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The purpose of the roll bar is to protect driver and passengers from
injury if the car rolls over onto its roof. A series of tubes that
are welded together into a contoured shape, and then bolted directly
to the frame members, or rails. Since frame members are located
differently on different types of cars, a roll bar is very unique to
an individual car, and must be designed for a specific car.
Although a roll bar is a very nice feature, it is not always
practical, because there isn't a place to mount it. Roll bars are
usually put on convertibles as an aftermarket add-on piece. A
convertible provides no protection if it overturns.
Some cars have built-in "targa" roll bars. These are roll bars that
are covered up by body work; they appear to be part of the body. Targa
roll bars are generally flat and wide, instead of round like normal
roll bars. Because they are wider, they are able to hold up the
overturned car. They also look nice, because they look like a body
panel. They do reduce rear visibility because of their greater width.
Some targa roll bars are purely cosmetic, because they have no frame
inside. This type of roll bar affords you about as much protection as
the windshield, and so is not really a roll bar.
Most cars don't come with roll bars, but all race cars have roll
bars. Roll bars themselves are relatively inexpensive, but they
usually require quite a bit of expensive installation work. Some
roll bars provide better protection than others.
If you have a tendency to exceed the speed limit along winding roads
or go off roading, you really ought to have a roll bar.
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