How much impact can a front bumper take?
Today, standard passenger vehicle bumpers have a rigid reinforcing bar under the outer cover, with sections of compressible foam or plastic underneath. In the United States, passenger car bumpers must absorb a five mph impact from another vehicle with no damage to the car body. The foam or plastic make this possible.
What to do if you bump a parked car no damage?
If you hit another unattended vehicle, even if there is no damage, the right thing to do is to stop and leave a note with your contact information. You may believe there is no damage but maybe can’t see it.
What happens to a car’s bumper at 5 mph?
The New Beetle sustained no damage in rear-into-full-width flat barrier and rear-into-pole impacts at 5 mph, and sustained only minor damage in the front-into-flat barrier and front-into-angle-barrier tests at the same speed. 7. What happened to tougher bumper performance standards?
What do you need to know about front bumpers?
It applies to front and rear bumpers on passenger cars to prevent the damage to the car body and safety related equipment at barrier impact speeds of 2½ mph across the full width and 1½ mph on the corners. This is equivalent to a 5 mph crash into a parked vehicle of the same weight.
Why did they put bumpers on cars in 1980?
Cars made during the 1980-82 model years prohibited all but minor cosmetic damage to the bumper itself in 5 mph tests. The result was bumpers that protected cars from damage in many low-speed collisions, meaning lower and less frequent repair bills.
What kind of car has the worst bumpers?
Some have. For example, the 1997 Saturn SL2 sustained no damage in a 5 mph rear-into-pole impact and minor damage in the front and rear full-width flat barrier tests, a significant improvement over the 1993 Saturn. The 1993 Toyota Camry was by far the worst performer among a group of midsize sedans the Institute tested that year.