LateraPlymouth Barracudahadplasticbumpersinitsfrontandrearparts.Renaultlateralso
installed a plastic bumper in their car named Renault5.
Nowadaysthebumpersusedinourcarsaremadefrommixingpolycarbonateandacrylonitrile
butadiene styrene.
Physics,
Thefunctionofthebumpersistoofferprotectiontootherpartsofthecarsbyabsorbingthe
kineticenergythatisreleasedinacollision.Thekineticenergy,inthiscase,issimply½times
thecarweighttimesthevelocityatwhichthecarismoving.Bythisequation,wecanconclude
thatthebumperthatcanprotectacarmovingat 5 mphshouldbe 4 timesstrongerthanthe
bumperofthecarmovingat2.5mph.Everyonewantsthebumperoftheircarstobestrongbut
a stronger bumper means that it is heavy thus canaffect the overall fuel efficiency of the car.
Safety,
Bumpersaredesignedsuchthatwhenacarhitsapedestrian,heundergoesaminimumamount
ofinjurywhichismadesurebyusingflexiblematerialsinthemanufacturingofbumpers.The
bumpers areplaced as low aspossibleandmadefromsoftmaterialssoasto reducethe
intensity of impact on legs.