PAS 68 Explained: The Standard That Started Hostile Vehicle Mitigation
Where PAS 68 came from
PAS 68 was developed in 2005 as the first British impact test specification for hostile vehicle mitigation products, with the current version published in 2013. For nearly two decades it was the security industry's benchmark: if a barrier was 'PAS 68 rated', it had survived a real, instrumented crash test.
How the test works
PAS 68 covers collision testing and evaluation of products designed to stop hostile vehicles. Unlike later standards it allowed three test methods — full vehicle impact (V), design-based assessment (D) and pendulum testing (P) — and recorded not just whether the vehicle stopped, but how far it penetrated and how much debris scattered.
Reading a PAS 68 code
A classic code looks like V/7500[N2]/48/90:-1.9/5.3. Read left to right: vehicle test, 7,500 kg class N2 truck, 48 km/h impact speed, 90° impact angle, then penetration in metres (a negative number means the vehicle didn't even reach the barrier line) and finally debris dispersion in metres. Vehicle classes range from the M1 car (1,500 kg) up to the N3 heavy truck (32,000 kg), with test speeds from 16 to 112 km/h depending on class.
PAS 68 today
PAS 68 was officially replaced by ISO 22343-1:2023 in September 2023 — but thousands of installed barriers and current product lines carry PAS 68 certificates, and those remain valid evidence of performance. Many Access X products, including the TiSO RB 33X-01 ultra-shallow blocker (7.5 t @ 80 km/h, 200 mm foundation) and the ARX STOPPER!, hold PAS 68 certification. If your existing specification cites PAS 68, it is still enforceable and meaningful.
Sources & further reading
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