In the early hours of the New Year, an American-born citizen with a black ISIS flag drove a truck down Bourbon St. in New Orleans, killing fifteen revelers and injuring about three dozen others. His name was Shamsud-Din Jabbar. The New Orleans attack followed hard upon another vehicular incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which led to the deaths of at least five people while injuring 200 more.

Vehicular terror events are becoming more common throughout the world. In 2021, a driver rammed into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing at least five people and injuring 48 others. In 2016, a truck driver engineered the killing of 86 people and the wounding of 434 others in Nice, France during a fireworks display. Thirteen died and dozens more were injured at a Berlin Christmas market the same year.

The origin of the vehicular terror strategy is unclear, but some years ago, an English-language ISIS magazine called Rumiyah called for vehicle attacks on the West in an article called “Just Terror Tactics.” Al-Qaeda has made calls for similar attacks, calling trucks “the ultimate mowing machine.”

The article in Rumiyah said: “Though being an essential part of modern life, very few actually comprehend the deadly and destructive capability of the motor vehicle and its capacity of reaping large numbers of casualties if used in a premeditated manner… Vehicles are like knives, as they are extremely easy to acquire…”

Ordinarily, mass casualty terror events are associated with guns -- one was used by the driver in the New Orleans attack -- but firearms are difficult to come by in most countries. That doesn’t mean shooting incidents are completely unknown outside the U.S. You can own a gun in Germany, but must meet several strict requirements: You must be over 18 years old, have no criminal record, pass psychological and safety exams, have a government-issued license, keep mandatory insurance, store it in a locked container, and more. Let’s just say it’s easier to rent a truck.

Bombs, another preferred terrorist weapon, require expertise to assemble safely. If you tried to make one, you’re more likely to blow yourself up. Owning or renting a vehicle, however, requires little skill to turn into a weapon. Obtaining one elicits no suspicion, and there is no nation that forbids renting one to a licensed driver.

Therefore, those willing to cause murder and mayhem have a blueprint that works anywhere. Few pedestrians pay much attention to traffic on walkways unless crossing the street. The speed at which a vehicle can accelerate and turn into a crowd leaves little time for reaction. Hence, the “success” rate of this type of terror event may surpass even a gunman’s ability to cause deaths and injuries.

The increasing number of terror events around the world underscores the increasing need for something called “situational awareness.” Situational awareness is the mindset whereby threats are mentally noted and avoided or abolished. Originally a tool for the military in combat, it is now a strategy for the average citizen in uncertain times.

Situationally aware persons are always at a state of “Yellow Alert” when in crowded public venues. By that, I mean a state of relaxed but vigilant observation of what is happening around them. When an action or behavior occurs that doesn’t match the surroundings and situation, it’s called an “anomaly.”

Let’s say a vehicle moves erratically or leaves the normal pattern of traffic: that’s an anomaly that requires rapid action. Mentally noting routes of escape whenever you’re in a crowd will give you the best chance of getting out of the way. Just as knowing the location of exits in any public venue is good policy, a heightened awareness is important at any outdoor event or public area near roadways.

For those who use vehicles to kill, the target will be crowds of people near the street. Their objective is mass casualties, and the pedestrians nearest the curb will bear the brunt of the attack. Consider walking on the fringe of a crowd away from the road to give yourself the most options. In the center, the masses, not your own good judgment, will dictate your movement.

Municipalities can and should protect their citizens by constructing barriers, preferably steel, known as “bollards.” These would discourage vehicles from entering popular pedestrian areas. Today, you can find them outside many government buildings and airport terminals. Expanding the use of bollards to any area that attracts crowds should be an important consideration to avoid future terror events. Roadblocks like these can prevent vehicles from reaching high enough speeds to plow through crowds or even stop them completely.

I’ll admit that the likelihood you’ll be in the path of a maniac using a vehicle, or any other weapon, is very small. Panic isn’t the answer, but these are troubled times; the more situationally aware you are, the safer you’ll be.

Joseph Alton is a physician, medical and disaster preparedness advocate, and NY Times bestselling author of The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide For When Help Is NOT On The Way and other books.

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