VDM usually means Vehicle Deathmatch: using a vehicle to attack another character without the roleplay justification or initiation required by the server. A collision alone does not establish VDM; accidents, desync and permitted pursuit tactics need context.
Recognize the difference
Deliberately driving into strangers to disrupt their scene is a common example. An accidental crash is different. A police maneuver or vehicle attack in an ongoing conflict may still be prohibited or limited by that server’s rules.
Read the community’s vehicle-combat and pursuit rules. Do not assume that having an in-character reason permits every use of a vehicle as a weapon.
If you are involved
- Follow the server’s immediate scene and emergency rules. Avoid retaliating or turning the dispute into public OOC harassment.
- Save a clip with enough time before and after the incident to show context. Record the time, location and relevant in-game identifiers requested by staff.
- Submit through the designated report channel with a short factual description. Keep personal information and unrelated conversations out of the report.
- Let staff review the evidence and use the appeal route if needed.
How administrators can write a clear rule
Define prohibited behavior, allowed pursuit tactics, any event exceptions and how accidental contact is handled. Explain what evidence is useful and how a player can respond. Apply the published policy consistently instead of copying a universal ban-duration table.
Why collision scripts cannot decide intent
A client report of speed, health or a collision is untrusted input and does not prove damage, responsibility or roleplay intent. Logs can support a review, but an automatic counter can punish accidents or be manipulated.
If building moderation telemetry, validate it server-side, limit collection and access, and keep human review for contextual decisions. Follow the Cfx.re event-security guidance; do not expose a network event that directly creates a violation or punishment from unchecked client values.