Civilian Armoured Vehicle - Emergency Exits

A recent incident happened in Kyiv(see below)involving a Civilian Armoured Vehicle which was on its side after a Road Traffic Accident.

One would argue, why didn't the occupants try to escape from the opposite side, through the door? We can't really answer as we were not there...obviously

The reason for drawing this article is because of my personal experiences delivering driver training on Civilian Armoured Vehicles, and many manufacturers of Civilian Armoured Vehicles don't really pay attention to this very critical point when assembling the unit.

Of course some would reply it has not been requested from the end users...easy answer

Yes there's sometime a long list of option depending on each manufacturer and if the end user or procurement manager doesn't tick the box...Then things could go sideways and passengers could unlikely be trapped inside their vehicle...

To what should we pay attention and expect when ordering a Civilian Armoured Vehicle?

Well you would have two options primarily :

1. A rear cargo area fitted with a bulkhead armoured door including an emergency exit capability(see below red circle), the bulkhead armoured door must be fitted with a small hatch enabling the passenger to access safely to the outside car tailgate and operate its lock manually which must also be fitted for that purpose!(since you can originally only open it from outside)

This exit capability must be practiced from all the staff, including diplomats, involved with the use of the CAV!

Of course it might oblige you to sweat for some time and providing with the stressful situation but it would make a significant difference if your vehicle is equipped with this option.

2. An armoured emergency roof hatch that allows the occupants to evacuate if the vehicle is not sitting on the roof though.

Again this type of evacuation exit must be practiced, and regular training must take place within the mission in order for everyone involved to have the know-how to evacuate the vehicle in case of road traffic accident.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT VPAM ARMOURING CERTIFICATION:

Most of the armouring company which received the VPAM VR7 or VR9 certification through their "test vehicle", do not sometime include this emergency exit since it is an option..End user needs to tick the box!

Hence they might well have received and been awarded the VPAM VR7 or VR9 certificate, but by adding one of these emergency exits, either rear armoured trunk door or roof exit hatch, for one their following production unit is a MODIFICATION of the original tested and certified version!

Which would result naturally in questions about the certification tests BRV(ballistics) and ERV(explosives) and ultimately the certification to be void.

To this end it is important when ordering and purchasing a Civilian Armoured Vehicle that you actually make sure emergency exit option is built in and that it can actually be operated both safely and effectively!

Of course you might have a full load of equipment in the trunk area, but you can always make arrangements within your vehicle space and drop down the rear seats to help get access to the cargo area.

Reminder:

You want this vehicle to protect you from any outside threats, it would be stupid to get trapped inside because the vehicle is not properly equipped with a safety feature...