Winter driving conditions challenge most drivers, but Security Drivers are not in the “most drivers” club. There are inherent dangers of driving in a winter environment.

Threshold braking is one of those concepts that has been misunderstood for decades in the police and protective driving community.

The vehicle used in the Carcass training disaster was an older Toyota 4Runner. The 4Runner earned a 3-star (out of 5) rating from NHTSA with a 20 to 30% rollover risk.

Ever noticed while driving you can sometimes tell what the other cars around you are going to do? It’s a crazy thought, but vehicles are nothing more than tools under the control of, you guessed it, humans. Because of that fact, we have the ability to create a Baseline of Behavior for each and every driver we may come into proximity with.

All security drivers need a firm foundation in defensive driving and vehicle dynamics. After all, if you can’t drive, you can’t escape a potentially dangerous situation.

Being a professional security driver means having the ability to drive out of a situation and having the knowledge to use the vehicle to its fullest potential, whatever the weather or vehicle type.

Many security drivers will use a different type of vehicle from on task to another, requiring them to understand the many intricacies and types.

Many times, when we examine a vehicle ambush, the discussions will always ask the question “What If.” What if the driver moved the steering wheel a half a second sooner – applied the brakes a second earlier – made a decision quicker – had the ability to use more of the vehicle capability.

I have been fortunate to have experienced working with vehicle motorcades on hundreds of occasions all over the world in my 40 years of working in the executive protection industry, and I thought I would share some best practices and things I have learned along the way.

First and foremost – WHAT IS NOT SECURITY DRIVING – a security driver IS NOT a person who attended an EP Training program and has a driver’s…

Three Seconds to Safety is a booklet that covers carjacking. Like the author, Tony Scotti, the booklet is old, it was written in the late…

This article was written around 1995 (25 years ago) by Fred Foster. At that time, Fred was the CEO of 7 Trees, a security company…

When moving through any scenario the driver is managing time and distance. In an emergency, survival comes down to how much time and distance do you have to avoid the problem.

Basic Evasive Driving Techniques A Product of the OSAC Research & Information Support Center (RISC) in conjunction with the Diplomatic Security Training Center. A driver’s…

An 8-page memo on how to chauffeur a congressman. The outline details the tasks required to drive a member of Congress. It can serve as…

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To get a better understanding of the Dangers of Distracted Driving, we can use a phrase associated with security and security driving – “The Kill Zone.” Although the term Kill Zone is used by the security community, it can also describe any scenario that creates an emergency for the driver and passengers. Not looking where you are going for 2 to 3 seconds falls into that category.

Downloads Americans are angry about crime. We’ve given increasing attention and resources to security in our businesses, homes and our communities. And our police and…

An interesting metric from the ISDA Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey – Seventy percent of survey participants drive in winter conditions—this aligns with the…

Using 80% or above of the vehicle’s capability would more than likely only happen during an emergency (accident or ambush). But what percentage of the vehicle does a Security Driver use while maneuvering through the day to day mundane chore of moving the boss from Point A to Point B, such as driving up to an intersection and slowing down – stopping at a red light – driving on an off ramp or around a corner?

To answer that question, ISDA conducted an experiment.

The Kill Zone is a phrase often associated with high-risk driving, but it can describe any scenario that creates an emergency for the driver. The scenario…

The ISDA 2015 and preliminary data from the 2017 Executive/Security Vehicle Survey indicate a dramatic increase in the use of SUVs for Executive Transportation. The…

Changes in the weather conditions can challenge the most experienced Security Driver. These are some tips taken from my book Professional Driving Techniques.

According to the U.S. State Department, motor-vehicle crashes – not terrorism or crime – are the No. 1 cause of death of Americans traveling abroad. A duty of care requires some simple precautions. These a few informational websites.

Although your U.S. driver’s license lets you drive in many foreign countries, the translations in the IDP are intended to minimize language barriers when you drive in countries where English is not widely spoken or understood.

According to the U.S. State Department, motor-vehicle crashes – not terrorism or crime – are the No. 1 cause of death of Americans traveling abroad. Driving in environments similar to the Middle East can lead to serious issues. A duty of care requires some simple precautions.

This is a comment we hear often when we (ISDA) are asked about our certification. Our answer is simple – No offense, but the ISDA…

It may not have a high educational value but it is great entertainment. It’s been 15 years since BMW made its first foray into Hollywood…

The recent video of a Secret Service Agent driving the Presidential Limo in reverse around Lime Rock Race Track took the social media by storm. According to some reports the video received 40 Million views. The majority of those viewing the video were under the impression that the video was real, but actually, it was an excellent animation. Truth be told, the first time I looked at it, I thought it was real.

The video did create many questions concerning the skills needed to drive in reverse.

So for those working in the Secure Transportation profession; some thoughts on backing up.

Here are some quick points on backing up when the objective is to escape the Kill Zone

The Friction Circle is a graphic and straightforward method of measuring a driver’s level of competence in any vehicle in any scenario. Via an APP or…

Coming up is the 102nd running of the Indy 500, so I thought I would do a simple analysis of the track; hopefully, it will…

This is a video of an upcoming series of online training produced by the International Security Driver Association (ISDA). The online training will incorporate an animated computer…

An attack on the principal is a time, distance relationship. Moving the principal, driving, or walking is managing time and distance. If there is an attack…

An article that appeared in the December issue of Tactics and Preparedness. The title is “High Performance Driving” but is more about defining and scientifically measuring driving skills. The contents of the article will be familiar to ISDA Certificate Holders and VDI graduates.

This is part two of a post that originated on LinkedIn in October of 2015. The title of the post was “Does Security Driving have…

The International Security Driver Association (ISDA) is often asked if we certify instructors, the answer is NO, we certify Security Drivers. There is an instructor certification…

Those of us who live in winter-weather country are just emerging from record-setting snow and freezing temperatures. And now there’s a new problem to face: potholes. Thanks to this winter’s extreme freeze-and-thaw cycles, the spring of 2015 promises to be an epic pothole season. And that’s not good news for those providing secure transportation.

Potholes are a matter of safety and inconvenience. But there are things that can be done before, during, and after hitting a pothole. Develop a proactive approach similar to a security scenario except you’re avoiding potholes instead of security issues.

Many security drivers drive in the morning sunrise and the evening sunset. Blinding glare from low sun or bright light reflecting off snow, puddles, other…

On various social media outlets some have touted driverless vehicles, going as far as to say that driverless vehicles will eliminate the security driver profession…

Cold weather can wreak havoc on a vehicle, some useful web articles, and Winter Emergency Kits  to keep you, your principal, and your family safe…

Backing up fast is hard and if not done correctly, dangerous. But with that said it is by far one of the most valuable driving…

Make sure you are going at the same speed as the traffic you are merging with before you hit the point at which the ramp…

The first thing we need to know is that brakes don’t stop cars.  Brakes stop wheels from rolling.  The friction of the tires against the…

According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, driver distractions are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near-crashes. A study released by the National…

1. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA),drivers who commit road rage are between the ages of 18 to 26 males, poorly educated, with criminal…

There are three ways to reverse direction – U-turns – Two-point turns – Three-point turns. This article discusses the various ways to conduct those turns.

The Audi A8 is a great security Vehicle  – But the instructor is giving the impression that the Audi is specifically designed to do J…

The History of Security Driving is an old (2013) and short presentation of an upcoming Secure Transportation, online learning course. It is narrated by Tony…

Safe Is Fast Series The site was created by the Road Racing Drivers Club, a US organization made up of many of the America’s and…

By Nancy Stek When it comes to perfecting driving skills, everyone agrees that there is no substitute for practice. As most everyone’s won experience shows,…

A specific form of motion sickness, car sickness is quite common and often evidenced by the inability to read a map or book during travel….

Our first problem is the device we use to measure speed  – the speedometer. It is not the accuracy of the speedometer that is the…

Security Drivers can spend a great deal of time driving in darkness, and yet many are unaware of the special hazards night driving presents, or…

While driving if confronted with an emergency scenario, the driver’s reaction time can be the difference between success and failure. Although it is an important…

THE PROBLEM The simple fact is, there are times when we may have to drive tired.  Most Drivers don’t feel that fatigue is a serious…

Shuffle steering is a technique that was developed to address a very specific set of circumstances totally unrelated to emergency driving. While there are a…

There is a difference between Racing and Security Driving. Just like there are different types of racing that require different styles of driving there is a difference in the types of Security Driving. In today’s scenarios, the difference in Security Driving could be the subject of an article/book.

Passing the vehicle in front you is one of those things we do often but don’t give much thought. Once the decision to pass a vehicle in an urban environment realize and remember that you and your car are going to be spending a good deal of time in the wrong lane. To give you an idea of how much time and distance, if you are traveling at 50 mph and passing someone going 40 mph, you will need about 10 seconds and 736 feet to safely complete the pass.

Handling and Cornering are often used to describe the same characteristic, but they are two separate issues. Handling is defined as how the car responses…

There are times when your car starts “talking” to you. It usually happens when your car is approaching its limits. This phenomenon is called neutral…

One of the most valuable driving skills to have in a high-risk environment Backing up fast is hard and, if not done correctly, dangerous. But…

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…

Although most drivers realize that the higher the car’s speed, the more distance required to stop. What is surprising to many drivers is how much…

Most corporate drivers are in their second career, which means they are up there in years. Therefore it’s not surprising that a common question asked…

While driving if confronted with an emergency scenario, ambush or accident, the driver’s reaction time can be the difference between success and failure. All driving…

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…

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…

We have all had the experience of driving on a major highway and running into stop and go traffic, the first thought you have is that there must be an accident just over the hill or around the bend. But when you get to the top of the hill or around the bend the traffic starts to flow and there is no accident – what caused the slowdown. Two things traffic volume and “line of sight.”

For some in the industry, especially those just entering the business, there is a misconception of what defines Security Driving, and in particular, the job…

It’s that time of the year when bad weather can be problematic. Most of the driving public can opt out of driving in bad weather…

Many accidents happen while the car is in reverse. More often than not, these result in fender benders, not dramatic accidents, but nonetheless annoying and…

In his book Traffic, Tom Vanderbilt discusses why drivers unknowingly drive faster than they think they are. The information was taken from two studies. A…

To illustrate the dangers of overdriving your headlights we will look at scenarios, with the objective of creating information that can be used as teaching…

Yes I know that everyone is a great driver and parallel parking is a boring subject – but my guess would be that most people…

The Comfort Zone is a combination of speed – steering and/or braking where the vehicle reacts as the driver expects it to. The Red Zone…

How many times have you been driving down the road and another driver moving in the same direction drives into your lane? The person obviously…

The Statics Stability Factor (SSF) is how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determines a vehicle’s rollover probability; it is the vehicles at-rest calculation of its rollover resistance. The number is based on the vehicles geometric properties. SSF is a measure of how top-heavy a vehicle is.

In light of all the discussion concerning the assassination in Mexico – I thought I would go over my thoughts on Kill Zones. Since being…

Depending on your occupation, there is no doubt there are scenarios where one may need to drive fast. The difficulty associated with driving fast depends…

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.