Why don't cars have bulky bumpers anymore?

Yahoo

02-03-2025

If you've ever driven a bumper car at an amusement park, you've probably noticed its eponymous feature: the bumper. Designed to absorb impact, the rubber bumpers protect recreational bumper car occupants from harm. Same goes for passenger car bumpers, which have evolved drastically since vehicles first hit the road.
A big shift in federal regulations for bumpers started with the 1973 model year, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 'Standard No. 215' went into effect. Automakers had to prove their cars could emerge from a 5-mph front collision without damage, which necessitated a design scramble.
Even the legendary Lamborghini Countach was not exempt for U.S. models, and got a nose job that was widely considered blasphemy toward the iconic supercar. Ugly bumpers were strapped onto the front of the Countach to meet the regulations and it might be best if we all wipe that image from our collective memory.
Standard No. 215 wasn't particularly popular, as one might imagine, but there was no way around it. Ultimately, automotive designers had to figure out what to do next. In some ways, it set them back and in other ways, the regulations allowed new technologies to flourish.
'From a design perspective, prior to the 5-mph bumper law, the design trend for mainstream cars was continuing to integrate the bumper into the overall theme. The bumpers were becoming more inset, recessed and very much part of the overall front-end graphics,' said General Motors' VP of Design Wayne Cherry, in an interview with Hagerty. 'The 5-mph bumper requirements set back the evolution of bumper design as an integral part of the design theme for nearly two decades. It was also influential in speeding up the development of flexible materials, which took the integration of bumper design to a new level.'
Between 1973 and 1982, cars gained weight due to the addition of heavy bumpers. Then the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) amended the bumper standard and everything changed again. In 1983, the regulation guidelines dropped to 2.5 miles per hour in the front and 1.5 mph in the corners.
'Bumpers are a standard feature on all vehicles,' Vince Galante, Vice President, Jeep Design. 'Nowadays, they're cleverly concealed behind layers of fascia for aesthetics and improved aerodynamics, along with foam for cushioning and low-speed impact protection. There are still some fantastic examples of exposed bumpers, like the steel ones on the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. These bumpers are not only functional but also modular, allowing for the addition of winches, tow hooks, removable end caps, bull bars, and even extra lighting.'
Jon Ruud, senior manager of Safety Performance Engineering at Nissan Technical Center North America (Nissan's R&D facility in Metro Detroit), says that bumpers may not be as obvious as they used to be. However, they're still doing the job—just in a more advanced way as its engineers have learned more.
At Nissan, Ruud explains, the company designs and tests its vehicles with a combination of three elements: (1) a plastic fascia, (2) high-density energy-absorbing foam and (3) a metal bumper beam underneath. This setup helps minimize damage in low-speed bumps while also providing protection in higher-speed crashes.
'Safety standards have evolved and so have our designs,' Ruud says. 'We're always looking for ways to balance safety, durability and the look our customers expect. Even if you don't see a traditional exposed metal bumper, the impact-absorbing structures are still there to do their job when it matters.'
In a passionate diatribe on Jalopnik lamenting the demise of bumpers, journalist Jason Torchinsky states bumpers don't get the respect they deserve.
'A bumper should be forgiving,' he says. 'It should be something that can take minor damage without that damage even being noticeable, and it should sacrifice itself, as inexpensively as possible, to protect the painted, expensive bodywork. It should be made of materials that can still look fine with some scuffing and scratches and other minor imperfections, which is why those black rubber bumpers so many of us love to hate are actually the best bumpers ever.'
Sure, bumpers should be appreciated. But I have to disagree with him on those black rubber versions. Especially on the Lamborghini Countach.
This story is part of Popular Science's Ask Us Anything series, where we answer your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall. Have something you've always wanted to know? Ask us.