A vehicle-ram attack involves deliberately driving a vehicle into a shopfront to gain rapid access before anyone can intervene. This method primarily targets businesses whose glazed façades offer little resistance to the initial impact. Two types of security measure are regularly mentioned in security recommendations: safety film applied to the glazing and anti-ram bollards installed around the façade perimeter. These solutions do not compete with each other; they act at different stages and address different failure points. Confusing their respective roles can lead to a security strategy that is poorly matched to the actual risk.
Two distinct intervention approaches
Anti-ram bollards follow a kinetic-prevention approach: they aim to absorb or deflect a vehicle's impact energy before it reaches the façade. Safety film acts on the glazing itself: it holds glass fragments together when the glass breaks and can delay access to the building once the impact has occurred.
These two intervention levels correspond to two separate failure points around a building: the space between the traffic route and the façade on one side, and the glazing as the remaining barrier on the other. A coherent security strategy addresses them separately, according to the nature of the risk and the site's configuration.
What anti-burglary safety film does—and does not do
Applied to an existing glazed surface, anti-burglary film holds fragments in place when an impact occurs. This fragment retention provides two measurable benefits: it reduces the risk of injury from flying glass and forces an intruder to make repeated impacts to get through the broken surface.
The European EN 356 standard classifies manual burglary resistance for glazing from P1A to P8B. Applying safety film can improve the performance of existing glazing, depending on the film thickness, installation and frame-anchoring conditions, and the characteristics of the glazing substrate. An EN 356 classification does not automatically result from applying film alone; it is based on a test conducted under defined installation conditions. The Solar Screen range of anti-burglary safety films covers different performance requirements according to the risk profile.
Critical point: safety film cannot stop a vehicle. This limitation follows directly from the fact that a glazed surface is not designed to absorb the kinetic energy of a moving vehicle. The film acts after the impact, addressing its consequences on the glazing—not the vehicle's trajectory.
What anti-ram bollards do
Anti-ram bollards—fixed, retractable or removable—create a physical obstacle between the access route and the façade. Their effectiveness depends on their certification level, installation conditions (anchoring depth, concrete foundation and road setback) and position on the site.
The European IWA 14-1 standard and its North American equivalent, ASTM F2656, define standardised test conditions, including vehicle mass, impact speed and permitted residual penetration. These references make it possible to compare certified performance between devices.
One point is often underestimated: a certified bollard that is poorly positioned—because the approach angle is not covered, the spacing between posts is excessive or the anchoring depth is insufficient—may perform very differently from its advertised specifications. The site's configuration is just as important as the device's certification level.
[Suggested image 2: Photograph of a row of certified bollards installed in front of a retail shopfront, with a caption on angular coverage and spacing]
When film and bollards work together
Where the setback from the façade is insufficient to install effective bollards—because of a narrow pavement, a listed building or planning constraints—safety film becomes the last physical barrier available at the glazing. Its role is not to stop the vehicle, but to delay penetration after the glazing breaks. The actual delay varies according to film thickness, glazing type, frame-anchoring conditions and the attack scenario; no generic duration can be given.
Conversely, a perimeter protected by well-positioned bollards but with untreated glazing remains vulnerable to manual smash-and-grab attacks. Film and bollards address distinct threats; neither is redundant with the other.
For more information on retention mechanisms and optimum installation configurations, the article on securing glazing with Solar Screen protection film explains the conditions under which anti-burglary film can maximise its effectiveness.
Selection criteria based on the risk profile
The choice between film alone, bollards alone or a combined solution should be based on a prior assessment of the site:
- Available setback from the façade: insufficient distance makes any bollard ineffective if the vehicle's approach angle is not covered.
- Possible approach speed: this determines the kinetic energy to be absorbed and the certification level required for the bollards.
- Declared threat level: businesses identified as recurring targets, such as jewellers, bureaux de change and high-street retailers, require an IWA- or ASTM-certified system; an intermediate risk level may be addressed with anti-burglary film whose thickness is matched to the context.
- Architectural and regulatory constraints: listed buildings, pedestrian zones and easements may limit perimeter installation options.
A proportionate security strategy considers all these parameters together rather than treating the glazing and the perimeter as two unrelated problems.