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Bull Bars – A Load Of Bull?
They would have to be one of the most common and the most visible car accessories. Here in Australia, we tend to call them roo bars rather than bull bars simply because we’re more likely to encounter Old Man Kangaroo in the middle of the road. But are bull bars, roo bars, nudge bars or whatever you want to call them really worth it? Should you install them on your vehicle?
Opinion is, of course, divided, and whether you put them on your car or not is really up to you, the sort of car you have and what you plan on doing with it.
There’s no denying that a set of big bull bars/roo bars have tough-guy good looks on a big 4×4 like a Mitsubishi Pajero – and that they look a bit silly on a little hatchback (although nudge bars might have a sort of ironic humour installed on a Mini) or on a sports car. But don’t just blindly get them put on your set of wheels. Think first.
The idea behind bull bars is simple. If you’re driving down a country road at night and some stupid cattlebeast or kangaroo (or some other big animal) wanders out into the road as you bucket around a corner at the full legal limit, there’s going to be one heck of a big mess. You won’t be able to stop the mess that will be made of the poor dumb animal but the mess it makes of your front bonnet can be minimised if you have bull bars attached, as the bull bars take the impact better than the headlights. You can also get smaller versions that protect the front of your vehicle from the scrapes and bumps of shrubbery; these are usually called nudge bars, bush bars or brush bars.
Bull bars also fit in very well with other off-road accessories, as they make a handy place to mount a winch or extra spotlights.
However, bull bars have their downside. In fact, there’s noises going around about them being banned in the European Union, especially the metal ones. This is because if a car fitted with bull bars hits a pedestrian or a cyclist, all the force of the car is concentrated into the bull bar as it strikes the person, and the result is much worse than if the pedestrian or cyclist hit the bumper and the headlights – a person might be able to survive being hit by a car without bull bars but the chance of serious injury or death is much higher when the metal bull bars are there. Have a look at the ANCAP or other crash test sites and have a look at the tests for pedestrian safety and you’ll see why. These problems get worse if people pop accessories onto bull bars, such as winches, lights, fishing rod holders and the like, as the brackets can be sharp and act like a spear in a collision.
Bull bars can also interfere with airbags, as it’s a hard blow on the bonnet that triggers the airbags to deploy. If the bull bars are put on in such a way that they deflect most of the force from the bonnet, the airbags might not go off during a head-on collision, which means the drivers and passengers are more likely to be injured.
The verdict? If you do a lot of rural driving or off-roading, then roo bars will certainly save you a few panel beater’s bills. However, if you’re a mostly urban driver and just like the looks of them, it’s probably better if you leave them off for safety reasons.
Those who want to fit bull bars to their new 4×4 can find out more about the Australian legal requirements at this link.
Emergency Kit
Ever come across a car accident? Ever been in one? What about a serious one? I had an experience where a car following behind me shot across the middle of the road, hitting another car head on that was travelling in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the accident occurred in a 50 km/h zone, and no one was killed. I stopped, along with one or two others, to see what we could do. Both cars were write offs, and both drivers suffered severe shock. The driver that veered across the road had hit his head during the accident and had a head wound. At the time, there appeared no danger of fire, so we tried to calm both drivers down while waiting for the emergency services to arrive on the scene. Switching back and forth from groaning in pain and wanting to jump out of the car and split the scene, the driver in the wrong had possibly been driving under the influence of some drug. The lady in the other car was very shocked but unhurt.
In the last couple of weeks, a friend of ours was driving down a main road, again in a 50 km/h zone, and a young boy ran straight out in front of the car. Even the driver travelling behind our friend, who witnessed the accident, said there was very little our friend could do. Sadly the boy died soon after the impact.
Has anyone had an experience where your car just stopped and wouldn’t start? It’s bad enough having this happen in the middle of the daytime in busy city streets, but it really stinks when this happens on a cold wet night along ways from anywhere!
So what things can we carry in our cars that will help us in an emergency situation? It is, definitely a good idea to carry some water and food with you if you are heading out of town. It isn’t too difficult to keep a couple of litres of water in the boot of the car that you can drink or use for topping up a leaking radiator.
Having a blanket or two in the back of the car isn’t a silly idea, either. Carry some warm clothing with you – like a jacket and hat.
Some of the late model cars come with an emergency kit already provided, inside the boot or cabin. This might consist of a night reflective sign indicating to oncoming drivers to slow down, a high-viz vest and a heat preserving blanket.
Nowadays having a cellphone with you is a great addition to any travel plans. If you travel through areas that are somewhat unpopulated, having a cellphone with you is even more essential. Consider picking up a car cellphone charger, too. Cell phone signals travel on a line of sight from towers, so if you’re in hilly areas or valleys you’re likely to strike terrible reception. If bad reception occurs, try getting yourself to higher ground, as this often helps.
Go to any major shopping centre, and you’re sure to find a place selling a first aid kit. These have things like bandages, ointment, scissors, tape, plasters, and surgical gloves. You really should have one of these in your car. Many of the first aid kits can slide under the front seats so that little room is taken up.
Don’t forget to take any medication that you or your passengers may need for a long journey. A torch is a must. And, have you thought of doing a first aid course or updating your old one?
Here’s to your safe travels.
Bumper Stickers
Some car enthusiasts hate bumper stickers – they spoil the clean lines and detract from the overall design of their machines, and if you change your mind about the sticker and you put it on the paintwork (bad, bad move), the paintwork can get damaged. The only stickers you’re ever going to see on machines owned by these people are the little tags that all cars have to have to tell those passing by and inspecting them that the car is road legal and all the paperwork has been done and paid for. Plus a few little stickers in obscure parts of the window about the security system installed.
For other people, however, car bumpers and car rear windows are a blank canvas to express creativity and personality – and a sense of humour. In extreme cases, you won’t just find bumper stickers but also things that attach by suction cups onto the rear windows and possibly fuzzy dice or rosaries hanging from the rear view mirror. At the least creative end of the spectrum, you have those “Baby on Board” stickers or suction-cup thingies, warning anyone driving by that there is an occupied child seat in the back. These things were originally marketed as being a safety item, with the idea that if people saw them, they’d slow down and be more considerate. This isn’t the case, especially as you can now get rip-off versions of these than inform the world that you have a certain breed of dog on board – which is likely to be obvious if the windows are down and your Irish Terrier, German Shepherd or whatever is putting its head out the window to catch the breeze (impressive in a long-eared, long-haired breed like the Afghan Hound). At the other end of the spectrum, you get stickers with pictures and slogans. Few cars in Australia come close to the sticker-mania of taxi drivers in Peru back in the early 1990s (yes, this writer was there then and rode in them). It wasn’t the outside but the inside of the taxi (usually owned by a freelance driver and usually one of the classic old VW Beetles) that was covered with stickers with all sorts of jokes and witticisms on them, usually slightly indecent. Or very indecent, but my Spanish wasn’t that good. The stickers were probably there to distract you from the overall poor condition of the vehicle and the bad driving. Or maybe the taxi driver just liked to look at them while waiting for a fare.
Bumper stickers tend to come in two main types: those that make a political statement and indicate the good cause supported or the opinion held by the driver/owner of the car. This includes stickers that promote or advertise products (not including company logos). The other type includes witticisms and tends display a sense of humour. The political/good cause type of sticker can express nearly opinion under the sun and range from the discreet (small fish signs indicating that the driver is a Christian) through to large and eye-catching.
The ones that display a sense of humour are this writer’s favourites. While you won’t find any adorning my Honda Accord (the other half can’t stand bumper stickers), the following are a collection of my favourites:
• When I grow up, I want to be a BMW. (Seen on a very small hatchback).
• I used to be a Range Rover, but I shrank in the wash. (Ditto).
• Help! Dad just farted and we’re trapped!
• Don’t follow me – I’m lost, too.
What are favourite stickers spotted or put on the cars of readers? Send us through the good ‘uns for us all to enjoy (preferably clean – this is supposed to be a family-friendly site!).
Recycle those old car batteries
We live in a recyclable world now. Glass, plastic, metal, paper, oil… the list goes on. I did wonder about what people could do with a corrosive, dud car battery. But you know what? You can recycle these too.
New Zealand’s AA Battery Service is involved with recycling used car batteries, and Bill Keane, General Manager of AA Battery Service, stated that “More than 97 % of a battery is able to be recycled. After every replacement by our mobile battery patrols, we send the used batteries to professional battery recyclers. Almost all the components – plastic casing, acid and lead – are recycled to reduce the environment impact.”
Recycling car batteries helps to reduce the amount of hazardous landfill waste. There are plenty of landfill sites across Australia. You’ve probably got one near to where you live. It is better if we can avoid the large build up of waste over the coming decades. At the www.ephc.gov.au website, you’ll find the low down on the Australian government’s plans and policies regarding waste products and landfills. One of their aims is to help national companies and small businesses to operate effectively and efficiently and manage waste products and waste materials responsibly during and at end of their useful life.
A car’s battery is able to recharge itself so that it can power the starter motor, the lights, the electronic gadgetry and the ignition system for the engine. These batteries are often called SLI batteries, and they have a lead and acid mix in their chemical make-up. SLI batteries are huge environmental polluters.
Hybrid powered cars use battery power alongside fossil fuels to power their cars. The hybrid batteries are a nickel metal hydride make-up, and their toxicity levels and environmental impact are considered to be much than SLI batteries. However, you still have to use natural resources up to produce a car battery.
Whether you are in business or involved with doing your own maintenance on your car at home, the best way to dispose of your car batteries is to pop them at your local refuse station in the recycling section specially catered toward receiving old dud car batteries. Another benefit of recycling a used car battery is that mining for materials to replace that car battery dumped into the landfill is stopped. Certainly, the recycling of car batteries reduces this environmental impact.
If you’re not sure where to go with you old car battery, contact your local council so that they can point you to the closest recycling station. Don’t put your old car battery in the household rubbish, into the general rubbish to go to the landfill or leave the old car batteries lying around the home.
Level 2, 9 Help Street