US Patent 10179559 Rear impact guard for a vehicle

A vehicle includes a frame and a bumper pivotally connected to the frame. An actuator is mounted to the frame and coupled to the bumper. The actuator is operable to pivot the bumper relative to the frame between a substantially vertical position and an angled position. A user interface is used to activate the actuator. A vehicle controller is programmed to receive a signal from the user interface, and responsive to receiving the signal, activate the actuator to pivot the bumper. The controller may also issue warnings to the driver when the bumper is in an incorrect position for the current driving conditions.