Vehicle attacks on pedestrians have become alarmingly frequent worldwide, raising serious concerns about public safety. This trend was notably marked by the deadly assault during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France in 2016, when a man drove a heavy truck into a large crowd, killing 86 people. The latest incident occurred on New Year’s Day 2025, when a driver crashed his pickup truck into a gathering celebrating the occasion in New Orleans’ French Quarter, resulting in the deaths of 15 individuals and leaving over 35 injured. The attack is being investigated by the FBI as a potential act of terrorism.

The frequency of such attacks has prompted authorities, particularly in the United States, to classify them as a significant national security threat. According to the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, vehicle incidents have escalated to a level requiring a dedicated prevention and mitigation guide.

Several high-profile incidents highlight the dangerous trend. In December 2023, a driver in Magdeburg, Germany, was charged with murder for plowing through a Christmas market, killing five people and injuring many more. The suspect, a psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia, had been living in Germany for nearly two decades and is believed to have had a history of anti-Islamic sentiments.

Another harrowing incident occurred in Zhuhai, China, in November, where a driver rammed his vehicle into a crowd at a sports venue, resulting in 35 casualties and 43 injuries. The driver, identified as Fan Weiqiu, allegedly acted out of frustration over a divorce settlement. He was sentenced to death shortly after his trial commenced, illustrating the severe ramifications of such violent acts.

In the United States, one of the most notorious incidents occurred during a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in November 2021, when Darrell Brooks was convicted of killing six people by driving his SUV into a crowd.

Additionally, the case of Nathaniel Veltman in London, Ontario, stands out; he ran over and killed four members of a Muslim family in June 2021, and his actions were classified as an act of terrorism by the court during his conviction in 2023.

International incidents continued with attacks in Toronto in 2018, where a man used a rented van to kill 11 people, and in New York, where a rented truck was driven into a Manhattan bike path in 2017, resulting in eight deaths.

In addition, attacks in Barcelona, London, and Berlin demonstrate a trend that has put global safety measures to the test. Each incident underscores an urgent need for comprehensive strategies to prevent such tragic events and safeguard communities worldwide.

The alarming rise in vehicle attacks raises profound questions about the effectiveness of current safety measures and the urgent need for enhanced security protocols to protect citizens from becoming targets of such senseless violence.