Crowded Places Hostile Vehicle Audits & Design Advice

What is a hostile vehicle?​
A hostile vehicle is generally one whose driver is determined to access a restricted or unauthorised area or location in order to cause injury/death to people, disrupt business or effect publicity for a cause. A hostile vehicle may be used to carry an explosive device or the vehicle itself, travelling at speed, may present the primary danger.

Hostile vehicle attack methods
​1.    Parked (containing material to cause harm i.e. explosives)
2.   Encroachment;
      - Exploiting gaps in site defences (no impact)
      - Tailgating through an active barrier system; and
      - Tampering with vehicle barriers to later provide unlawful access.
3.   Penetrative Impact (ramming people & structures)
4.   Entry by deception to access restricted areas (trojan vehicle)
5.   Duress (against a security guard or employee to open a barrier​)

Safe Places by Audit and Design
The strategic integration of steps, columns and sculptures into the building’s design offers a good example of how hostile vehicle mitigation can be applied in a subtle way.
A flight of steps leading into a building can restrict access to most conventional vehicles, presenting the building as a less desirable target.
Strategically placed mitigation devices such as spheres, planter boxes, seats, or bollards on the pavement surrounding the entrance of the building provides additional protection against unauthorised vehicle intrusion while increasing the standoff distance. It is important to ensure that barrier solutions that may not be purpose built (e.g. planter boxes, sculptures) are properly mounted and reinforced against impact.
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i3 consultants can provide relevant advice on all of the above based on over thirty years of crash investigation and road safety auditing.
​Please contact David at dwilkins@i3consultants.com or 08 9467 7478 for more details.