The Pillars of Driving

Last week, as we wrapped up what, by all accounts, was another successful Protective/Evasive Driving course (our 32nd training delivery of the year) one of the 18 students who participated in the training asked me..

What it is I do when we are not delivering training somewhere in the world?

The answer to that question takes us back to the early ’70’s and the origins of VDI’s predecessor, the Scotti School of Defensive Driving.

The question also points us to what might best be referred to as the pillars of driving, both of which are closely related – at least in terms of answering this particular young practitioners question. Back then, other than a guy in Massachusetts and another guy in Switzerland, there were very few security practitioners that were paying much attention to exactly what the knowledge, skill and abilities were that professional drivers needed in order to deal with the threats of kidnappings and assassination that were spreading across the globe.

It was during this time that Tony Scotti, the aforementioned guy from Massachusetts, adapted a model for industrial safety to define the three factors that contributed to success – or failure – in a behind-the-wheel emergency. Those factors are, in reality, and regardless of whether we’re talking about traditional defensive driving, evasive driving, offensive driving, or even “everyday” driving, the pillars of driving, Tony referred to this model as the the Security Driving Triangle, and to this day trainers and training schools around the world touch upon it in their courses, some more accurately, appropriately, and effectively than others. Still others out there have it hanging in their classrooms or thrown into a PowerPoint presentation, yet haven’t a clue to what it means and/or it’s significance to what they do…ah, but I digress.

Those who have been through one of VDI’s driving courses are not only intimately familiar with the Security Driving Triangle and the three pillars of driving it describes – the Driver, the Vehicle and the Environment – they also understand how it applies to real world events. Though they might not even realize it, they also know the answer to the question posed by our recent grad.. However, what many of them do come to realize is just how technical the act of driving, as well as training drivers and all that goes into it, is.

Vehicle dynamics, the science of driving if you will, in and of itself is a very complex area of study. When combined with the study of human performance and the various underlying sciences that effect or impact it, adult learning theory, and instructional system design – each of which directly corresponds to one of the three components of the Security Driving Triangle – it becomes even more complex in terms of designing, developing and delivering the most efficient and effective learning experience for drivers.

So, to answer the question, when not engaged in training, we’re immersed in developing a better understanding of those three components – the factors of success or failure in behind-the-wheel emergencies – and applying this continually expanding knowledge base, increased understanding, and evolving thought processes, to advancing the methodology that bears Tony’s name and refining the courses that carry on the legacy and tradition that began more than forty years ago with the Scotti School. In fact, one of the inherent advantages our management team has is that, as full time training designers, developers and instructors, we have the opportunity to focus a significant amount of time and energy on testing, research and development and, of course, staying abreast of the latest developments pertaining to drivers, vehicles and the environments that they are expected to perform at their best in.