not even sure the general statement is really that true. The El Camino was a regular car profile. If you're just buying a pick up to haul furniture around rather than, say, bales of hay you don't need it to be that tall.
Gibbon1 7y ago
In the US trucks are required to have 'Mansfield Bars' after Jame Mansfield who died in an accident with a trailer truck. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28155/how-jayne-mansfield-changed-design-tractor-trailers https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28155/how-jayne-mansfiel...

magduf 7y ago

It would be nice if the US adopted a law like that... I guess that requires too much governmental competence.

dmckeon 7y ago
For commercial trucks, there is a law - search “Mansfield bar” or (possibly NSFW image) https://sparebumper.com/the-mansfield-bar-jayne-mansfield-and-the-collision-that-took-her-life/ https://sparebumper.com/the-mansfield-bar-jayne-mansfield-an...
- _bxg1 7y ago
  It seems crazy that it doesn't apply to civilian vehicles too
  - kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
    It does but it only gets enforced for new vehicles. See the rear bumper mods that were required for the Mercedes G-Wagen 4x4 Squared. Note that federal regs prevented the activation of the LED aux lights for these as well. https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=229 https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=229 https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=388 https://youtu.be/kgcAA4HUxuE?t=388
    - _bxg1 7y ago
      The problem is that most of the inappropriately-tall consumer vehicles get that way after the fact. I.e., people modify them. If this is only getting enforced at the manufacturer level, instead of the vehicle-inspection level, it's not going to accomplish much in that category.
  - kube-system 7y ago
    Passenger vehicles don't need a Mansfield bar, because their primary crash structure has to be between 16 and 20 inches from the ground.

auiya 7y ago

We have those here too. They aren't very effective. https://www.snopes.com/tachyon/images/photos/accident/graphics/texting.jpg https://www.snopes.com/tachyon/images/photos/accident/graphi...

kube-system 7y ago
The standard could be improved, and they don't prevent everything, but in general they are effective. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailers-with-good-underride-guards https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-recognizes-semitrailer...

zip1234 7y ago

Note that this does not address the fact that high bumpers are death for pedestrians. This addresses the issue of collisions with cars, but tall vehicles in general are really bad for pedestrians.

Florin_Andrei 7y ago
> high bumpers are death for pedestrians The typical counter-argument to that involves some sort of abuse of the notion of freedom. (Not endorsing, of course, just mentioning it.)
- HenryBemis 7y ago
  "People are stupid" is not a valid argument to move towards a solution. "Developing and establishing Standards, training appropriate authorities and giving them the right tools/equipment to measure/identify violators, legislate appropriate fines" is. Hand anyone who does this a $1000 fine, and see how fast the whole country falls in line.
- naravara 7y ago
  There is the adage about freedom ending at the point my fist meets your face. In this case, I guess it's more about where my face meets your windshield.
kube-system 7y ago
A tall profile is pretty much inevitable for vehicles that carry cargo. Even places with strict pedestrian safety standards haven't solved that.
- naravara 7y ago
  The problem is that we have way more tall profile vehicles out there than we do cargo being carried. It's not really a necessity, lots of people are just buying these things because they like the aesthetic moreso than having any practical need for them. Plus I'm not even sure the general statement is really that true. The El Camino was a regular car profile. If you're just buying a pick up to haul furniture around rather than, say, bales of hay you don't need it to be that tall.

Gibbon1 7y ago

In the US trucks are required to have 'Mansfield Bars' after Jame Mansfield who died in an accident with a trailer truck. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28155/how-jayne-mansfield-changed-design-tractor-trailers https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28155/how-jayne-mansfiel...