Brushguards on SUV's safe?

I was recently planning on buying an Acura MDX. One of my friends told me I should put a brushguard infront of it, so I asked him why I should do that. He said that the brushguard will keep you safe if you crash into another car. But wouldn't that mean that if I were to crash into another car with a brushguard on, it would damage the other car really badly? I mean, I see cars on the road, like RAV4's and Highlanders with brushguards. If their meant to protect you, wouldn't that be injuring the car you crash into really badly? What is the use of having a brushguard anyways? Will it damage the car that you crash into really severly?
Additional Details
Even if I added the brushguard, wouldn't it like plow through the other car and cause serious injury to the driver? I mean if it's meant to keep me safe, it's going to have to leave someone else injured, right?..

daltonultra

The bars police use are push bars, and are mounted to the bumper itself.

Brushguards vary, but most aftermarket ones are attached directly to the frame of the vehicle, which means they don't use the shock absorber that cushions impacts against the bumper.
This means that if you hit another car, the brushguard will not absorb any of the impact, and will transfer all of that impact directly to the frame of your vehicle. This means you could have zero damage to your bumper, but completely total the vehicle because the frame has been bent. It also means that the other vehicle WILL be damaged worse, increasing the pay-out that your insurance will have to make.
The few brushguards that utilize the bumper shock absorber are better, but will still increase the damage to the other car, with out decreasing the damage to your own vehicle, other than say, bumping someone in a parking spot.

BTW, ALL brushguards available from the factory are required to use the shock absorber in the bumpers.

Dtownfb

Brushguards were originally put on vehicles to push through the brush while off-roading. With the popularity of the SUV and pickup in the 90's they became popular accessories for the urban warriors.

Yes they can cause severe damage to other cars....and to your SUV. With the brushguards on, you've now changed the designed impact point (crash point). Instead of your bumper absorbing the majority of the impact as designed, you'll see more damage to the entire front end in a light accident.

StanS

The most they do is make your your look more macho.

It may add a little more front end protection in case of an accident, but it would also defeat whatever 'crumple' zone the car was built with. Stiffen up the car, and you get thrown around a bit more.

BUT, they are not meant to protect the car in an accident. They're supposed to keep brushes and bushes and debris off the car when you're off roading. They're also a pain in the a$$ to clean (the mesh around the headlights).

Do you go off road?

Do you get brushes and bushes and debris on your car?

Pete T

A brush guard was designed like its name implies, to ( guard against brush ) going through your radiator. For the life of me , I can't understand anyone buying a high dollar SUV or pickup and wanting to run thru the brush and scratching it up.

Chris G

Brush-guards are meant for protecting your paint from getting scratched by brush while off-roading.They will not protect you at all while in a crash.and personally they look ugly.

john m

yes but thats not the purpose its to protect you not them

Callie .

They are installed on police cars for pushing... They're called Push bars.

They can be used to push disabled vehicles, without damaging the cars. It's not about safety on police cars.

Yes. if you put a brush guard on your car, it could protect you. It could also cause way more damage to the other car. It's up to you whether or not you put one on your car.

UCANTCME

No...........It will do the job that it is meant to do and remember if they were not good for vehicles then why do the police use them as well on their police cars..

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