News | 27 Jan 2025

Local Government Options for Thwarting Potential Vehicle Ramming Attacks

By Peter Erndwein, Director of Risk Control

Block parties, festivals and similar neighborhood gatherings have long been a common manifestation of American community culture. They bring together local residents to enjoy food, music and social interaction. Unfortunately, such mass gatherings present a vulnerable target for individuals with evil intent. Vehicle ramming attacks are especially of concern when events take place near public roadways. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been issuing security guidance on the subject for over a decade. As witnessed on New Years Day in New Orleans, vehicle ramming attacks are a very real threat on U.S. soil, one which local government should feel compelled to consider when sponsoring an event or reviewing a permit application for one.

Events are vulnerable to vehicle ramming attacks whenever there is a concentration of participants and a route by which a passenger or commercial motor vehicle (CMV) can gain access to participants. Accordingly, strong barriers and obstacles prudently deployed to prevent passage of a vehicle should effectively prevent or limit the harm that a speeding vehicle might cause. How wide should gaps be? A survey of various sources suggests gaps no wider than five feet to prevent vehicle entry and no narrower than three feet to allow access by individuals who utilize wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

Other civilized nations have been implementing vehicle ramming attack countermeasures for decades. Urban areas in France and the UK which have historically been targeting with car bombs have deployed engineering controls in the form of steel bollards and other obstacles. These structures combine to create vehicle “no-go” zones. As a side effect, residents and visitors have found new areas to relax, dine and simply “be” without the need to dodge vehicles or the noise and pollution they create. Anything is possible if government and community stake holders are on the same page.

In the U.S., the marketplace has responded to the need for vehicle ramming attack countermeasures. Temporary anti-vehicle barriers come in many types and sizes from temporary longitudinal barriers (aka jersey barriers) to water-filled barriers to permanently installed “pop-up” anti-vehicle barriers. For ad hoc special events, local government can deploy a combination of public works CMVs, police cars and portable anti-vehicle barriers to create a vehicle-resistant envelope for the public.

In a former life (1990s), this author worked in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the ever-present threat of animal rights activists, anti-ramming systems were routinely incorporated into the design of research buildings. This was an early example of prevention through design, incorporating engineering controls during building design to prevent low frequency/high severity threats.

Some might say the potential for a vehicle ramming attack at a backwater municipality is lower than at a high-profile location like Bourbon Street or Times Square. Nonetheless, prudence dictates that local government consider this threat among other likely security concerns (such as the even higher probability active shooter) when planning for special events.

Click here for a comprehensive resources on preventing vehicle ramming attacks.

For questions on vehicle ramming attack prevention, contact the Risk Control Department at 215-706-0101.