Side impact bars are high strength steel tubes or bars fitted into the doors of the vehicle. They are
passive safety devices in that they don't prevent collisions but they reduce the incidents of injuries and the
extent of these injuries to passengers in the event that the vehicle is involved in a side impact collision.
Side impact bars is now an important feature in automotive safety. For persons sitting in the front seats or the
edge of the rear seat there is approximately six to nine (hollow and without crumple zones)
inches between those occupants and the outside of the vehicle.
If a vehicle collides with your vehicle in the passenger area, the passengers can be injured very easily when compared
to direct collisions from the front or the rear.
Side impact bars can be considered as a part of the vehicle's passenger cage
or shell and increases the overall rigidity and protection of the passenger compartment. These bars may vary slightly in
design but they can be found in the passenger doors in the vehicle.
Side impact bars should not only form part of a protective cage around the occupants in the vehicle but the bars
should also assist in directing some of the force of the impact to more sturdy areas of the vehicle such as the floor,
the door pillars or the roof.
With the aid of information gathered from research, statistics and crash testing
results the bars are placed in the most optimal position to increase overall safety. They are installed either horizontally
or diagonally in the door panels which further strengthens the passenger safety cage and it will direct the force of a
collision more effectively.
Because of their impact on automotive safety side impact bars are now just as popular as their active safety feature
counterparts such as anti lock brakes or traction control.
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