Tactical Awareness #5 - In the Car

We often feel pretty safe in our big steel cages. Here are a few things to think about.

At intersections, how much space do you leave between the front of your car & the back of the one in front of you?
You should be able to see the tires of the vehicle in front of you touching the ground. You should leave enough space that if you need to steer and drive around the vehicle you can do so without backing up.

How far ahead do you look when driving?
My dad always told me when learning to drive to look as far ahead of me as I could see. I failed to follow this advice early in life, and ended up in several accidents because of it. Monitor as far ahead as you can see. This allows you to spot changing road conditions and take action early (at a time of your choosing) versus late (taking action because you must). Lane closures, delivery vehicles (UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc.), utility companies (phone, cable company, water, etc.) can all block a lane of traffic.

How much following distance do you leave?
Remember the two second rule, and add an additional second for each adverse condition (driving at night, inclement weather, etc.) At least one second.

Parking lots:
Do you pull through a spot, or have to back out? Many companies (mine included) have a policy requiring drivers to either pull through or back into a spot. This reduces the risk of accidental impact on backing out. By backing in when you arrive, you reduce this risk because you just literally drove past it. Otherwise, you have to enter the car, put on your seat belt, start the car... and during this time the conditions have changed.

True Story - Operator Error
I was at Sonic Drive In on the west end of downtown Oklahoma City. I had my window down to place an order, and since it was a nice day I don't roll it up.

I was distracted, I don't remember by what but shame on me. A homeless person approached my vehicle from the rear, and right up the side of it to my window. I failed to catch this in the mirror. Now, I'm sitting in a vehicle, seat belt on, window down, engine off, with a potential threat close enough I can smell him. Not good. If he had been wanting anything besides asking for money it could have been very bad.

Action:

Remove seatbelt to enable movement or exit of vehicle.[/*:m:f5sd8yi1]
Doors are unlocked, option to bash with door.[/*:m:f5sd8yi1]
Shift in seat to free right side, allowing option to deploy Emerson CQC-7BW if necessary. Availability of force multiplier in my favor. Do you have any improvised weapons close at hand if needed?[/*:m:f5sd8yi1]
Look him in the eye, tell him in a firm commanding voice to step back. -- Note that action is prepared before verbal engagement. Immediately ready to escalate if verbal does not achieve results. You could also make this motion while verbally engaging, but you need to be ready to go before you finish your sentence.[/*:m:f5sd8yi1]

More things to think about, and a frame of mind:

I work for a large telecommunications company. So, driving a company vehicle with logos plastered all over it is much like driving a target. If you're in an accident, people will sue automatically going after those Fortune 500 bucks. And with those company logos, it's best to operate the vehicle in a very safe manner lest people take advantage of the 800 number to report your driving.

So, we have to be especially attentive and defensive when it comes to driving. Be paranoid -- drive like everyone is out to be in an accident with you.

Working in a downtown area, there is plenty of foot traffic. People will step out between parked cars, and you must always be watching for this. Same thing applies to driving in a neighborhood -- be on the lookout for children running into the street.