What on earth are those things???

[Optimus]

OK, this drives me mad everytime I see it, because although I consider myself somewhat car-knowledgable, I have NO idea what these are.

Have you ever seen, on the back of a car, a black rubber strip that hangs down to the road and usually has a small reflector on it? I thought it was just hanging trim on a couple, but they are on SEVERAL cars, and the refloctor thing just made me go "Huh?".
They drag along just above or on the ground...


What are they for?

 

[Bryan]

It's so you can see gangbangers with knives under your car, ready to slash your ankles.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

I think it's a mud flap thingy. To keep mud from flinging on the car behind them while driving. Right??

 

[Farbio]

well i don't know what the purpose of those would be on a car, but on a truck or pickup, they are used for towing. they prevent road dirt and rocks, etc from being kicked up and hitting the load being towed. they are especially used when towing boats as rocks kicked up onto the hull are not usually good things.

 

[thebestMAX]

Static straps, really.

Look at the trucks that used to drag a length of chain for the same reason.

 

[Czar]

Yeah, if a lightning hits your car this is the ground.

 

[Viper GTS]

Czar...

It's more likely to keep you from getting a nasty shock as you step out of your vehicle & touch a metal post with one hand still on your car. Toll booths have grounds to protect the toll operators from the same thing.

Viper GTS

 

[Windogg]

OT in OT but what the hell.

When you pay a toll, ever notice a wire or two sticking out of the ground? It's there to ground the cars so tollcollectors don't get continuous shocks from people paying up.

Windogg

EDIT, DOH!!! Viper editted his post so mine is obsolete.