A vehicle steering assembly with a movable steering column includes a mounting plate carried by the vehicle, a bracket supporting a portion of the steering column, movable with the steering column, and coupled to the mounting plate, a bend mandrel, and a bend strap operably associated with the bracket for movement with the bracket. The bend strap has a pair of legs on opposed sides of the bend mandrel and a bight interconnecting the legs and arranged so that upon movement of the bracket relative to the mounting plate the bend strap engages the bend mandrel and one leg is progressively deformed about the mandrel to absorb energy from the moving bracket and steering column. A portion of the leg progressively deformed about the mandrel upon movement of the bracket engages a reaction surface defined by at least one of the mounting plate or the bracket.