Corky 8 Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Whilst in France in Aug/Sep I parked nose first on a very small Aire only to find I had inadvertently pushed the front of the Camper plastic Bumper in Slightly, Luckily this popped out with a little help,I have now fitted a Nudge/bullbar to the front of the Camper, I have a feeling sometime back in 2000 some kind of rule against bullbars came into force in Europe, does anyone know if this is enforced as Were France bound very soon, and I wouldnt like to fall foul of the Law, TIA for any help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Have you notified your insurer as they are classed as modifications which have to be notified! Here is a recent quote from the ATOC website "Have your fitted a Nudge or Bull bar to your motorhome? Have you informed your insurance company? I fitted a very nice chrome nudge bar to my motorhome and following a conversation with a member I was advised to inform my insurer of the modification. To my surprise I was told that my insurance would be invalid if it was left on. It is now for sale! Not all insurance companies have the same exclusions, so if you have fitted one or are thinking about fitting one, check with your insurers first! My insurer is Saga." https://www.atocuk.com/general-information/ Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 Thanks Keithl, Insurance isnt something I had thought about,but will get on to it right away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 I had a set of these at one time and they looked really aggressive, this followed visits to Australia where they can protect up to a point, severe front end damage from large Roos as they bound across your path with no warning, some can weigh more than 80k. However I soon removed them when learning that UK vehicles are designed to minimise personal injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 The following links refer https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/429995/bull-bars.pdf http://www.roughtrax4x4.com/blog/why-is-it-illegal-to-sell-bull-bars/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul- Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Also know as Kid Killers and for a very good reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 Once again Thank you Derek, the Bull Bars are freely advertised for sale on ebay, so I automatically thought they would be within the Legislation , Not so as I cannot find the e1 number on them,so a waste of Money on my Part, Thanks again I,m obliged to you. Safe Journey,s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 Paul- I understand your feeling about Bull Bars but you cannot just Label them as you have, they may only kill a child if they come in contact with them, without them they may well kill just as many, speeding trains can also kill a child, the event may never happen.??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 Will86, I think the quote :designed to minimise personal injury applies to the occupants of the Vehicle as in Crash zones which are suppose to collapse in a collision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Corky 8 - 2018-10-27 6:20 PM Will86, I think the quote :designed to minimise personal injury applies to the occupants of the Vehicle as in Crash zones which are suppose to collapse in a collision. I think you will find Will's comment refers to pedestrians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Corky 8 - 2018-10-27 6:16 PM Paul- I understand your feeling about Bull Bars but you cannot just Label them as you have, they may only kill a child if they come in contact with them, without them they may well kill just as many, speeding trains can also kill a child, the event may never happen.??? I don't think this is the real issue, Corky. The fronts of modern vehicles are designed, among other things, to minimise, as far as possible, injury in accidents involving pedestrians. There are relatively soft bits around the front, there is a smoothed profile designed to lift the pedestrian across the bonnet, there are no hard projections, such as bonnet mascots, and windscreen wipers as generally positioned behind the trailing edge of the bonnet, so that the chance of them inflicting injury is also minimised. The insurance premiums for vehicles take these factors into account, on the basis that reduced injuries reduce the potential pay-out if there is a claim. Fitting bull bars alters that risk calculation, and breaches the insurance contract if the insurer is not told. If they are told, and then don't like the extra risk, they will refuse to continue the insurance. Children are relatively small, so bull bars etc are much more likely to come into contact with their heads, sharply increasing the risk of serious, lasting injury, and greatly increasing the potential pay-out in the event of a claim. The hard truth is that, on the evidence, where a child is hit by a vehicle equipped with bull bars etc, their injuries are substantially more serious than in cases where no such additions are present. More serious includes fatal, but it is the surviving, brain damaged, child that costs the real money. Bull bars are designed to protect the vehicle, not to protect pedestrians (or other vehicles) in an accident. The point cannot arise if there is no accident, it is what happens when there is that counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Funny to read this thread now as while in France this summer we noticed 2 different Fiat Ducato vans with bull bars fitted and thought they might be illegal to fit. Another thing is that a Ducato Van is 5.99 mtrs they'd be quite a bit over with the bar fitted so over 6 mtrs for ferry fare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 Corky 8 - 2018-10-27 6:10 PM Once again Thank you Derek, the Bull Bars are freely advertised for sale on ebay, so I automatically thought they would be within the Legislation , Not so as I cannot find the e1 number on them,so a waste of Money on my Part, Thanks again I,m obliged to you. Safe Journey,s My understanding of the legislation is that vehicles fitted with a bull-bar prior to mid-2007 do not need to have the bar removed and, if the original bar becomes damaged, it’s OK to replace it. If the vehicle is post-2007 and has never had a bar fitted, it’s legal to fit a bar provided that the bar complies with the appropriate safety standard and is suitably marked. UK on-line adverts for Ducato bull bars seem to fall into two categories - cheapish (with no mention of EU regulatory compliance) and significantly more expensive (with EU compliance claimed). Examples of the latter are here https://tradevanaccessories.co.uk/fiat-ducato-stainless-steel-inox-bull-bar-eu-2014-on/ https://tinyurl.com/yd79x69f A sturdy external metal framework added to the front of a vehicle must be expected to harm a pedestrian or cyclist more than if the framework were not present - hence the need to consult the insurance provider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 All Comments taken on Board with no Argument, I can see reason in many a reply, Thank you for your welcome input,Safe Journeys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 One other aspect of fitting a bull bar is the impact on the correct operation of the vehicle airbags. When airbags became mandatory on vehicles here in AU most vehicle manufacturers had to redesign their bull bars accordingly. I personally dislike the things however for people living in rural AU they are almost standard equipment on must SUV's. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.