What's the point of those oversized police bumpers?

Could those oversized bumpers on the front of police vehicles put pedestrians at a greater risk?

Sioux Falls resident David Zokaites, a familiar face at City Council meetings, often uses public input to pontificate on issues, including police militarization. This week his topic was the push bumpers, also known as bull bars, equipped on the front of Sioux Falls Police cruisers.

“There’s this whole militarization of police going on. It’s not a tank, it’s not an armored personnel carrier but it’s still more militaristic than this nice soft relatively comfortable bumper on a car,” he told the Council. “(My) real concern is all about accidents.”

A Canadian researcher says Zokaites' concern could be a valid one.

Barry Wellar, a retired University of Ottawa professor who often testifies as an expert witness in transportation safety cases, said little research has been done on the safety impact to pedestrians and cyclists regarding bull bars. What does exist suggests pedestrians' chances of surviving a collision are cut in half when bull bars are involved.

“They’re head high for a kid. They can take the bull bar right in the head,” he said. “And they’re absolutely killer for cyclists or pedestrians. It’s serious trouble.”

Bull bars have come into popularity in recent years with the general public buying them aftermarket for their SUVs and pickup trucks. Law enforcement agencies around the country have also found them useful, including the Sioux Falls Police Department. Since 2013, the city has spent about $22,500 putting bull bars on 45 police cruisers.

Wellar said in a typical car versus pedestrian accident, the front bumper of a car hits the person in the knee area and throws them over the hood. But with bull bars, the pedestrian ends up being shoved to the ground, increasing the chances of being ran over.

That’s not to say they don't have legitimate uses for some law enforcement agencies. In rural areas, bull bars can reduce the amount of damage to vehicles in wildlife collisions.

But Wellar said that shouldn’t be the case in an urban community like Sioux Falls.

“Why do you want to put the bull bars on in the first place? If they’re using it as a ram, get an armored personnel carrier,” he said.

Cpt. Rich Miller said the push bumpers the Sioux Falls Police Department uses are actually aimed at increasing traffic safety.

“With our old cars, the sirens were tucked up behind the fender, so the sound had to come out from underneath the car or through the grill,” he said. “(Push bumpers) are a good place to mount the sirens. There was a definite difference in the amount of sound … you could actually hear.”

The bumpers also allow more lights to be mounted on the front of cruisers to alert drivers of a traffic stop, Miller said.

While some law enforcement agencies around the country use steel push bumpers, the one’s used here are aluminum, designed to cave in with the vehicle during a crash. Protecting vehicles from collisions aren’t their function, Miller said.

“We’ve had a couple accidents, unfortunately, and they just crumple right in,” he said. “I don’t think it would offer a whole lot of protection from the deer.”