Vehicle manufacturers do not design occupant protection around a 2.5 mph component. Here is why. If the rear bumper beam were truly critical to passenger safety, vehicle manufacturers would have designed the entire rear crash structure around it. They would not test it at 2.5 mph. They would not allow trailer hitches to be installed on their vehicles. And NHTSA...
trailer hitch installation
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Damage Resistance vs. Crash Safety: Why Removing a Bumper Beam Is Not What You Think
The bumper beam reduces property damage. The vehicle structure protects people. Understanding the difference changes the conversation. When a customer hears that a hitch installation involves removing the rear bumper beam, the instinct is to think: that beam protects me. But the federal standard that governs the beam, and the purpose the beam serves, have nothing to do with protecting...