PERFORMANCE VS SECURITY DRIVING

Tony Scotti

Most Security Driver training programs have roots firmly implanted in racing and performance driving. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but there is a difference between Racing/Performance Driving and Security Driving, and therefore a difference between training for racing and training for security driving.

The goal of racing is to maximize the capability of the vehicle in every corner for every lap. The goal of security driving is to get the boss from point A to point B safely and securely. Safely and securely could mean driving the boss to work in the morning and the little old lady with blue hair runs a stop sign, and there she is and there you are. Or it could mean driving down the road in a three vehicle convoy, you are in the middle vehicle and stuff happens. I could go on forever with the scenarios, but the skill needed to drive out of an emergency (Kill Zone) and the skill to drive fast around a race track is different.

When entering the corner, the racer knows the radius of the turn and speed at which that corner can be driven through, he has practiced it, probably experimented with it, and talked it over with other drivers. Depending on the level of racing the car has an on-board computer, the racer looked at the computer data, discussed it with the engineers and then goes back out and does it over and over always comparing it to the last time he drove through the corner.

The racer applies maximum energy on purpose in a methodical manner in a vehicle that is design to accept the energy. The racer knows, or should know, how much energy the vehicle can take.

The cars are set up to meet the driver’s style of driving, and of course the biggie – they have racing tires. Not all forms of racing use racing tires, Autocross drivers usually use street tires. But my guess is that you won’t see many Lincolns, Cadillacs, SUV’s, or armored Suburbans at an auto cross event.

When the Security Driver is on the road and confronted with an emergency the amount of turning, steering and braking that is needed to get out of trouble is not predetermined, that’s why it’s called an emergency. When the Security Driver is confronted with an emergency – it’s “Holy S—t”, and then the driver goes to work. There is a big difference between energy applied to the vehicle going through a corner at speed, and a huge spike of energy on the vehicle.

Racing fans may consider the following blasphemy. But when the center of gravity a vehicle gets hit with a large spike of energy it does things that would challenge the best racer.

The security driver does not purposely put a high spike of energy on the vehicle but if you are moving at the rate of 40 MPH and an obstacle is in your path 75 feet away (accident or ambush) you are 1.25 seconds away from the obstacle. Since it is a surprise the driver’s reaction time will eat up at least a half a second. At that point the driver has to apply enough energy to move the vehicle away from the obstacle and not to much energy that would cause the vehicle to go out of control, and do all that in a couple of tenths of a second. The driver will need to perform that maneuver with a vehicle with about 75% less handling capability of the average race car. That is one hell of a dance, for a security driver it is a necessary skill and one that has to be taught, measured, and a skill that you don’t learn driving lines and apexes.