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.

But the skill required to drive a race car on a race track trying to attain the fastest lap has nothing to do with any type of Security Driving. Racing Vs Security Driving requires an entirely different skill set. The decision-making process is different. If you attend a Security Driving training program you should be taught the skill sets needed for Security Driving, not racing. Depending on the type of security driving there are a variety of skills needed – but there is one that is universal – and in my eyes – the most important. There are folks who I respect that may disagree with me. And that is reacting to an emergency.

There has been a great deal of research done – money spent – and data collected on how drivers make decisions in emergencies. The driver’s vision pattern – the actions that need to be taken by the driver to avoid problems – how various vehicles respond to various inputs have been examined and measured. And, in my opinion, the most important issue is how to measure driving skill and survivability.

The most important issue is no matter what form of racing or Security Driving- driving performance is a measurable skill. I will agree that at one time these skills were hard to measure, and required some knowledge of engineering. But we have been teaching people to measure driving skills for a long time, and with all due respect to my students, some of them not exactly the brightest people in the world.  But with today’s technology measuring driving performance attainable to most everyone.

I cannot stress how important it is to measure skill. All data indicates that in an accident – ambush – racing scenario the difference between success and failure is measured in tenths of  seconds and/or 2 MPH. You cannot measure that sitting in the passenger seat. If you pay to go to driving school your performance needs to be monitored at all times and corrections need to be made based on objective data. Do not mistake adrenalin for education.