Terrorists—particularly homegrown violent extremists (HVEs)—will likely continue using vehicles as weapons. Foreign terrorist organizations promote this tactic, past attacks have been successful, and it is easy to get vehicles. An NJOHSP review of vehicle-ramming attacks in the West over the last 10 years found increased use of this tactic and resulting casualties. In fact, the November 2016 edition of ISIS’s English-language magazine, Rumiyah, encouraged followers to use vehicles in operations, stating, “Vehicles are like knives, as they are extremely easy to acquire [and] . . . arouse absolutely no doubts due to their widespread use throughout the world.” Additionally, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula has referred to trucks as the “ultimate mowing machine.”
As such, we sat down with Steven Crimando, the Director of Training for the Disaster and Terrorism Branch of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, to talk about this emerging threat and explore different mechanisms and strategies individuals can utilize to mitigate the personal impact of these attacks.