Vehicle borne threats range from vandalism to sophisticated or aggressive attack by terrorists or determined criminals.
Vehicles (such as cars, vans and lorries) are widely available and terrorists have previously gained access to them through a number of means:
Owned – a vehicle is under the attacker’s possession
Borrowed – a vehicle is lent by an unwitting or complicit associate
Leased – a vehicle is hired from a company, using real or fake documentation
Stolen – a stationary, unattended (locked or keys in ignition) vehicle is taken
Hijacked – an occupied vehicle, parked inside or outside a protected area, is seized
During a terrorist attack, the driver is unlikely to comply with the rules of the road. They will:
- Traverse over green spaces such as fields, recreational ground, parks
- Park illegally
- Ignore traffic signals
- Drive at speed
- Drive on the wrong side of the road
- Mount footways
- Enter pedestrianised zones.
Terrorists use vehicles in three main ways to enable an attack:
Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED)
Vehicle As a Weapon (VAW)
Layered Attack Vehicle – transporting attackers and / or weapons
For more information, please visit the NPSA (formerly CPNI) website:
https://www.npsa.gov.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm