November 19, 2007: Bear vs. Truck

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I doubt your assertion that it would be more unsafe for me, in fact if I hit you with a tank because you pull out in front of me and you die, then you should think twice about pulling out in front of my tank.

I've a strong suspicion that your tongue may be in your cheek for most of your post, but this part conflates two points.
You need crumple zones if you hit an object that is immovable or at least very much larger than yours - say, a semi trailer. Without them the deceleration is passed on to the passengers at full intensity. Mind you, driving something like what you posted here ... there aren't gonna be too many things that are immovable.

That crash bar is good for protecting the vehicle when it hits very large animals: moose, deer, bears. It may leave you (the human cargo) vulnerable in sudden-stop collisions. You'd want to weigh up the likelihood of each happening, allow for gas consumption, do the cost-benefit analysis, and make your decision. Unless very large animals are common where you frequently drive, I don't think it would be justified. Seems like you thunk this all through already though.
With what was shown here rollover would be a bigger worry for me. Or running over your kids in the driveway because you couldn't see them.