PIL in HC against crash guards on vehicles

New Delhi: Metal bumpers, also known as crash guards, installed at the front and back of vehicles are a threat to lives of pedestrians as well as passengers and should be banned, a PIL has claimed in the Delhi High Court which has sought the Centre's response.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Ministry of Road Transport and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), asking them to make clear their stand on the issue.

The petition, which is listed for hearing on November 22, claims that while these bumpers, often also referred to as 'bull bars', may look stylish and protect the vehicle in low speed impacts, in high speed accidents they would defeat the in-built safety features of the car resulting in serious and fatal injuries to the passengers.

Petitioners Aarshi Kapoor and Sidharth Bagla have contended that the crash guards would also knock down pedestrians in low and high speed impacts, causing serious injuries apart from putting their lives at risk.

The petition, filed through advocate Anil Aggarwal, contends that the plastic bumpers installed by vehicle manufacturers would not knock down pedestrians in low speed impacts and in high speed accidents with another vehicle or object, they act as 'crumple zones' which absorb impact of the collision.

"The crash guards may look stylish and protect the front bumper, engine, radiator, lights, ac compressor during low speed impacts, but would result in fatal injuries to pedestrians at low speeds and would take lives of passengers in high speed impacts.

"Use of 'crash guards' interferes with and defeats all safety features of a vehicle. They also cause inadvertent and premature deployment of airbags," it said.

The petitioners have sought a direction to the ministry to prohibit use of crash guards as well as running of vehicles which have installed such metal bumpers.

It has also sought a direction to IRDA to not insure motor vehicles installed with crash guards or any other equipment that impairs the in-built safety features of a vehicle or affects its "crashworthiness" in any manner.