The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have decided to ban the bull bars on cars in the country. Bull bars are the guards that are fitted in front of the car as a safety measure. It is, however, more of an accessory to enhance the look of your vehicle and does little for the safety of your car. The government has declared bull bars as a violation of Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. If you are wondering as to why suddenly such a decision has been taken, it is to lessen the cases of injury in case of an unfortunate incident.

Bull bars do not help in safety rather reduce the effect of safety measures that have been fitted in the car at the time of manufacture. When a bull bar is attached to the front of the car, it can damage the inner components and structural parts. They may also interfere with the working of airbags in case of an emergency situation. Automakers and insurance companies many a time thus do not allow the bull bar accessorized cars. Not just the occupants of the car, they are also dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheelers or other smaller cars. In case of a crash, the bull bar can result in the death of those on the opposite side. It can even damage the chassis of a car.

So rather than being tagged as a safety measure, a bull bar is clearly not effective which is why they have now been banned. A penalty of Rs. 1000- Rs. 5000 or an imprisonment of three months to three years is the punishment decided. So if you are a car owner or even know someone whose car has a bull bar, inform them to take it off.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 26, 2017 06:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).