Vertical Markets

Vehicle risk findings

by Mark Rowe

Drivers are shocked by ‘Vehicle as a Weapon’ (VAAW) attacks over the past 18 months, according to an anonymous UK survey of commercial fleet employees; but most, 74pc of drivers are being offered little to no training to assist them in protecting their vehicle against the risk of being taken for use in a terror attack.

The survey was carried out by a training provider for the road transport industry and TfL’s primary DCPC training contractor, Fleet Source. It found that 76pc of respondents would like to carry out training to learn about the nature of the threats, and safety precautions they should take in case of their vehicle being hijacked or stolen and used in a terrorist attack.

Nick Caesari, Managing Director at Fleet Source, said: “Following the recent major VAAW (Vehicle as a Weapon) incidents and with the UK being on a severe level of terrorist alert, we wanted to look at the industry’s views and opinions on the subject. These incidents are very real, and the industry should be doing all they can to prevent drivers from being involved in these horrific events.”

The survey also suggested that ‘out of city’ operators are less concerned (42pc) about their vehicles being taken for use in a terror attack than those who frequently drive in the city (64pc), when the reality is, they’re at the same level of risk.

“I think we’re far more vulnerable on a Friday afternoon/evening, the guys are finished, they’re in the pub and the keys have been taken. Those keys may not even be missed until Monday morning, by which time that vehicle has been taken from North Wales and killed 600 people in London,“ said a respondent.

One in six, 17pc of drivers said they either didn’t have or didn’t know if they had a policy about allowing people such as hitch hikers into their cab and only 12pc of respondents when being stopped by the undercover police would be totally confident in knowing that the person stopping them had the correct identification or the authority to ask them to leave their cab. About a quarter, 24pc of drivers said they didn’t have or didn’t know if they had a policy in place regarding the security of vehicles when doing drop-offs.

“This is a very serious matter, terrorists are opportunists and operators should consider implementing policies to prevent their drivers from allowing strangers into their cabs. For example, knowing what identification government authorities should be providing to be able to identify whether the individual is legitimate. Being educated on these policies can help protect drivers and the public from the risks of terrorism,” Caesari added.

The research also showed that only 15pc of the respondents feel totally supported by the police in helping to protect them from having their vehicle used in a terrorist attack; only 9pc were feeling totally supported by the DVSA, and 7pc by government.

Caesari added: “The research suggests drivers feel that authorities are not taking responsibility for the safety of the transport industry when it comes to the danger of terrorism. This is why we created TRIP. TRIP has been designed so that commercial fleet operators, managers and drivers can be educated on the risks of terrorism, the nature of the threats that they may face and a range of safety precautions they should implement to significantly reduce the possibilities of their vehicle being hijacked or stolen and used in a terrorist incident.”

“This is a hot topic and one that affects all drivers. With a greater emphasis placed on drivers and the security of the vehicle, we can make a difference in minimising the risk of one our vehicles being taken and used in a VAAW attack,” said a respondent.

Related News

  • Vertical Markets

    Benchmarking tool

    by Mark Rowe

    The ECR Shrinkage Group, with the support of retail merchandise tagging supplier Checkpoint Systems, is launching an online Benchmarking Tool, which can…

  • Vertical Markets

    Mersey retail

    by Mark Rowe

    In the six Merseyside police force areas (Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, Liverpool North, Liverpool South and St Helens) police before Christmas say that…

Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay on top of security news and events.

© 2024 Professional Security Magazine. All rights reserved.

Website by MSEC Marketing