Patterns in vehicle-ramming attacks.

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Trauma surgery
• Public health

Background:

• Vehicle-ramming attacks are an increasing global threat tactic.
• The medical consequences of these attacks are not well-understood.
• Understanding injury patterns is crucial for emergency medical services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize vehicle-ramming attack incidents and their resulting casualties.
• To inform medical organizations' policies and response strategies.
• To analyze injury patterns and attack timing.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of vehicle-ramming attacks recorded in the Israel Defense Forces-Trauma Registry (2015-2019).
• Utilized text mining and manual review to identify relevant incidents and injuries.
• Extracted incident and casualty data from the trauma registry.

Main Results:

• 36 attacks and 113 casualties were documented between 2015-2019.
• Median casualties per incident: 3 (IQR 2-5), with 42% of attacks causing 3+ casualties.
• Common injuries included lower extremities (55%), head (28%), and upper extremities; 9% died before hospital arrival.

Conclusions:

• Vehicle-ramming attacks are often deadly, with multiple victims sustaining extremity and head injuries.
• Attacks frequently occur on Fridays and during afternoon hours (12:00-18:00).
• Findings can guide medical policy to enhance response to vehicle-ramming incidents.