Side Impact Bars

In addition to the roll cage integrated to the B pillar of a car there are high tensile steel bars running along the side of the car. Side impact bars fall under passive safety features of a car. These bars are integrated into the side of the car to restrain the doors crumpling and crushing passengers in the event of a side impact. Side impact bars not only form a protective cage around the occupants of a car but are also designed to assist in directing energy from the impact to more sturdy areas of the car such as door pillars, roof, the floor and to crumple zones. With the help of crash testing the bars are now placed in an optimal position to increase overall safety. They are installed either horizontally or vertically in the door panel to enhance strengthening of the passenger safety cage. Whether a car has active safety features or not most of them feature passive safety features like side impact bars as they are more affordable. In developed nations passive safety features are standard and mandatory for car makers to install in their cars.