Safety Or Hazard? Delhi High Court Rules Against Car Crash Guards

Published: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 17:42 [IST]

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered authorities to take necessary action against the use of crash guards/bull bars on vehicles. Crash guards are metal structures which are attached to the front and rear ends of vehicles to protect them in the event of a collision.

Despite the fact that crash guards may seem like a viable means of protecting a vehicle's body, safety concerns surrounding these guards have been the subject of debates for several years.

A two judge bench of Delhi High Court headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma ruled that "Crash guards and bull bars on motor vehicles are not allowed, and the government agencies shall implement the provisions of law rigorously as spelled out under the Motor Vehicles Act."

The court was hearing a plea submitted by Aarshi Kapoor and Sidharth Bagla claiming that these bumpers threaten the safety of pedestrians and passengers alike at the event of a collision.

The plea argued that while these bumpers may protect the vehicle during a low speed crash, they could cause technical failures in the vehicles' built-in safety features. This, in turn, could escalate the magnitude of the crash and increase casualties.

Mohammed Arif, a dealer of crash guards, had filed another plea, requesting to suspend the enforcement of the Ministry's directive.He claimed that the crash guards could not be bound under Section 52 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The fuss around crash guards started quite a while ago. In December 2017, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had given instructions to every state demanding strict action against unauthorized modifications referring to Sections 190 and 191 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

But the proceedings had to be stopped after a stay issued by the Delhi High Court in March 2018,which eventually lead to the stopping of the challans against the outlawed vehicles.

Anil Sony, the standing counsel for the Central Government stated that crash guards or bull bars fitted in vehicles could cause serious injuries to pedestrians, even in the case of a minor accident.

He further added that these crash guards or bull bars would prevent the opening of airbags if the vehicles they were fitted to met with an accident, raising additional safety concerns.

Thoughts: Modifications in India are always a hot debating topic for the automotive community. Proper research, exceptional designing, and advanced engineering are the solutions to overpower the safety hurdles we encounter every day. However, it is practical to stay on the safer side when it comes to safety and aesthetics.