When reacting to a threat, speed becomes the most dangerous element to your VIP passenger.
Accidents caused by excessive speed kill more VIP’s each year than terrorists or criminals do.
In normal public driving, travel with the fastest flow of the traffic.
High speed can only be used when: -
You have been trained to drive at high speed
You know, understand fully, and can apply the principles of high speed driving and car control
Traffic conditions allow you to do so
You know and have tested the car you are driving to its limits
You can gain some advantage by doing so.
Develop
and maintain your sense of awareness and suspicion in all matters by
keeping up to date with current affairs (by way of radio, TV,
newspapers, documentary programmes and especially the Internet).
Of prime importance is to practice all the defensive skills on a daily basis
so that an attacker is deterred, and you can detect problems before they
arise. In this way confrontation is avoided. Your sense of awareness and suspicion is your best defence.
However,
there may come a time when other action is required. If an incident
occurs, you must make a decision quickly and carry it through with
conviction. Remember that your prime objective is to remove the
principal from the scene of confrontation.
You have the following options: -
Drive
past – if the road is clear ahead, do not stop or slow down. Consider
using main beam headlamps, and drive past at the greatest possible
distance from the confrontation.
Turn away – if you see the confrontation well in advance, turn off your route and use an alternative.
Reverse
out – a simple reversing manoeuvre to remove the car from the scene
quickly and break visual contact. May be incorporated with a lane
change.
Gap turn – where space is restricted and turns need to be made between parked cars or in driveways, farm entrances etc.
Reverse
turn or “Reverse flick” – a disruptive reverse turn using the weight of
the engine to turn the car quickly and efficiently, in order that
escape can be made driving forwards.
Forward
turn or “Handbrake turn” – a disruptive forward turn using the
handbrake to turn the vehicle swiftly and within a confined space.
Ramming is not covered in this article. Ramming is an extreme last resort option, and you should be aware of the following: -
It may fail
Innocent parties may be hurt
The decision to ram must be made rapidly and instinctively. It requires a degree of training to achieve this ideal.
In most cases one of the other manoeuvers is the superior option.
You take the principal closer to the attackers, and maximise the dangers.
Modern
vehicle are designed to crumple in an impact. Ramming in modern cars is
to be avoided - unless the situation is extreme. Disabling your vehicle
is the most likely outcome.
Tim McGill