Executive Protection

The art of safe and secure driving

The epitome of operational driving for many VIP drivers is driving excessive speeds in a bumper to bumper formation, and performing maneuvers like the "J-turn" or "bootlegger." Although these skills are important and might just save the day when caught in sticky situations, they are far less important than the good old skilled defensive driving habits.

Judging by the driving style of some escort drivers, it seems that they overlook the fact that the risk of being involved in a common traffic accident is dozens of times greater than the risk of running into an ambush or having to shake off an aggressor.

As security professionals whose prime concern should be risk mitigation, we should not overlook the fact that the principal physical threat to most dignitaries is driving hazards. That means that preventive driving has to be at the top of the priorities list. Not doing so automatically converts the driver into the VIP's greatest liability.

The traffic-accident record of dignitary-security outfits that do not practice defensive driving is very high (for obvious reasons, you usually won't hear about it unless the dignitary is harmed).

The art of safe and secure driving learned through the protective driving course addresses the need to combine secured escort driving principles with preventive driving practices.

The following examples of common escort driving practices demonstrate some of the occupation's main misconceptions and malpractices:

  • Failing to maintain safe distances and breaking distances is probably one of the most common accident generators. Nevertheless, we still see VIP convoys that drive at top speeds while keeping the distance of merely a car length between the cars.
  • Not using safety-belts is another dangerous common practice among some security escorts. (note recent incident involving New Jersey's governor)
  • Letting the VIP sit next to the driver-while statistics prove that that the front passenger seat is, by far, the most dangerous seat in a vehicle. (The Lady Di incident is an exception.)
  • Speeding excessively in order to reach a destination on time might save the dignitary a few minutes, but at great risk of not getting there at all, and at the same time, endangering the executive protection unit, the dignitary, and unrelated third parties.
  • Abrupt acceleration and breaking as done by some animated drivers is not only unsafe, but also tortures passengers who, next time, might consider other means of transportation or even drive themselves, instead of repeating the experience.
  • Assuming that an armored vehicle is better suited to withstand car crashes, hence taking fewer precautions-is yet another common mistake. The fact is that with the extra 600 kg (1300 lbs.) of armor, a car like this needs longer breaking distances than a regular car and it usually does not handle as smoothly. Crashing into something with that extra weight can result in the same fatal consequences for the passengers as a regular vehicle; in some cases it's even more dangerous.

 

About Secure Driving - Important guidelines

 

  1. Always keep the necessary safety distance between you and the car in front of you. As a rule of thumb, divide your speed (km/h) by 2; the result is the recommended safety distance in good weather and road conditions in meters. For example, 90 km/h speed divided by 2 = 45 m. in distance. Add more distance in case of wet or poor road conditions or impaired visibility. One might argue that such large distances endanger convoy integrity. The question is: what is the greater threat at a given moment, a collision or an attack that could have been prevented by a tighter convoy formation? Weighing the options, one might be surprised to learn that more often than not, the collision threat is the predominant one. In addition, it's important to be aware that some aggressors actually make use of the shortcomings of tight formations by tossing an obstacle in their path, leaving no leeway to respond and very limited frontal vision for early warnings.
  2. Keep your safety belts on at all times unless you're moving at very low speeds or stopping altogether.
  3. Doing what ever is possible to convince a VIP to take the back seat and buckle up. The front seat is not only the worst in traffic accident statistics but is also in the direct fire-line of an escorting agent seated in back.
  4. A driver should not let anyone pressure him into reckless or irresponsible driving unless the driver determines the consequences clearly justify it. (Many dignitaries push their drivers because of schedule pressures, yet it still remains the driver's responsibility and liability when things go wrong.)
  5. Driving smoothly, avoiding abrupt acceleration and breaking (which can only be done when keeping proper distances) is safer and easier from every aspect, on passengers, convoy members and vehicles.
  6. Remember your car's limitations and don't confuse heavy armor with safety in a crash situation. Acceleration and deceleration speed and control are strongly affected by vehicle mass.
  7. It is not often that we can enhance security by a major percentage. But, by changing habits and implementing just a few good practices-although it's not always simple-we can do just that!

 
 
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