Not necessarily. Martyn’s Law does not automatically require every organisation or venue to install crash-rated bollards, hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) systems, or specialist anti-terror barriers.
Instead, the legislation is expected to focus on a proportionate, risk-based approach, meaning the level of security measures should reflect the specific risks associated with each site, its location, visitor numbers, and how the space is used. The aim is to show that sensible and practical steps have been considered to reduce the risk of harm and improve public safety.
For many locations, particularly lower-risk environments, compliance may involve improving operational procedures, access control, staff awareness, emergency planning, and physical security measures that are appropriate for the setting rather than installing high-security anti-terror infrastructure.
In many cases, organisations will need to demonstrate that they have:
For many sites, standard security products such as barriers, bollards, swing gates, removable posts, access control systems, fencing, or managed entry points may form part of an effective risk-management strategy without requiring specialist crash-rated systems. In higher-risk environments, however, professionally specified hostile vehicle mitigation solutions may still be recommended following a detailed risk assessment.
Ultimately, Martyn’s Law is not about forcing every organisation to purchase specific anti-terror products. The focus is on demonstrating that risks have been properly assessed, considered, and addressed with practical and proportionate security measures appropriate to the site and level of threat.
