New research released Thursday has revealed that poor modern car bumper design is costing UK motorists GBP250 million a year in unnecessary bills.
Insurance industry research center Thatcham conducted two years of research into the effectiveness of car bumpers during impact scenarios. The bumper is supposed to absorb the energy of the contact, thus reducing the level of damage to the interior parts of the car. However, the research organization found that an alarming number of cars on roads in the UK are not properly protected by their bumpers.
The report contested that cars with inadequately designed bumpers, or even designed with no bumpers at all were at risk of unnecessarily high amounts of damage, even at low speeds. A minor crash at just 10mph can cost over GBP4,000, not to mention a driver’s no claims bonus and significant inconvenience, Thatcham said in its press release.
As a result of the increased damage to car parts, repair costs are higher and therefore insurance premiums are higher. In fact, according to industry site MotorTrader.co.uk, poor bumper design is costing British insurers an estimated GBP250 million per year.