Will a grille guard protect my truck against damage from hitting a deer?

One of the biggest fears for many truck owners is the unexpected deer, particularly on those early-morning drives or late-evening journeys when they’re especially difficult to see. Even behind the wheel of a pickup truck, meeting a deer on the road head-on can lead to rather costly repairs, but there are ways to mitigate this damage beyond simply developing better driving habits. One of the most common and helpful ways to protect one’s truck against the damage from hitting a deer is to upgrade your pickup with a grille guard. While the grille guard often looks more like an aesthetic modification than anything else, it can and will protect against damage from head-on collisions, even from hitting a deer.

A grille guard is a robust modification that you can add to any vehicle. They’re most commonly made from metal – such as stainless steel, aluminum or regular steel – but can be made from other materials like plastic or carbon fiber. While it certainly enhances the visual appeal of your vehicle, mounting it to the front of your truck will also add an extra layer of protection for your vehicle’s front fascia.

The primary function of your grille guard is to absorb as much of the shock from a head-on collision as it can, before redistributing the force of the impact across a wider surface. This should, in turn, reduce the damage done to vital components such as the radiator, headlights and the grille itself. The guard is therefore taking the brunt of the collision, preventing the entire force from impacting your engine bay.

While it might not help in high-speed, vehicle-on-vehicle collisions, it can certainly help in low- to moderate-speed impacts such as running into an unexpected deer. In other words, it’s not an absolute safeguard against all head-on collisions, maybe not even all deer collisions. The faster you’re going, the more energy the guard will be required to absorb, but they have their limits. So don’t let the grille guard substitute for safe driving habits.

There are a wide variety of grille guards out there, with all different kinds of designs and constructions. Your options range from light-duty guard bars that provide minimal protection to heavy-duty rigs built with off-road challenges in mind. Making sure you choose the right type of grille guard for your driving habits and personal preferences is key, so do some research before deciding on what’s right for you.

For example, light-duty grille guards are typically designed for urban and suburban driving where you’re typically driving at much slower speeds and collisions aren’t nearly as common. Heavy-duty guards, on the other hand, are built for off-road enthusiasts who require much more impact resistance than most. However, even if you don’t intend to do any off-roading, you might want to consider a heavy-duty grille guard if you often travel through areas with wildlife like deer, as it will better protect you in these kinds of situations.

You should also carefully consider which brand you want to opt for, as there are plenty of great brands out there, all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. Road Armor, Body Armor, Smittybilt and Fab Fours are a few of our trusted brands that have plenty of different grille guard options on offer.

Adding a grille guard to the front end of your pickup truck is a great start for protecting your vehicle against deer, but there are plenty of other options that you might want to consider as well. For example, you might want to consider a full bumper upgrade rather than (or in addition to) adding a grille guard, as factory bumpers aren’t typically as protective as aftermarket upgrades. Here are some other things to consider:

• Skid plates
• Enhanced lighting
• Deer whistles
• Detection systems

If you have any questions about any of this information, or would like to inquire about adding a grille guard to your pickup truck, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right here at Glover Customs.