A
Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device,
commonly known as a
car bomb, is an
improvised explosive device placed inside a
car or other
vehicle and then
detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of
assassination,
terrorism or
guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle, people near the blast site, or to damage buildings or other property. Car bombs act as their own delivery mechanisms and can carry a relatively large amount of
explosives without attracting suspicion; in larger vehicles and trucks, weights of up to 1000 pounds have been used.
Car bombs are activated in a variety of ways; including opening the vehicle's doors, starting the engine, depressing the accelerator or brake pedals or simply lighting a fuse or setting a timing device.
The gasoline in the vehicle's fuel tanks makes the explosion of the bomb more powerful.