Somewhere between the time when mobile apps were beginning to have an impact on how protection practitioners accomplish even the most rudimentary tasks and the time when reflex optical sights started appearing on the handguns of those practitioners who provide armed protection, an even bigger revolution was taking place. We’re talking about a revolution that has far-reaching implications – think global scale – on how the protection practitioner performs one of the most basic functions they are called upon to perform day in and day out. Whether they’re armed or unarmed, or prefer an IOS over Android mobile device, is largely irrelevant in terms of performing one of, if not the, highest risk functions the typical practitioner will be tasked with on a regular basis. Yet, despite an ongoing technological revolution that demands a fundamental change in how practitioners train for and perform the tasks associated with this function, the approach taken by far too many in the field remains unchanged. While that may seem like a bold statement to some, the time has come to address the elephant in the room. This starts by recognizing the fact that, as concluded by a number of studies, to include that which was detailed in the book Just 2 Seconds by De Becker, Taylor and Marquart, from both a safety and a security perspective the highest risk period of time for any Principal is typically when they’re being transported Point A to Point B in a vehicle. And unless (or until?) some of the most basic elements of personal safety and security change, it’s a pretty safe bet that this will likely be the case with most Principals for the foreseeable future and beyond.
With that in mind, professional Security Drivers and other protection practitioners should recognize that the tool they rely heavily on to afford them the ability to mitigate or manage the risks that accompany getting that Principal from Point A to Point B, is rapidly evolving. But while those tools are evolving, for the most part – though certainly not universally true – in terms of the training needed to effectively use the technologically advanced tools are at their disposal, practitioners are continuing to train on tactics and techniques that are becoming increasingly irrelevant. And many are learning to apply these legacy techniques using vehicles that are, at best, outdated and in many instances, simply obsolete; and in no way representative in terms of performance or functionality of those they operate on a daily basis.
Quite frankly, the question is no longer whether or not the ongoing evolution in automotive technology is relevant to the protection practitioner; it’s now a much more urgent question of whether or not that evolution is being effectively addressed in the training that providers of secure transportation undergo. So if we’re finally going to take on the elephant in the room – the fact that with certain notable exceptions, driver training for security professionals has not evolved at the same pace as the vehicles they operate day in and day out – we as professionals need to recognize that there are significant risks that accompany this widening gap between the operations and training sides of the secure transportation and executive protection professions. These self-inflicted risks are driven in part by fact that, no matter where in the world one happens to be, today’s protection practitioner is likely to find themselves behind the wheel, or at the very least riding in, a vehicle equipped with technologies such as Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Traction Control (TC), Electronic Stability Control (ESC). And with the proliferation of Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) such as collision avoidance, emergency braking assist, and lane departure warning systems on vehicles commonly found in many of the locales where the demand for secure transportation and/or personal protection services is increasing, the need for driver training which acknowledges and embraces advances in automotive technology is becoming increasingly important.
From a training perspective, some of the most pressing questions revolve around exactly what is it that this long-overlooked revolution in automotive technology means for the professional Security Driver and other protection practitioners. For starters, presuming the goal is to develop and sustain the capability to mitigate or manage those persistent safety and security risks that are typically associated with providing ground transportation, it means developing a basic understanding of the core technology that is standard on virtually all modern vehicles. This core technology includes ABS, TC, and ESC. Most importantly, in order to maximize the potential of the tools at their disposal, the professional practitioner must take that baseline understanding a step further. This critical step in their professional development is developing an understanding of the extent to which this technology dictates the tactics and techniques they apply to driving today’s vehicles; in particular, those needed to manage behind-the-wheel emergencies, ranging from potential accidents to security-related incidents. This is really no different than expecting the practitioner to understand how to upload the latest GPS mapping app on their mobile device and leveraging it to navigate a congested route or, for that matter, to expect those who provide armed protection to be knowledgeable about the potential advantages a reflexive optic provides over iron sights and how to make the most of that advantage in the event of a life-threatening encounter.
In practical terms – as in what actually works in a real-world events that afford the driver limited reaction time, limited distance between their vehicle and the perceived risk or threat, and limited maneuvering space – this means that it’s high time to put legacy training paradigms, along with the tactics, techniques, and procedures that were borne from them, in the rearview mirror. It also means getting past the flawed premise that, despite the advances in automotive technology, the manner in which drivers have been trained in the past, the equipment they have been trained with, and the tactics and techniques they have been trained on, in the past are just as effective today as when they were when first introduced. If that were the case, when it came to communications we’d all still be using Morse Keys in training, Cartography Tools for route survey and selection training, and Flintlock pistols for firearms training.
In terms of automotive technology, the idea that a practitioner will be capable of outperforming systems such as today’s Anti-lock Braking System technology using a technique such as threshold braking, which developed specifically for racing and well before ABS technology was invented is, at best, highly unlikely. At worst, they may be opting to apply a legacy technique such as threshold braking, which puts them at a significant disadvantage in overcoming the behind-the-wheel emergency they’ve found themselves in. Additionally, relying solely on such a dated technique, which effectively negates the tremendous advantage ABS affords, may very well place the driver at fault when the technique fails to achieve the desired outcome. While there are much more effective techniques for managing high energy braking scenarios in vehicles equipped with ABS, as with any skill set they must be properly trained on, repetitively, in a controlled environment, to ensure those techniques can be properly applied while under stress in a real-world event. Similarly, while learning and applying skid control techniques in training can be exciting, with the proliferation of ESC and TC equipped cars, training on these sorts techniques is not only a monumental waste of precious training time and dollars, it can be counterproductive to apply traditional skid control techniques, such as counter-steering, in vehicles equipped with ESC. In fact, even when vehicles equipped with ESC were still a relative rarity, a number of studies concluded that skid control techniques contributed to higher accident rates among those trained in them; and now that ESC systems are the rule as opposed to the exception, the likelihood that a driver can outperform the vehicle when it comes to skid control is highly unlikely, to say the least. Likewise, performing, or attempting to perform, as the case may be, a J Turn in a vehicle equipped with today’s sophisticated ADAS technology exponentially increases the risk of sending the vehicle into “Limp Mode” – which renders that particular maneuver all but useless in terms of effectively and efficiently creating time and distance between a perceived threat. And as reverse speed limiters have been designed and programmed to intervene at ever lower speeds in recent years (mot long ago we tested a full-size, production model SUV whose reverse speed limiter technology would not allow the vehicle to reverse at speeds over 5 MPH), the likelihood of successfully executing a J Turn on dry pavement sinks even lower.
Obviously, as we set aside those legacy tactics and techniques that have outlived their usefulness and application, they must be replaced by those which can be performed effectively in modern vehicles. As an example, when it comes to today’s technology-laden vehicles, the professional behind the wheel must – not should, but must – have the capacity and capability to control their vehicle while maneuvering (as opposed to just backing in a straight line) in reverse, as there are any number of scenarios where forward-looking collision avoidance technology will not allow the vehicle to move forward toward an obstacle no bigger than a child. Even if we’re talking about an irate protestor, disgruntled former employee, or some random emotionally disturbed person, simply standing in front of a vehicle equipped with this technology (and holding their ground), the driver will be unable to move the vehicle forward. It doesn’t matter whether the Principal is one of the most successful, wealthiest, or most beloved individuals on the face of the planet. Therefore, logic dictates that getting the car moving, and keeping it moving, in reverse must take precedent in terms of expending training time and resources, both of which are typically in short supply, overtraining on legacy techniques that no longer have a practical application.
While it’s worth noting that the need for Security Driver and other protection practitioners to have the ability to drive in reverse really hasn’t changed much since the dawn of evasive driving training, it is the proliferation of modern technology that makes this skill even more critical. Therefore, in order to meet the needs of today’s professionals who operate modern, ADAS-equipped vehicles, logic dictates that reversing skills should be trained on extensively, in increasingly complex, scenario-based exercises, as opposed to being touched upon and briefly practiced in a simple exercise or two that doesn’t really comport with a specific scenario. And even though it is certainly possible to “push through” a problem in a vehicle equipped with airbags, as automotive technology has evolved it has become increasingly likely that should the airbag deploy the vehicle’s engine will immediately shut off…in the kill zone (or right on the “X” if you prefer).
So, if today’s professional Security Drivers, as well as other protection professionals, expect to meet their Principal, client, or employers expectations in terms of behind-the-wheel performance where and when it matters the most, the time has come for legacy training approaches, outmoded tactics and techniques, and obsolete equipment to be relegated to the shelf where we store all things that have outlived their usefulness. As challenging as it may be, it is incumbent upon the practitioner to ensure they have the knowledge, skill, and ability to perform effectively within the parameters established by the technology that today’s vehicles are equipped with. Achieving this critical goal demands training in newer vehicles that are equipped with modern technology, delivered by instructors with in-depth knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages afforded the driver by this technology, which focuses on tactics and techniques that allow them to leverage those advantages and overcome those disadvantages.
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