Crime Prevention Research Center

Terrorist vehicle attacks with 4 or more fatalities are still relatively rare, though they are becoming more frequent. Radical Muslims committed 83% of mass public attacks committed up through the end of 2017.  Including attacks where fewer than 4 victims were killed, 73% of all vehicle attacks were carried out by Muslims.  We have previously done comparisons on rates of mass public shootings and bombings around the world, and specifically comparisons between the US and Europe.

Some of these attacks rank among the worst attacks in terms of deaths for some countries.  The van attack in Toronto in April 2018 was the worst mass killing in Canada since at least 1989 and the third worst massacre in Canada since 1880. The Nice truck attack in 2016 was the third worst massacre in France since the end of World War II (one was the shooting attack at the concert hall in Paris in November 2015 and the other was a deliberate plane crash in 2015).

While there have been 8 previous vehicle attacks in the United States since 2000, the attack in New York City on October 31st, 2017 was the first one with at least 4 fatalities.  However, the 2015 attack in Las Vegas had more total casualties (including injuries).

Other cases with fewer than 4 people killed.

There are also a lot of car accidents that weren’t conscious attempts to attack people.

Stillwater, Oklahoma, October 24, 2015: Four people were killed and more than 40 injured when a drunk woman drove into a homecoming parade at Oklahoma State University.

CPRC original research, International Comparisons, mass public killings non-shootings