Bumper

BEHAVIOR

They don’t do much, except when you drive too far into a parking space. Then they alert you with a bump and a noise that tells you, “Oh, no.”

HABITAT

They protrude beyond the car, both stem and stern, ostensibly to protect the more expensive components of the car from collisions.

HOW IT WORKS

The idea is sound: put a sacrificial steel bar that can withstand the bruises of everyday traffic to protect the more valuable fenders, grill, hood, and other expensive parts. Over time, however, bumpers have become refined and, in the process, less able

to do their assigned task.

Fiberglass has replaced steel for bumpers and their role has changed from useful protection to ornamentation. However, they do protect smaller and lighter vehicles from sliding under bigger vehicles in the case of  accidents.

INTERESTING FACTS

Undoubtedly you’ve seen politically incorrect bumper stickers, but have you seen the country bumper  stickers? From A for Austria to Z for Zimbabwe, nearly every country has a code. Many are easy to figure

out. Not so for St. Lucia, whose code is WL. That stands for Windward Islands, Lucia. If you see one with SMOM, that represents the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. EAK is on cars from Kenya—East

Africa Kenya. Switzerland uses CH for Confoederatio Helvetica. And, if you see a sticker with BS, its not making any political or social statements; the car is from the Bahamas.

© 2009 by Ed Sobey

All rights reserved

Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

ISBN: 978-1-55652-812-5

Printed in the United States of America

5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sobey, Edwin J. C., 1948–

A field guide to automotive technology / Ed Sobey.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-55652-812-5

1. Automobiles—Popular works. 2. Mechanics—Popular works. I. Title.

TL146.5.S63 2008

629.2—dc22

2008046620