12 hours ago
Commentary: The alarming resurgence of car-ramming attacks worldwide
SINGAPORE: On May 26 in Liverpool, England, a man rammed a car into crowds celebrating Liverpool's Premier League title, injuring 109 people.
The attack occurred despite restricted vehicle access and roadblocks in place, leading some experts to raise questions about whether security measures were sufficient. The attacker, believed to be on drugs, managed to tailgate an ambulance that was responding to a medical emergency at the parade.
The Liverpool incident highlights the unpredictable nature of vehicle-ramming attacks, which can turn celebratory occasions and moments of pride into ones of anguish and fear.
It serves as a reminder for Singapore to be on guard and to continue taking the threat of car-ramming attacks seriously. Potential attackers can exploit gaps even when security measures are tight.
DISGRUNTLEMENT AND ISOLATION
Though not always terrorism-related, many of these incidents appear to be deliberate. A few common motivations include deep-rooted disgruntlements, social isolation and mental health-related issues. Some cases may even be impulsive acts in high-stress situations.
Given the accessibility of vehicles and the relative ease with which such attacks can be executed without much planning, vehicle-ramming attacks are some of the hardest to anticipate and prevent.
While car-ramming attacks are a major public safety threat, they can also be a trigger for social unrest and extremist outbursts both online and offline. The UK faced nationwide far-right rioting in August 2024, driven in large part by misinformation about the identity of an attacker who fatally stabbed three girls.
To quell speculation about the identity and the motive of the Liverpool vehicle-ramming attacker, the UK police, in an unusual move, revealed that the perpetrator was a 53-year-old white British male from the Liverpool area within hours after the attack. Police also classified the attack as non-terrorism related.
Even then, accusations of a cover-up on the real identity of the attacker started spreading online. Car-ramming incidents, especially those that occur at popular spots and with large crowds, have the potential to generate significant amounts of misinformation online, which will need to be managed.
While most attacks of recent months were not classified as terrorism-related, vehicle-ramming continues to serve as a viable tactic by terrorists and lone wolf sympathisers of terrorist groups. Vehicle-ramming attacks spiked in 2017, with several carried out by Islamic State and its supporters across the West, but have dropped since.
The recent increase in vehicle-ramming incidents could reignite terrorist interest in this tactic, as suggested by a few recent attacks. The January attack in New Orleans, which killed 15 people, was carried out by .
In a parliamentary response to a question on measures in place to prevent and mitigate deliberate vehicle-ramming attacks, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam shared some of the measures Singapore deploys.
These range from requiring organisers of events that attract large crowds to restrict vehicle entries and erect barriers, incorporating security features in buildings with high footfall such as vehicle bollards, and high-visibility patrols by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to deter attacks and enable faster response.
Mr Shanmugam noted it will not be appropriate to 'set out all the measures that are put in place', presumably to not alert potential attackers with the tools authorities use in managing the threat.
The challenge for authorities is striking a balance between preventing potential attackers from using vehicles as weapons, while not unduly restricting movements of people and vehicular traffic. Authorities in Singapore regularly assess the situation to identify potential actors and areas of vulnerability, and enhance security measures accordingly.
The role of the public is also key as staying vigilant can go a long way in identifying potential attackers. Some early warning signs include surveillance and test drives, reinforcements on the vehicle and traffic anomalies.
The SGSecure movement empowers members of the public to alert law enforcement of suspicious individuals and activities, and equips them with skills to protect themselves and assist others in such situations.
