Car bombings have become more prevalent globally; to not only protect people’s lives but also avoid the complete destruction of the suspected vehicle, a promising solution is to use flexible vehicle arresting systems, which generally absorb the kinetic energy of the suspected vehicle using energy absorbers and an arresting net. Thus, the vehicle can be arrested safely. According to the existing literature, there is very little theoretical research on vehicle arresting systems and processes. This research is the first attempt at developing an analytical model for the arresting system and process, and for carrying out experimental validation. Based on the model built, a dynamic analysis of the arresting process was also carried out. Experimental and simulated results indicate the model developed is valid, and can accurately predict arresting distance and other safety-related parameters. Therefore, the analytical model proposed can provide a foundation for further study of vehicle arresting systems