Hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) is commonly used as a generic term to describe barrier equipment used to protect against vehicle as a weapon attacks, malicious vehicle incursions, ram raids, or accidental incursions into pedestrian areas (also known as errant vehicles).
The term HVM does refer to a wide range of barriers and perimeter protection products to protect people and assets from vehicle attacks and errant vehicles, however, best practice hostile vehicle mitigation is much more than HVM products.
In reality, HVM can be best understood by using the full term ‘hostile vehicle mitigation’ because the term actually applies to the strategic deployment of HVM equipment, such as HVM barriers and pedestrian permeable HVM systems, as part of a hostile vehicle mitigation strategy and wider counter terrorism plan. In this sense, HVM is much more than HVM equipment; it is a service designed to protect people from the risks associated with vehicle attacks and errant vehicles.