How Road Blockers Work To Prevent Vehicle Attacks

It is a sad reality that we need to protect our property and premises from unwanted entries and attacks, particularly those involving vehicles.

Using an access control system such as a road blocker, sometimes referred to as a rising kerb, could be the answer. If you’re struggling to identify the most suitable protection available and are wondering whether road blockers could work for you, approaching leading manufacturers of road blocker solutions such as Hormann to ensure you are getting appropriate advice when it comes to perimeter security systems. Before you do so, let’s look at what road blockers are and when they could be put to good use.

What are road blockers?

Road blockers offer protection at entry and exit roadway and pathways up to 6 metres wide. They enable additional protection where required over and above that which can be given by using traditional barriers to control or prevent entry to an area.

Road blockers are a crash-tested security measure that can be fitted into the ground-flush or added to a finished floor without the need for invasive earthworks. The road blocker can be retracted to ground level during normal operation or remain raised. Speedy remote or automatic activation will ensure that they can be lowered or raised quickly in emergencies. When your property is under threat, they will stop unauthorised vehicle entry. 

Road blockers are available in a range of heights and crash test certifications. Relevant crash-testing certification should see them rated to comply with BSI standard PAS68 (Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Impact Rating. Choosing a quality provider will ensure that your road blocker can withstand impact from a 7.5 tonnes lorry approaching at 80km/h. 

Who might use a road blocker?

Road blockers are used by many owners of commercial or residential properties and by councils and public space owners wishing to protect a roadway against vehicular entry. They are a strong visual deterrent and a solid barrier to physically preventing unwanted vehicles from breaching. 

They give increased security for all properties and are a fairly cheap and easy to install yet reliable security measure that operate in all weathers and require little effort to maintain. This makes them an ideal security measure when you wish to prevent unwanted vehicle access or have concerns that you could be the target of a malicious attack or accidental damage by vehicles coming onto your property.

They are highly effective as a solo security measure and suitable as a reliable secondary measure to fitted barriers, giving additional protection.

How does a road blocker work?

Road blockers quickly raise and lower, enabling you to decide whether your operation best suits them to stay primarily flush or raised. Each road blocker can be hydraulically powered to give maximum protection by permanently or temporarily preventing access. When used in conjunction with bollards, tyre killers, high-security barriers, fencing and gates, you can ensure that your building and property has the best security measures in place.

Automatic road blockers can have an optional emergency function operation (EFO) to ensure that they can spring into action in as little as 1.5 seconds should it be necessary or you come under vehicle attack.

How can road blockers prevent unwanted vehicle-based attacks?

Road blockers provide a highly effective visual deterrent which could be all that is needed to put off all but the most determined and reduce or remove the likelihood of a vehicle attempting to crash through. Their size and strength will withstand a sizeable impact at speed, meaning whatever lies beyond remains safe. That said, the most determined may be tempted to try, and that is where a certified crash tested road blocker will prevent them from succeeding. If you feel your building or property is particularly vulnerable and are looking for further security measures against larger vehicles you could also consider a tyre killer that will slash the tyres to stop lorries or heavy vehicles within a few metres. With this security in place, you could rest assured you’re doing all you can to protect from vehicle based attacks.