This article is about 35 years old – nothing has changed

The driver’s ability to avoid vehicle violence does not depend solely on their ability to control the vehicle. A driver is at the mercy of the environment and of the vehicle they are driving.

Driving, any form of driving, is a balance, and that balance is called the “driving system.” The driving system is made up of three components: THE DRIVER, THE MACHINE, and THE ENVIRONMENT. In our world it is called the Security Drivers Triangle. If there is an accident or a successful ambush it is caused by a failure of the triangle, the driver, the vehicle, or the environment failed.

The Driver
Most accidents or ambushes are caused by driver error. In the non security world the proof lies in the numbers. Some 89 percent of all vehicular accidents are caused by driver error. The driver is responsible for the successful implementation of the DRIVER/MACHINE relationship. The driver has to know and understand the capabilities of the vehicle driver combination. The driver’s capability to maneuver out of an emergency is a measurable skill. The skill level is a number that indicates how much of the vehicle capability the driver can use. The simple fact is the higher the number the better the chances of survival. Given a vehicle, and an environment they must drive through, a security driver has to know what they are capable of and better yet what they are not capable of.

The Machine
Most passenger vehicles are good handling vehicles. But there are scenarios where the vehicles handling capabilities are lowered due to an increase in the vehicles security posture (armored vehicles). However, no matter how well or poorly a vehicle handles, it is only a machine, and like all machines, has its limitations, some vehicles higher than others. The vehicle, like the driver, has a measurable capability, which translates to a number, the higher the vehicles number the greater the chances of survival.

Driver/Machine
You cannot separate the driver from the vehicle. A good security driver understands vehicle dynamics and works to anticipate changes in the vehicle behavior and is ready to maximize the vehicles capability. A bad driver simply reacts to whatever happens.

The Environment
Driving in the non security world the environment is the weather – traffic – road design. If the road surface has been modified by nature, then the driver and machine portion of the driving system must cope with these changes.

In the security world the environment includes the security conditions the driver has to maneuver through. The driver/vehicle combination can have high survival numbers, but in a high risk environment they are at the mercy of the security environment – as much as possible try to control the environment, but there are times especially in a high risk environment were that is not an easy task.

I was watching a TV ad about a 4WD SUV, the announcer was talking about driving on “Black Ice”, and he mentioned that if you press the correct buttons or switches on his vehicle, you solve the problem. PURE BS – “Black Ice is a phrase used to define a road covered with ice – unless this SUV can alter the laws of physics –driving on black ice is dangerous and a challenge.

No matter what the TV ads show no 4WD system will make up for a decrease in adhesion. When ice – snow – etc creates less adhesion between the tire and the road, the vehicles capability to go – stop – and turn is greatly diminished.

The problem is that most 4WD/AWD drivers think they have a vehicle that can defy the laws of physics. Stopping on snow and ice will require up to 10 times the distance as stopping in normal conditions, and driving onto an off ramp during a black ice or wintry conditions will require a lot less speed than usual, and the driver will have to anticipate that lower speed way before they get to the off ramp.

When driving in bad weather the best advice is slow down.

Security Driving is a decision making process that requires the driver to manage time and distance, and anything that slows that process down can and often does become an emergency.  Whether driving the boss to work, in a low risk environment or driving an armored vehicle in a high risk environment, understanding the basic principles of managing time and distance is life saving knowledge.

 Our frame of reference for measuring time and distance is the speedometer which supplies information in units of miles and hours – MPH. The driver does not have an hour or a mile to make life saving decisions; in a vehicle emergency Miles Per Hour is irrelevant unit of measurement.

 An Explanation

To make sense of a vehicle emergency the security driver needs to convert MPH to Feet Per. Second (FPS). Travelling at 40 MPH the driver is moving at the rate of 58.8 Feet Per Second (FPS). Converting MPH to FPS requires some elementary grade arithmetic; you need to multiply the MPH number by 1.47.  Driving at 30 MPH the vehicle is moving through space at 44.1 Feet/Second,( 30 MPH times 1.47) at 60 MPH the vehicle is moving 88.2 Feet/Second ( 60 MPH times 1.47).

 DISTANCE

At 20 mph the driver travels 29.4 ft/sec

At 30 mph the driver travels 44.1 ft/sec

At 40 mph the driver travels 58.8 ft/sec

At 50 mph the driver travels 78.5 ft/sec

At 60 mph the driver travels 88.2 ft/sec

As mentioned above any delay in the decision making process adds exponentially to level of difficulty needed to survive the event, in actuality not delays of a seconds but delays measured in tenths of seconds. As an example; at 30 mph, in .2 seconds, the driver travels 8.8 feet, at 60 MPH in .2 seconds the driver would travel 17.6 feet.

Why two tenths of a second? Because that is how much time it takes to blink your eyes. When you are driving 60 mph, literally in a blink of an eye, you move 17.6 feet. Any training that can speed up the decision making process – by as little as a blink of an eye dramatically increase the chances of surviving the emergency.

Recently Massachusetts Lt. Governor Tim Murray was driving on an icy road at 65 MPH, when his car skidded into a rock ledge and flipped, at least that was what the Lt. Governor’s recollection of the accident.  But he was actually driving 108 MPH, with no seatbelt and hit the rock ledge at 92 MPH, and did not apply the brakes or try to turn the steering wheel prior to hitting the ledge. The information which dramatically contradicted the Lt Governor’s recollection was collected and supplied by the vehicle’s “Event Data Recorder,” or EDR. The EDR is a computer module in your vehicle that is often compared to the “black box” on a commercial airliner. The black box records your behavior behind the wheel, including brake application, steering, and speed at time of impact of an event and whether you or the passengers were wearing seatbelts.

In 2005, it was estimated that about 64 percent of passenger cars on the market came equipped from the factory with “Event Data Recorders”, my guess would be that the number today is much higher. What can the Security Driver do about their on board watchdog – nothing. Be aware that it is there, and if an event occurs, accident or otherwise, keep in mind that whatever you say and report can be verified via a computer. Throughout the states the data from the EDR has been accepted in criminal prosecutions and civil litigation. Generally, the data contained within an EDR is treated as property of the vehicle owner, and will require consent of the vehicles owner to access the information.

For more info on EDR  http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/edr.html

The Fourth Annual Protective Security Conference - Wednesday – Friday ~ May 16-18, 2012 at the Tremont Plaza Hotel ~ Baltimore, Maryland

Now in its fourth year, the Protective is an intensive three day event comprised of in-depth seminars, panels, roundtables conducted by leading authorities and carefully selected to expand the scope and depth of the critical skills you need to ensure that all the people in your organization are operating in a safe and secure environment whether it is at your headquarters or half way around the world in a hot spot.

There are over 20 hours of content time in just three days. Speakers are among the best known names in the security industry.

Attendees receive an Official Transcript and Certificate of Attendance.
Conference is eligible for ASIS recertification credits for CPP, PCI, and PSP.

 Exactly what basic skills are needed to work in the EP industry are arguable – all you need to do is go through Facebook, LinkedIn or search the web and you will see discussion after discussion on what skills are needed to get started, or to continue growing, in the EP field.

 With more than four decades in this industry, my experience leads me believe that once the basic EP Skills are acquired, there is always a need to enhance the possibilities of either landing that first job, or moving on – and up – in the field. In either case, history shows that additional skill sets need to be added. It is what separates those who dabble in the field and those that make a career of it, and it always has. While there are a lot of options out there for EP training – shooting, fighting, hostage negotiations (yes, it’s true)   –  again history shows that it is critical to look for training that will develop the knowledge and skills that can be directly applied in a real world setting. The most important skills are those that are considered valuable by the most important player in the job market, the folks doing the hiring.  If there is one thing that hasn’t changed in all of the years I have been doing this, it’s that you – the practitioner – has a limited amount of money for training and a never ending need to earn a living. That’s why decisions regarding training are so important, you’ve got to spend your money wisely on training that is going to actually help you get a job, keep the one you have, or advance in the field. Period. 

 Which brings us to our Best Practices to the Solo Practitioner Program; this course was specifically created to supply the skill sets the market demands. I say this with absolute certainty simply because the program was developed at the request of a number of our corporate and private sector clients; many of whom send their people to recognized EP schools, but require more from their security drivers and protection specialists.  In fact, although the Solo Practitioner Program has been described as a “new course”, it really isn’t. We have been conducting variations of this program for Corporate, High Net Worth, Military and Government clients for decades. During any given month there are anywhere from 16 to more than 100 practitioners from those clients attending VDI training somewhere in the world. The vast majority of these students are a) currently working in the field, b) “wear multiple hats” – meaning they are responsible for planning, coordinating and facilitating many aspects of executive security, c) work one-on-one with the principal. Coincidentally, more often than not, their primary role (and title) is Security Driver; which probably explains why those clients came to us looking for a program to meet there needs.

 What is new is that for the first time in more than four decades solo practitioner training is being offered as an open enrollment program. The first of these open enrollment programs will be held in NJ from Feb 27^th to March 3^rd.  For more information, go to Best Practices for the Solo Practitioner

 What is also new, is that our Solo Practitioner training is being led by Pat Shely, a highly experienced solo practitioner who recently retired from ExxonMobil after spending 21 years advising, and providing security , in a one-on-one capacity for various executives at the company, including two successive CEO’s.

 The Solo Practitioner team also includes Joe Autera, whom many of you already know. What some don’t know is that Joe spent more than 15 years in the field before focusing on training. During that time he not only worked a wide variety of solo practitioner assignments around the world, but also served as Director of Security for a multi-national technology concern, where he was responsible for managing an EP program that was based on the Solo Practitioner model and as VOP of Security Services for a leading global risk management firm.

 Pat and Joe will be joined by Frank Gallagher. Frank has worked at all levels of risk, for more than six years he was the Director of Security for Henry Kissinger Associates.

 Additionally, Tony Alfonso, President of Arona Executive Services and VDI’s resident expert on the attacker’s mindset, behaviors and tactics, will share his unique perspective on understanding the treat, recognizing indicators and warnings of potential threats and detecting hostile surveillance.

The Solo Practitioner training program is precedent setting training, taking advantage of five decades of experience working with and training Corporate and High Net Worth security practitioners. It is a derivation of the program we have conducted in 10 countries for the corporate community.

 The training is led by Pat Shely, a highly experienced solo practitioner who recently retired from ExxonMobil after spending 21 years protecting and supplying security services and consultation one on one with various executives, including two successive CEOs. 

The Program

Mark Monday and I have been friends for a while (about 30 years). Back in the early 80’s Mark produced one of the first publications on International Terrorism titled– “Terrorism, Violence, and Insurgency Journal”. Mark has co authored a book titled “Ambush”. He has written the book with Gary Stubblefield who is a retired Seal with combat experience in Vietnam, Central America and early Gulf Conflicts, and Lt. Colonel Joshua Potter is the third contributor. Colonel Potter is West Point Graduate and served with distinguished service in Iraq.

Another old friend Tom Taylor has written a new book “Tiger’s Heart”. I have read all of Tom’s books; it is my belief, that although they are fictional accounts of EP/Bodyguard work they can be used as text books. In fact, in my opinion, they are better text books than most of the EP text books.

I just finished John Weisman’s book KBL – Kill Bin Laden. (John is another old friend – you noticing a theme here). KBL is a novel based on true events. It gets as close to the truth about the hunt for and the mission to kill Bin Laden. KBL is an incredible book. Even though you know the ending, the book grabs you from the first chapter right up to the ending. In my opinion it is as good as any new Tom Clancy’s books. John’s name may be familiar he is a seven time New York Times bestselling author. He co-authored best-seller Rogue Warrior, the story of Richard Marcinko and the creation of SEAL Team 6, and then conceived, created, developed and wrote eight best-selling Rogue fictional sequels.

This is the new addition to the VDI arsenal – the Toterhome – combination of Trailer and Motor Home. The Toterhome will be used to take the TSVDI training to locations around the US.

The motor home comfortably sleeps 5 – has a shower, kitchen and bathroom.

The trailer will haul 4 of our schools cars plus all our equipment.

Avoiding a Carjacking

Preparing for the Trip
 Rule #1 Make sure your car is well-maintained. Not only does this prevent the likelihood of a possible breakdown, stolen abandon car, it also reduces the possibility of a potential abduction.

Know where you are going and choose your routes carefully; consider busy, well-lit roads. While you may encounter a little more traffic, you increase the likelihood of having others around in the event of trouble. While short cuts and back roads may save us a little time, make sure those routes don’t lead to isolated pinch points which are havens for criminals. Verify GPS directions before leaving for your trip. We all have GPS horror stories. Don’t plan your route solely on your GPS’s directions. Remember two rights or lefts will generally take us back to or toward our starting point.

 Understanding the Anatomy of a Carjacker

 Carjacking is typically a crime of opportunity. Professional predators look for easy prey. Other times carjacking is a crime of desperation, as criminals may be attempting to flee from other crimes and the carjacking becomes an act of desperation in an attempt to avoid being caught. Also as alarms systems and locking devices have become more sophisticated it is often easier to carjack as opposed to stealing and unoccupied vehicle.

Carjackings are often under reported as most states criminal codes don’t have a separate category for carjacking so they are often lumped into either auto theft or armed robbery. They happen everywhere and are not just restricted to major cities. While a carjacking can take place anywhere the following are often considered high target opportunities by carjackers ATMs garages, gas stations, highway exit and entry ramps, intersections, mass transit lots, residential driveways and streets, stop lights and signs, self-service car washes.

 On the Move

 Keep your doors locked and windows rolled up while driving and parked. Even if you drive a convertible keep your doors locked. Consider navigating toward the center lane, when you are approaching a stop sign or intersection. This makes it more difficult for carjackers to approach when you’re stopped in traffic or at an intersection. Don’t be afraid to drive on the shoulder or sidewalk if necessary to avoid being carjacked.

• Always make sure you can see the rear tires of car in front of you when stopped. This ensures you have enough turning radius to drive around a potential carjacker.
• Have an escape route at every intersection or whenever you are stopped.
• Check your mirrors frequently when you are stopped so you can monitor any suspicious activity around your vehicle.

 If this is a deadly force situation and you cannot drive around the threat consider driving into or over the threat! Even if you have a firearm driving into the threat is much more efficient. Most people don’t shoot well while they are driving or drive well while they are shooting.

Parking Your Car

Park your car in a well-lit, busy area and as close to your destination as possible. Pay close attention at gas stations, drive-up ATMs and retail parking lots. Consider backing into spaces whenever possible. If you have to make a quick escape, most people drive forward better than they drive backwards. Be alert to anyone whose actions may be keyed off of yours. Avoid parking next to vans, motor homes, other high vehicles or dumpsters whenever possible. When preparing to park in keep your windows rolled up and the car locked even if parked at your own home or office.

Never leave your child in the car unattended, not even “for a minute.” There are countless stories of parents returning to their cars only to find the car stolen and their child abducted. Park your car and take your kids and your keys with you. Keep your valuables in the trunk or hidden whenever your car is parked. Place your valuables in your trunk before you get to your final destination to avoid criminals seeing you relocating your valuables.

 Have your door key in your hand if you don’t have remote locks when returning to your car so you are ready to make a quick entry and departure. If you have a remote key and alarm, keep your hands on your remote key alarm. Look around outside and inside before getting in your vehicle. If attacked your keys may be used as an improvised weapon.

 If you are out retail shopping and you notice people around your car, go back into the store and have store security walk you to your car. If the location does not have security wait until the suspicious people leave the area of your vehicle.

Going Home

If you think you are being followed, don’t go home – drive to a police station or a busy public place where you can call the police. Give the police the route you are traveling and allow the police to intercept your vehicle.

 Consider backing to your garage even at home:

 If a carjacker is attempting to attack you in your garage and they don’t have a weapon, just drive past them and call 911 from a safe location.

• If the carjacker is armed consider running over them or pinning them with the front quarter panel of your vehicle into the sidewall of the garage. Good news it they will still is there when the police arrive.

 Accident Considerations

 Be alert to the swoop and stop. This is a regular tactic of carjackers. The carjacker pulls in front of you and suddenly stops, causing you to run into the rear of their vehicle. Also be alert to minor rear end collisions. Anytime you are a party in an accident before you get out, check to make sure that there are other cars around. If the situation seems suspicious, stay in the car and insist on moving to a well-lit area or a police station to exchange information.

If you are approached by a stranger, don’t roll down the window or open your car. If you feel threatened, use your car’s horn to signal for help or get a good description of the car and driver and call 911 and let them know you are part of an accident and you are not trying to hit and run, you just felt concerned for your safety and ask them where they can meet you to file a report or return to the scene.

More info on Mark and his company – Mark is Founder and Executive Director of Panther Protection Services, and in my opinion Mark is one of the sharpest guys in the business. Mark’s company is a full service protection agency performing security consulting, threat assessments, executive protection, self-defense training, and firearm instruction. You can find out more about Mark and his businessat his web site  Panther Protection Services