Danger of extra bumpers on vehicles

With the passage of time, advancement of technology and change in focus, vehicle bumpers have gone through massive improvements since the first bumper on vehicles appeared in 1897. At the early stage of automobile industry development, bumpers were made of stiff metals and had mainly an ornamental function. Over the years, the focus shifted to functionality for improving safety and protecting vehicle components while the material changed to a combination of metal and rubber and then to metal and fiberglass composite or plastic. Bumpers of most modern automobiles are made of a combination of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Vehicles that Bangladesh imports have these modern bumpers integrated, but people do not get their safety benefit. Why? Because owners attach additional steel or iron bumpers to the front and rear ends of buses and trucks as well as smaller vehicles like private cars, microbuses, pickups and three-wheelers to ensure that collision, bump, etc; do not damage or dent their vehicles. This is done illegally, tinkering with the manufacturers' original design and totally ignoring the scientific reasons for bumpers as if ordinary Bangladeshi people and half educated technicians understand the technology better than their inventors do! Such mindless modifications have appeared as a deadly threat to road safety in Bangladesh as they turn vehicles into battering rams, especially in crowded urban areas where space is already constrained. Otherwise survivable accidents often end in fatal tragedies because of the extra bumpers. Yes, the bumpers might minimise damage to the vehicle they are attached to in case of accidents, but they cause disproportionate damage to other vehicles, pedestrians and roadside structures. In 2024, 7,294 people were killed and 12,019 injured in road accidents in the country, according to the Road Safety Foundation. Had the vehicles no extra bumpers welded onto them, many of these lives might have been saved.

 Attaching extra bumpers to vehicles is illegal under the traffic laws in effect. Still it is hard to find any vehicle without them. The problem is compounded by several factors. Most transport owners and drivers believe the modifications provide added security to their vehicles, thanks mainly to deep-rooted ignorance about road safety and a lack of awareness about the risks posed to others. Another factor is the lax enforcement of relevant laws.

Regulatory authorities on a few occasions announced crackdowns on such 'modifications' and conducted sporadic drives with some vehicles being fined for the law violation, but the efforts are often short-lived and lack consistency. Such inconsistency encourages offenders to return to the roads undeterred. Another significant issue is the lack of coordination among the authorities concerned. While the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is authorised to issue vehicle fitness certification, the traffic police are responsible for enforcing road regulations and local government bodies to oversee infrastructure. The absence of a coordinated approach allows vehicle owners to exploit loopholes and continue using illegal modifications with impunity. A vehicle may pass fitness checks from BRTA while simultaneously violating traffic laws enforced by the police. Workshops which install illegal bumpers with little technical knowledge about automobiles and no oversight from the authorities play a major role in aggravating the situation.

A comprehensive strategy is needed to address this problem. Enforcement of law must be strengthened. The BRTA and the traffic police should launch joint drives with mobile courts to seize and fine vehicles using illegal bumpers and thorough inspections of vehicles should be ensured before issuing vehicle fitness certificates. Workshops producing and installing such bumpers should be penalized and closed down for repeated violations. Public awareness campaigns are also crucial in this regard. Transport workers and vehicle owners should be brought under mandatory training programmes that include modules on road safety and legal provision for vehicle modifications.

rahmansrdk@gmail.com