Protective Driving focuses on a number of aspects that relate to the Protective Agent’s job. These aspects include threat detection, safe vehicle operations and how to remove the vehicle from the kill zone during a crisis. What these aspects equate to is the fact that the protective agents’ mission is to avoid a violent confrontation instead of wondering into it. On a similar note, law enforcement officer driving training or EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course) focus on the safe operation of a vehicle at high speeds, how to properly conduct a high speed chase and avoiding potential hazards. Although this training focuses on ensuring the safety of the officer and citizens that might be in the vicinity of the pursuit it also helps develop the driver’s muscle memory and reaction time.

With these occupations in mind, imagine your protection detail traveling en route when around that blind turn, the one that you advanced so well but could not avoid, several cars suddenly pull out and block your path of travel. Or you are called to a suspicious alarm going off in a shady part of town. As you cautiously approach four guys dressed in black carrying shotguns, come out from behind the dark van that was pulled up to the loading dock. Backup is miles away you are severely out gunned and need to react quickly. In either of these deadly situations you would only have seconds to make a life or death decision. Seconds count when in the kill zone, your first decision better work because it could be your last.

Whether Security Driver or Law Enforcement Officer history shows us that the majority of attacks are conducted in and around vehicles. The reason for this in Security Transportation is simply the Principle or (Target) is much more vulnerable in the car and the car is a much easier target to penetrate, in Law Enforcement vulnerability comes down to the large amount of hours spent in the vehicle. Even with top-notch threat detection and pre-planning there will be some degree of vulnerability in your daily travels. The attackers will be looking for your weak points. For a variety of reasons even the best protection agents cannot avoid these areas. The terrorist will have superior knowledge of this terrain and never play by the rules; therefore they possess the capability attack at will.

A well-trained Security Driver will get the vehicle moving and keep it going as long as they can. Your vehicle is the best weapon until you cannot use it anymore. In Law Enforcement, the prevailing tactical approach to critical incidents has not included such vehicle techniques as high speed backing and ramming to escape a situation that an individual officer cannot handle alone. Just because you are blocked in or outgunned, does not necessarily mean you cannot use your car to escape. This article will concentrate on two last resort options if your vehicle is blocked in with no way out. One option would be to use your vehicle as a weapon and ram your way through a barricade. If this tactic is done correctly it can be very successful. Ramming a vehicle out of your path of travel should never be sort after as your primary escape route. This technique is only used if all else fails or you are left with no other escape route; a life or death option. The second option, going for your firearm, is quite dangerous if you are out gunned and should be used only when your vehicle is out of commission.

Option 1 - Ramming Out of the Kill Zone

Ramming your way out of the kill zone could cause damage to your car and generally takes longer than backing up or driving around the barricade. Therefore, keep in mind that ramming through a barricade should be used as a last resort when all escape routes are blocked. If proper technique is used you will be surprised that this technique can be quite successful and cause minimal damage to your vehicle. The first step is to stop your vehicle approximately 10 – 15 feet in front of the barricade, very briefly letting your attacker think you are going the other way or giving up. This will cause the attacker to put his guard down a little bit since he starts to think this attack will be easy. As soon as you stop shift your car to the lowest gear and hold the gearshift lever firmly in place, since under pressure it could pop out of gear. Put your foot on the pedal and do not let up. Your vehicle will make contact then push the barricade out of the path of travel.

Vehicle placement is critical. You will need to place the frame of your car, the most solid part, directly into the axle of the barricade vehicle. You will begin to move the barricade since your car is able to build enough force to push the barricade cars out of the way. What is actually happening is that the amount of force that your car has generated is being applied to the only part of the barricade vehicle that is connected to the ground (tires). After you initially hit the vehicle and break the barricade vehicle’s traction you are on your way, leave your foot on the gas pedal and do not let up. It will be quite surprising the first time you actually try this technique. If done properly it is very effective and a relatively easy technique to learn. However many things could happen that would alter your success.

First of all in the real world bullets are flying, adrenaline is pumping and the potential for mistake is greater. The only real cure for adrenaline is practice. When your driver is confident in performing these techniques the escape will be a simple muscle memory response rather than a full panic and pray situation. Trained drivers would hopefully not experience problems caused by driver error such as:

• Slowing down after your initial hit. We find that this is a popular first reaction after the initial hit. This will cause the your car to lose it’s pushing power/momentum and make it tough to finish the job. You would not want to get stuck, wedged between these two cars. If you did get wedged in you would just start shaking the steering wheel this would hopefully cause your car to break loose.
• If the driver inputs too much speed it will cause the cars to collide at a higher speed, obviously causing more risk of injury and damage to you and your vehicle. The object in any attack is to escape quickly and get your principal to a designated safe haven. Colliding at high rates of speed could damage your car to the point of mechanical failure, which would defeat the purpose of trying to escape in the first place.

Unfortunately, even well trained drivers may run into more technical problems that need to be addressed. Using the Ramming Technique with a newer model vehicle has become a feared maneuver due to the possibility that the airbag could deploy. First of all keep in mind that this technique is a last resort tactic, therefore, you are in such a bad situation that you only have one last chance. After we establish this mindset there are two more issues to deal with. The airbag deploying at this stage of the attack is the least of your worries. Yes, it is a violent explosion and injuries can occur, however, it beats getting shot. The real problem is that after the airbag deploys most vehicles will become disabled. If this happens all of your efforts will be wasted because the vehicle computer will need to be reset. The technique for resetting the computer differs between vehicle models. So before we worry about the computer lets step back and begin to analyze this problem. It may not be as bad as one would expect.

First of all the airbag is a supplementary device used to distribute the occupants force more evenly and help the seat belt stop the occupant more gradually in a frontal crash. Although this force varies, most vehicle manufacturing companies’ say that a vehicle has to have an impact that generates at least 7 G’s before the airbag will be released. An example of 7G’s would be similar to driving into a brick building at 9 to 15 miles an hour. Remember the building has no give therefore the airbag will deploy. However, if the obstruction gives way, which would mean that energy is being dissipated between your vehicle and the other object, there would be a chance that the force generated was not great enough to actually activate the air bag. In simple terms the airbag is designed to deploy when the occupants are in danger of hitting their heads or bodies against the dashboard or steering wheel. Chances are the airbag may not deploy if the forces generated are not great enough. The reason for this is simply that the airbag will inflate only if your vehicle’s rate of deceleration is above the system’s designed “threshold level”. Inflation is determined by several factors such as the angle of the impact as well as how quickly the vehicle is decelerating during impact. It would be really nice to know how sensitive your vehicle’s airbag sensor’s threshold level is. Theoretically, if you could ram at a lower force than your car sensors could detect then ramming would be an easy maneuver to perform. Unfortunately the realistic answer is that the threshold level varies between vehicle model and air bag sensor control systems. Not to mention the fact that every year a more sophisticated system is introduced to the market. Currently there are several sensor systems being used on the market today. The most popular systems are the “ electromechanical gas dampened ball and tube design”, a “spring and mass design”; the “Rolamite” and some manufactures such as some Toyota models and Jaguars use what is called a “mechanical system”. Each one of these design’s senses rate of deceleration and activates the bag in a slightly different way. To make things more complicated some of the newer vehicles are being developed with very advanced technology where there will be a “safety or severity sensor”. This is basically a sensor that double-checks the main sensors in front of the car. The front of the car may be decelerating quicker than the passenger compartment, therefore, the severity sensor will determine the deceleration rate in the passenger compartment and decide if it is severe enough too deploy the airbag. So technically you could figure out how much force it would take to move two cars out of your path of travel. You could even figure out the maximum speed you could travel without deploying your airbags. The difficulty comes into play because of the varying factors. Things like the weight of the barricade cars will vary in the real world or how much force will it take to move a van vs. a Mustang. What surface will the attack happen on? Dirt will give you a much better chance than concrete for the simple reason that it will take less force to break traction of the barricade vehicles’ tires. Not to mention all the airbag sensor variables that I have already discussed.

To answer the question can the ramming technique be accomplished with an airbag-equipped car? The answer would be maybe. If the driver could approach the barricade with enough force to move the cars but without exceeding the vehicles air bag sensors threshold level than in theory “yes” the technique will still work. Remember even if all variables are perfect the airbag is a mechanical device and there will never be a 100% guarantee that it will not deploy. The more stationary the barrier is the less chance you have of getting through. Therefore, hopefully the terrorist will use vehicles to block your path of travel; this is a benefit since the barricade will not be a permanent fixture. It does not take much force to push a vehicle sideways once in motion. Also remember if you are put in this situation taking an educated guess/chance may be better than the alternative.

Option 2 – Shooting from inside the vehicle

Although the mission of the protection professional and the law enforcement officer are quite different, one area that both professions need to learn is how to effectively deploy a weapon from a motor vehicle to a threat outside. For the protection professional, this may be that last resort to protect his or her client and safely remove both of them from the kill zone. For the police officer, he or she may need to engage a target during the conclusion of a pursuit or to immediately engage a target during any number of tactical situations that occur without time to prepare.

While training on deploying a weapon from a motor vehicle should not be the crux of the law enforcement officer or protection professional’s training, it may become a tactical necessity to deploy a weapon from the interior of a motor vehicle to a target outside the vehicle. With this in mind, Protection Professionals and Police Officers should have a clear understanding of how to effectively deploy a weapon and be exposed to this specific scenario. Before students are exposed to and trained on deploying a weapon inside a motor vehicle, there needs to be an examination of the way a bullet fired from a vehicle performs when traveling through laminated windshield glass.

The majority of ballistic test information that is available focuses on a shot being fired from the exterior of the vehicle to the interior of the vehicle at various ranges. Most ammunition manufactures that cater to law enforcement perform this test. This is due to the fact that law enforcement officers need to be sure that the ammunition will function if the need arises to stop an immediate threat that is inside a motor vehicle. The ballistic tests are useful though because they due show a number of aspects that are useful to know. The first is that the bullet mass will be reduced by up to one-third as it passes through the window. The second major finding is that there is little reduction in the velocity of the round as it finishes passing through the window. A major factor is the trajectory of the round that is fired. The first round that is fired through the windshield will have a highly unpredictable trajectory. This boils down to a round that will impact all over the target area even though the point of aim was center mass.

Once these three main factors are understood, a training program can be created to by-pass the limitations experience when shooting through glass.

Tactical Considerations:

1. The first issue that needs to be addressed is the location of the agent or officer’s weapon and additional ammunition. Weapons and spare ammunition needs to be immediately accessible to the officer or agent. This should be with both the seatbelt on and off and in different seating locations inside the vehicle. Agents and officers should also practice drawing their weapon while seated in every seat inside the vehicle.

2. The second consideration is the presentation of the weapon. Once the weapon has cleared the holster and is being employed, the client or the officer may find that the cramped conditions of a vehicle with others inside can be challenging. Unlike the range, there are numerous obstacles inside a vehicle where the weapon can become caught on and make presentation of the weapon difficult. With this in mind, the officer or client should practice the draw and presentation with dummy weapons with others in the vehicle.

3. Once the weapon has been presented, it is now ready to be deployed. If the agent or officer is in the front seat, the best shooting platform to offer better stability is the steering wheel itself. The steering wheel offers an excellent platform due to its stability and its natural height that it is placed. Agents and officers that are in the passenger seat can develop a good shooting platform provided that they have enough room to execute their preferred hand and arm position. If that officer or agent will be seated in passenger’s seat, they should ensure that their seating position allows for the deployment of their weapon inside the vehicle. The weapon should also be kept from contacting the windshield. In fact, a buffer of a couple of inches will ensure that the automatic handguns will not be placed out of battery due to contact with the windshield.

4. For targets to the side, the agent or officer will be shooting through the side windows. One suggested shooting platform is to actually drape your body over the center column, and bring your lower body up. This will ensure that the weapon is still inside the vehicle and will also provide enough distance from the window.

5. Police officers know that there exist two major blind spots on a vehicle. These two spots are at the seven and four o’clock positions if the front of the vehicle is the twelve o’clock. Police officers use these blind spots to safely approach a vehicle during a motor vehicle stop. Executive Protection agents can use this knowledge due to the fact that potential threats know these blind spots. To engage these targets it is possible to shoot over the shoulder while twisting the upper body.

6. Agents and officers need to be aware that the first round through the front window will loose roughly 30% of its mass and the trajectory is highly erratic. For this reason, agents and officers should be trained to fire twice at the target through the same location in the windshield. This will ensure that the target will be engaged with at least one good round if the first round’s trajectory takes it off the center mass of the target.

7. A number of things happen inside the vehicle when the round is fired. Due to the physiological effects of survival stress, the agent or the officer may not hear the shots being fired due to auditory exclusion. What the agent or officer will feel is the concussion from the round being fired in an in-closed space. Although this sound like it might cause concern, there is little to no injury caused by this. What trainers need to do is to inoculate their students to this effect by having them fire inside a vehicle. If training costs need to be kept low, agents or officers may fire through an open portion of a window to recreate the effects of the pressure.

Specialized Equipment: There are several manufactures that currently manufacture holsters that are vehicle mountable. These mounts can be position throughout the vehicle. These devices are best suited to protective agents who do not need to worry about subjects gaining control of a weapon inside the vehicle.

Training is the central issue when it comes to deploying weapons inside a vehicle. Agents and officers should train the whole spectrum of deployment from the draw to when the target is no longer a threat. Training can be conducted in a number of phases. At a crawl phase, agents and officers should be trained with unloaded weapons utilizing safety devices such as Ammo-Safe or dummy weapons. The training focus will be on proper position, draw and shooting platform. Start slow and work in smoothness. The old adage applies, smooth is fast, fast is sloppy. The second phase can be done with real weapons and dummy ammunition. Agents and officers can draw, present and pull the trigger inside an actual vehicle without real rounds being fired. Once they are comfortable, real ammunition and targets can be incorporated into the training. If at all possible, agents and officers should be given the opportunity to actually fire through vehicle glass, but if cost is an issue (which it almost always is), agents can fire inside a vehicle through the windshield or side windows even if there is no glass. This will replicate the scenario as best as possible without having to spend money on windows.

Being able to use your vehicle for escape and if need be deploy a weapon inside a vehicle are critical skills that should be properly trained for both the Protective Agent and the Law Enforcement Officer. Hopefully the Agent or Officer will never have to use these techniques however, it is necessary to have experienced these disciplines and have them stored away in the mental toolbox. By exposing both of these groups to this in a training environment will greatly increase their chances of survival if the tactical situation demands an immediate action against a threat outside the vehicle. (Video downloads of these techniques are available at www.1adsi.com.)

Anthony Ricci – President of Advanced Driving & Security Inc. has been successfully training many law enforcement agencies, government and military organizations, numerous corporations and private executive protection specialists for the last ten years in Security/Tactical Driving. His specialized areas of instruction include Protective Driving, VIP, and Dignitary Protection, Police Instructor's Certification and Anti-Terrorist Driving. Anthony Ricci holds a Masters degree in International business as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and a Minor in communications. He is an active member of ASLET, ALERT, ASIS, NSC, RITOA, NACP. http://www.1adsi.com

Gerard Johansen - is currently a State Police Officer employed in the Northeast. He has extensive training in Executive Protection Driving and Protection Tactics as well as attendance at numerous Safety and Survival, Firearms Programs. Gerard Johansen is also a certified Arrest and Control Instructor and Simunition Training Supervisor, he currently is an active member of ASLET and the International Defensive Pistol Association.