What is PAS68?
PAS 68 is the UK’s standard and the security industry’s benchmark for HVM (Hostile Vehicle Mitigation) solutions. Published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), PAS 68 is a publicly available specification that provides in-depth impact test specifications for vehicle security barrier systems, bollards, and road blockers.
Security professionals use PAS 68 to assess how a product performs when hit by a vehicle of a known weight at a known speed. This gives buyers confidence that a barrier has been tested in realistic conditions that reflect real threats.
PAS 68 sits within wider hostile vehicle mitigation guidance, which also includes site design, stand-off distance, and operational planning. The National Protective Security Authority notes that physical barriers must always be supported by wider security thinking, rather than viewed as a single solution.
Why is PAS 68 so important for security?
A hostile vehicle incident can cause serious harm in seconds. When a site needs physical protection, the barrier must stop or slow a vehicle before it reaches people or assets. It is crucial that the security systems you install are physically capable of stopping travelling vehicles in the event of an attack. A bollard or barrier’s impact resilience must match the impact forces at play in the environment where it will be used. The PAS 68 standard provides a clear impact performance rating, and the test process challenges a product under controlled impact conditions. This takes into consideration vehicle types, impact angles, speed, impact penetration, and debris dispersion. A transparent result is therefore ensured, rather than relying on unproven claims.
When a bollard carries a PAS 68 rating, the buyer knows it has completed formal testing and achieved a measured level of performance. This helps prevent situations where organisations misunderstand what a barrier can do, a point stressed in industry guidance from the Protective Security Suppliers Association.
Read how Heald’s PAS 68-tested viper protected Singapore’s Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant’s visitors and workers from any potential hostile vehicle attacks.
How do PAS 68 impact test ratings work?
PAS 68 performance ratings can, at first, seem confusing. If you break each section down, it becomes a lot simpler. As an example, here is the performance rating of our PAS 68 Hydraulic Road Blocker: PAS68: V/7500[N2]/80/90:0/25.
The ‘V’ stands for a vehicle. This first section of the rating states which test method has been used, and in this case, the road blocker has been crash tested using a vehicle. Sometimes you might also see a rating start with either a ‘D’ for design, where the test is stimulated, or ‘P’ for a pendulum. However, the vehicle impact testing is most commonly used as it clearly replicates real-life conditions.
The next section of the performance rating examines the vehicle’s mass and type. Here, you can see that the Hydraulic Road Blocker was tested using a 7,500kg vehicle, and the (N2) indicates the vehicle category. This means the road blocker was tested with a 7,500 goods vehicle.
What are the PAS 68 impact test ratings?
-Vehicle type
PAS68: V/7500[N2]/80/90:0/25
The next section of the performance rating looks at the mass and type of vehicle. Here, you can see that the Hydraulic Road Blocker was tested using a 7,500kg vehicle and the (N2) indicates the vehicle category. This means the road blocker was tested with a 7,500 goods vehicle.
What are the PAS 68 vehicle classifications?
-Speed
PAS68: V/7500[N2]/80/90:0/25
The next section of the crash rating is the test speed. The speed is measured in kilometres per hour (kph). So, this means the road blocker has been tested with a vehicle travelling 80kph.
-Impact angle
PAS68: V/7500[N2]/80/90:0/25
The next part refers to the angle of impact. Here, you can see that our road blocker has been crash-tested from a 90° angle, meaning that the vehicle has hit the security product head-on.
-Impact penetration
PAS68: V/7500[N2]/80/90:0/25
Impact penetration is next. This measurement is in meters and indicates the distance the vehicle travelled past the back of the security products being tested before coming to a complete stop. In this example, you can see that the road blocker achieved 0 meters during the test.
-Debris dispersion
PAS68: V/7500[N2]/80/90:0/25
Lastly, the final part of the rating indicates the furthest point that any debris weighing over 25kg travelled during the test.
Reach out to our friendly team to find out more
Testing to a universally recognised standard ensures that Heald’s customers receive transparency, reliability, and security products that are fit for purpose. If you would like any additional information on security testing standards, please get in touch with our friendly team. Discover more about PAS here, or read about the differences between IWA and PAS.
Heald’s PAS68 Roadblockers are the perfect solution for security installations where a crash-rated, high-profile deterrent is required. Explore our PAS 68 Road Blockers here.