Bullbars: are they necessary?

[Roo]

Accessory holders are a necessary evil and you don't need to be out west to need one. The 1km of coastal heath lined road between the roundabout at the entrance to our estate and the servo is regular wallaby highway.
The road to the in-laws place is cattle country, and they're regularly out on the road at night, also only 20 mins from the beach.

[SteveandViv]

Yep,  I reckon it would have coloured your undies too 

Yea, I would be sh1t scared as well 

[GeoffA]

Yep,  I reckon it would have coloured your undies too 

No time for any of that. All over in the blink of an eye.

If the Paj wasn't fitted with a bull bar, we may have been injured. We certainly wouldn't have driven home.
If we (all 4 of us) weren't in a 4wd, we'd probably all be dead........

[MarDon]

For us, we live in a rural area, and have always chosen to add a bulbar to our 4wd's. With saying that, the only roo we've ever hit was years ago when one jumped into us, while we were stopped! We seem to have more in our street than what we ever see while travelling. Not sure about them being a 'necessity' but we always  feel a bit 'naked' until the bar goes on. The only thing attached to ours at the moment is the aerial - no spotties, no winch.


My teenage son has a tuff bar on his cruiser ute, necessary or not, I don't know, but for him, I think it just goes with 'the look' he wants. Yes, it also has aerials, spotties, winch attached! He likes it, and that's what counts for him!

Same son also made a miniature matching tuff bar for his 4 wheeler, also has spotties, winch and aerial attached! 

Dee.

[dazzler]

Such was not my intention.

I know your intentions were good and it is a good discussion but they normally go bad.   

I probably jinxed this one 

[SteveandViv]

I know your intentions were good and it is a good discussion but they normally go bad.   

I probably jinxed this one 

No, not you Dazzler, you wouldn't jinx a thread, would you 

[Skinnee]

I live in a rural area in SA and frequent the flinders ranges (5 hour drive through roo country) on trips we only travel between 8am and 4pm, I haven't invested in a bull bar , insurance/RAA will cover us for a worst case scenario.

Dual battery was number one priority

[dirtpilot]

I always have one fitted to every 4x4. Modern 4x4's only have a flimsy plastic bumber bar to protect intercoolers, radiators and aircon gear. Who decides who should or should't have one? I have seen a kangaroo bounce up Plenty rd in Mill Park last month. Middle of suburbia.

[SteveandViv]

It's the cows rather than Roo's but as I also travel up he Gibb for work and even last week a trip to Balgo with a late return saw us miss about 10 Roo's and stupid bloody cows. As noted, it is very situational.

[Jaysea]

Still trying to grapple with this issue as we are neither bushies or city slickers. We manage to get away once a month for weekend trips and 2 or three longer trips a year.  Next year we are heading from sydney up to Darwin and back for several months. But rest of time car is the daily work commute doing the usual fight in shopping centres.

So the decision is EITHER ...... no bar as a lot of use is in the city therefore not carting extra weight for no reason makes sense .....OR. Get the bar due to those times we are travelling.
 

If only they invented one that was easy to take on and off!

[GanG]

I live in the country and do alot of night driving in high animal risk country........wouldnt be without one, I have hit 2 roos in the last 12 months, and struck a cow a glancing blow, no damage to the pootrol at all.

Horses for courses but would not be without mine.

[SteveandViv]

It is a tough one to many. As I'm out and about - remote every week it s easy but would I carry the weight around if I wasn't out there, I don't think so.

I suppose there is no real easy answer.

[alnjan]

Until you can justify the reason for having it, you  don't need it, until the day you do and then you wish you did. 

[Swogjb]

We live in the country, roos, emus, deer & stray stock are a big hazard on our roads.
I wouldnt own a 4x4 without a bull bar.
 

[02-SR5]

I live up in "tuffbar" country.

I have a bulbar, but I don't get the whole truck 5 post bull bar that looks like the front end of a dozer. They are every where up here in Toowoomba.

[nbd73]

Accessory holders are a necessary evil and you don't need to be out west to need one. The 1km of coastal heath lined road between the roundabout at the entrance to our estate and the servo is regular wallaby highway.
The road to the in-laws place is cattle country, and they're regularly out on the road at night, also only 20 mins from the beach.

Interesting, this would imply every vehicle on the road in this area should be fitted with a bar.
So far most people have stated the very valid safety aspect, which as I said in the OP I am not disputing, but 4wd's are not the only style of vehicle to travel the roads in these high risk areas or times of day. So why do so few passenger vehicles get bars fitted in comparison? Are the drivers/owners of these vehicles less safety conscious than 4wd owners?

[GUEY]

Would agree with most of the previous regarding animal and cyclist strikes (yes I put them in the same category).
Possibly due to my driving techniques I have found my self resting the front or side of the patrol against trees. This is only slow speed 4being but still better on bars than panels.

Imho though I think the biggest reason people get them is that 90% of 4bees look absolutely sh$thouse without them. And yes that does include Patrols.

[02-SR5]

Imho though I think the biggest reason people get them is that 90% of 4bees look absolutely sh$thouse without them. And yes that does include Patrols.

How true

[D4D]

Walk through any car park at a shopping centre and a good 50% of 4B's fitted with bull bars don't even have a scratch on their bar and the paintwork on their car is immaculate.  They are usually fitted with factory alloy side steps that also look brand new.  You know the ones that would be bent in half or ripped off the side of the car at the first sign of a real 4B track.

I don't think that is a good indicator of if a 4wd is being used for it's intended purpose. I look after my Prado and I use it in the bush, I just don't drive the hard-core tracks I drove in my GQ i.e. I know the limits of the Prado. You don't have to drive hard-core tracks to have fun.

Regarding the original question, whilst I haven't hit a roo yet I see about one a week dead on the side of the road where I live along with shattered glass and car parts. I also regularly travel areas where deer/cattle etc. roam. The other reason is it gives me somewhere to hold my winch and spotlights.

[muzza01]

I don't think that is a good indicator of if a 4wd is being used for it's intended purpose. I look after my Prado and I use it in the bush, I just don't drive the hard-core tracks I drove in my GQ i.e. I know the limits of the Prado. You don't have to drive hard-core tracks to have fun.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am simply trying to put it in perspective of the OP's Q.  I think generally speaking, a lot of 4x4's have a bullbar fitted because everyone else has one not because they actually need one.  I am sure they would say they need it for protection against roos or cattle but i bet the family sedan his not fitted with a bar.

I think a lot of Patrols, Pajeros and Cruza wagons have been purchased by families that wanted a people mover.  There are a high percentage of these in every city and most are fitted with a bullbar??? why, I don't know.

So what is the intended purpose of a 4wd?  I would say to use it as a 4wd.  But lets be honest, a lot of 4x4's are bought as a people movers and perhaps people feel safer driving one. Once again i don't know

We have a few roos around where I live.  I end up with a roadkill roo on the back of my acre block every 4-5 months or so.
I don't have a bullbar on the front on my sons car or my wife's car for protection.

[TOPNDR]

Two points

I've had a bull bar on all 4 4wds I've owned. Twice I've been able to continue my trip after impact damage that without the bulbar, would have required a flat-top or tow.  And I'll tell you a flat-top from Kalumbaru to Kununurra, then somehow home to Darwin, wouldn't have been cheap.

Point two: if we're going to judge people who put a bull bar on when WE deem it unnecessary, we should be prepared to be judged on our own wants and desires.

[weeds]

timely thread..........i guess you will need to list whats most important to fit first

agree front bars are handy to fit things to......however

i am about to remove front bar and go back to a standard bumper, i just need to work out where to mount my UHF aerial...i have decided to ditch the driving lights so no problem there

[Brett B]

Plenty of roos where I live
I have an alloy bar but want a steel bullbar

[chester ver2.0]

If it was easy to do I would remove my BB when not going somewhere I may need it, but with the lights attached (and soon to be arials) this would be a pain in the rear end (front end actually  ).

I do not drive near school zones when I can avoid it, I have seen way too many kids running out between cars and not looking.

Exactly the same boat i used to drive between Sydney and Forbes every Friday arvo at night so the bullbar was great for the roos but as above if there was a mounting system that i could keep the bumper bar and have the front protection easily fitted and removed i would go for it

[discoteddy]

Two points

I've had a bull bar on all 4 4wds I've owned. Twice I've been able to continue my trip after impact damage that without the bulbar, would have required a flat-top or tow.  And I'll tell you a flat-top from Kalumbaru to Kunanurra, then somehow home to Darwin, wouldn't have been cheap.

Point two: if we're going to judge people who put a bull bar on when WE deem it unnecessary, we should be prepared to be judged on our own wants and desires.

Sums it up nicely I recon, top reply!!

Cheers,

Disco teddy.