Bullbars could be banned under changes to the national road safety rules currently being considered by the Federal Government. The Government has invited public comment on proposed changes to the design rules for cars. Aimed at improving safety for pedestrians, the changes include the mandatory redesign of cars from 2012-13 and could see bullbars being outlawed. The executive director of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association says there have been similar changes to road rules in Europe. Stuart Charity says the changes will effectively eliminate bullbars on the grounds they are a danger to pedestrians. "The bullbar industry in Australia is a $300 million industry and it's at significant jeopardy with these regulations being proposed," he said. But Mr Charity is concerned the regulations do not address the issue of passenger safety. "Our real concern is that the regulations only address the pedestrian impact safety element, and not the vehicle occupant impact," he said. "Bullbars in the Australian context play a critical role in keeping the occupants of vehicles safe, stopping vehicles being stranded and so on. "The incidence of animal strikes in Australia is huge. Our initial data shows that there's around 25 to 30,000 insurance claims as a result of animal strikes a year." The Northern Territory Government said it will fight any national move to ban bullbars on cars. Transport Minister Gerry McCarthy said it would not happen on his watch. "I'm confident that there wouldn't be any changes to this policy without the endorsement of the minister's council for transport," he said. "Certainly the Northern Territory Government would be lobbying strongly against any planned changes, we won't be banning bullbars in the Northern Territory." Mr McCarthy says bullbars are essential for rural driving. "There has been a lobby from the south of the country in our major cities for a number of years, but bullbars form a very important and effective accessory on motor vehicles that operate in the Northern Territory and northern Australia," he said.
