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And cause damage to the other vehicle, potentially increasing your overall cost instead of just having some minor cosmetic damage.

Why would it matter if the other person hit you. I had to put mine on because people kept backing into my truck I. My parking lot at my apartments.

True. Keep a 3 ball on mine at all times. Wife got rear ended, didn’t touch my vehicle. Scraped up the ball a bit. Other car had a gaping hole and a hanging front bumper.

Friend of a friend was literally decapitated by one that came loose and fell off on the freeway.

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This is illegal in my state.

Some states are no fault. Or you may have been in reverse making it all your fault in other places. Or it will probably give you or a passenger whiplash where the bumper may have absorbed the impact as intended.

But be careful when backing into spaces where you might hang it out into a walkway or sidewalk. Wheelchairs need their space.

Or until someone steals it

Yeah, this "saves" the thing that's designed to absorb impact, and puts it on your frame.

Less cosmetic damage, more structural damage.

It's a terrible tradeoff

Oh I never even thought of that. By connecting to the frame it takes all those nice crash zones out of the equation so they’re not absorbing any of the impact.

Supremely dick move.

Don't do this.

Don't rear end someone. That is a dick move.

No, that's an accident. A mistake.

Deliberately installing/leaving your trailer hitch in place to disable a safety feature of your car at the expense of their car is a dick move.

Don't hit my vehicle and your vehicle won't be damaged. Seriously, you jackassed into me, you don't get sympathy.

I have a lock on mine.