At one time, when bad things happened, it was all up to the driver to control the vehicle. The person holding on to the steering wheel made all the decisions. The driver was the algorithm that determined the outcome of the event.

Now computers control executive vehicles, and in an emergency scenario, accident, or vehicle violence, the executive vehicles rely on the computer algorithm to control the vehicle.

All vehicles have inherent characteristics that, if not understood and monitored, can decrease a vehicle’s performance and create a dangerous scenario for the principal. There are numbers that represent these vehicle characteristics; most can be found in the owner’s manual.

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.

The main concern in Latin American ground transportation industry is the cargo theft from trucks, it has a relevant impact in the economies of the region because more than 80% of the goods reach companies and individuals through a huge motor fleet, from pickups to +18 wheels tractor trailers.

We strongly suggest that anyone who attends a Security Driving training program is measured in accordance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 135. This is the standard that is used to measure vehicle braking performance. As a security driver, you must be able to perform at a much higher level than “minimum” (it is what you get paid to do).

Though our students are typically experienced professionals – when last surveyed they had, on average, just shy of 15 years of Security Driving/Executive Protection experience – we often get “the question.”

Which Car is the Safest?

This article appeared in the Best Rides website. The data from the research indicates that you are more likely to have a fatal car crash due to tie failure than from cell phone use. At the time I found the numbers hard to believe.

Front crash prevention systems alert the driver when the vehicle is getting too close to one in front of it.

Lane departure warning use cameras to track the vehicle’s position within the lane, alerting the driver if the vehicle is in danger of inadvertently straying across lane markings.

Blind spot detection uses sensors to monitor the side of the vehicle for vehicles approaching blind spots.

Adaptive headlights help drivers see better on dark, curved roads. The headlights pivot in the direction of travel based on steering wheel movement.

A related feature to forward collision avoidance is adaptive cruise control, which is typically marketed as a convenience feature.

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.

Kill Zones are a time distance relationship, tenths of a second count.

To ensure the safety and security of the principal, security drivers and secure transportation providers should understand that all vehicles have inherent characteristics that decrease the performance of the vehicle, and create a dangerous scenario for the principal. One of those characteristics is the vehicle’s static stability factor (SSF).

For decades our mantra has been, “When Stuff Happens, You Can’t Be Average.” This is the first in a series of articles that will cover that moment in time “When Stuff Happens.”

When a vehicle is approaching its limit of adhesion, a driver has two conflicting signals. The first signal is the steering wheel getting light, which means that it requires less effort to increase steering input (turn the steering wheel). The reason for this is that the adhesion the tire makes with the road is getting increasingly smaller – quickly.

The second signal is the vehicle load the driver feels at the back of the seat (their butt), which at the limit of adhesion is high.

Many times a driver is given 30 minutes to get to a destination that requires 45 minutes. So, at times, there is a tendency to drive a little faster than the speed limit allows. One of the questions we get asked is – “how accurate are speedometers”?

INTRODUCTION The following are the preliminary results of the 2017 ISDA Executive Vehicle Survey. The complete survey will be available soon. Executive Vehicles The type…

Porsche feels that chauffeur driven executives are the Executive Panamera market, and they believe that market is in the US and China, they may be correct, but it all depends on Porsche’s definition of “a market.” Our (ISDA) experience and our surveys indicate that it will be a hard sell.

From 1979 – I’m sure most of the people reading this do not remember the Volvo 242 GT, it was a hell of a performance…

The following is an excerpt from the results of 2015 ISDA Security Vehicle/Secure Transportation Survey. One of the questions asked in the survey was –…

This is a promotional video of an upcoming series of online training. The series will discuss in detail the decisions that need to be made when selecting an executive vehicle. The ISDA online training are free for ISDA members and offered at a fee to non-members. All recorded webinars and materials will be available on the ISDA website long after the webinar.

A consumer report article begins with the sentence, “In a striking example of the law of unintended consequences, a popular automotive convenience feature, push-button start,…

INTRODUCTION

The following are the results of a survey sent in 2015 to ISDA Members, and Secure Transportation practitioners. The survey was also posted in selected Social Media Groups. A similar survey was conducted in 2013, and when applicable, a comparison will be made to the 2013 survey.

At some point, almost everyone has seen the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light appear on the dashboard. Its purpose is to warn you…

The ISDA SUV of The Year is the Chevy Suburban LTZ (and its GMC twin, the Yukon XL). The major characteristic that separates the Chevy…

The polar plunge that has chilled much of the nation does more than bring out ice scrapers and antifreeze. It can trigger a vehicle’s tire-pressure-monitoring system overnight, sending nervous drivers to dealers and service centers.

For example, about 20 customers visited a Chevrolet dealership because their tire-pressure-warning icons were illuminated. Here’s why a cold snap affects tire pressure and sets off the tire-pressure-monitoring system (TPMS) warning lamp.

There is confusion about exactly what constitutes an autonomous vehicle. The government has eliminated the confusion by separating vehicles’ levels of driver control. There are four levels of control.

A while back we conducted a Vehicle Dynamics Training Program for a Law Enforcement Agency in Massachusetts. One of the training vehicles was a Ford…

Armored car sales are booming throughout the Middle East (pun intended) – folks still insist on calling armored vehicles – “bulletproof”. My opinion creates a…

In July we sent a survey to our contact list, we also posted the survey on the Social Media. The Survey results are in the form of an Infographic.

The simple fact is that Electronic Stability Control has made cars safer. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study showed that ESC reduced all single-vehicle crashes by 34 percent and single-vehicle SUV crashes by 59 percent.

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

A series of articles about Electronics and there effect on vehicle security.

Bosch has created a series of YouTube videos on ESC – ABS – 4×4

Maintaining correct tire pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows drivers to experience tire comfort, durability, and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles. Tire deflection (the tread and sidewall flexing where the tread comes into contact with the road) will remain as originally designed and excessive sidewall flexing and tread squirm will be avoided. Heat buildup will be managed and rolling resistance will be appropriate. Proper tire inflation pressure also stabilizes the tire’s structure, blending the tire’s responsiveness, traction and handling.

Fully Active Suspension Technology – A video about the MB suspension system. This is engineering at its best.

Driving is inputs and outputs. A driver applies input to the vehicle via steering – braking – and acceleration and combinations thereof. The output is…

All vehicles are supported by a cushion of air contained in four flexible rubber tires.  If you could place a car on a glass floor…

A few years ago, Massachusetts Lt. Governor Tim Murray was driving on an icy road at 65 MPH, when his car skidded into a rock ledge…

Ford Mustang has added a G’ Meter as on board equipment. The gentleman driving talks about measuring the vehicles performance – almost like the Mustang…

Goodyear has developed self-inflating tire technology intended to keep commercial truck tires at the proper pressure, with the end result saving fuel and reducing tread…

Over 90 percent of the information we need to control the vehicle comes from what we see. Vision is the foundation of safe and secure…

Air Filter Check every two to three months. A dirty air filter reduces gas mileage and the lifespan of your motor. Replace it when it…

Just the other day we received a call from yet another client that is considering replacing the sedans they currently use for executive transportation with…

  Turning Circle Bumper to Bumper clearance needed to make a U Turn. An important number when considering that in a high risk environment –…

Payload – The combined, maximum allowable weight of cargo, occupants and optional equipment that the vehicle is designed to carry. (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating minus…

No not Extrasensory Perception, which is defined as telepathy – pre recognition – and clairvoyance – but close to it. The ESP I am talking…

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.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a computer that takes over control of the vehicle when the vehicle’s path is not what the driver intended it to be. For those of us who have lost control of a car, we know that it’s that first twitch of the car that tells us that we are about to have an exciting experience. That twitch is information the car is sending to us. For some, interpreting this information is second nature, and for others it’s like trying to understand Swahili.