Driving became so mundane that any 16 year old kid does it without thinking twice about it. But unfortunately, our evolutionary process has not caught up with the technology and social expansion, so we are falling behind.
It used to be that driving was an art. It required some skills. One had to know how to drive, including how to depress a clutch pedal to manipulate the transmission, and pay attention to to dirt roads and side streets, and the most distraction one had was a radio knob on the front console. Today, most people couldn't drive a shift stick if their life depended on it. And the continuous chatter from multiple devices makes driving both dumb and distracting. So much so that one can hardly call it driving anymore...it is more like sit and follow the instructions on the screen.
Is there a problem with that? For most people probably not. They drive from home to work and back. There is comfort in consistency and familiarity. And as long as that status quo is maintained all is well. Until it isn't...
Things go bad. Our sense of comfort replaced our ability to maintain the mental acuity truly necessary to safely operate and handle such a complex machine traveling at high speeds in close proximity to other similar (or often times larger) machines. Not to mention that risks are exponentially greater when considering the environment in which we travel. Urban settings and their criminals seeking opportunities to strike, or rural fields with everything that mother nature has to throw your way.
...And just like that, all of a sudden the tin box became a tin coffin.
It is a lost art to truly drive. Driving requires one to continuously scan and maintain a situational and environmental awareness. Driving requires fine technical skills to properly manipulate the vehicle to do as you wish. Driving requires you to make split second decisions that could mean your life or that of others.
These skills become much more important when working a security detail. Not only is the vehicle a source of transportation, but it is also an office of sorts for the dignitary, a place to entertain guests, home away from home, and the driver must be able to do all that is required from a driver while maintaining the comfort and safety of his client. Add a convoy to the mix, and high speed travel, and all senses must be sharper than ever. A simple merge onto a highway is a complex choreographed process that must be executed smoothly and seamlessly to maintain the integrity of the convoy and the safety of it's passengers.
I recently learned an interesting process from one of our students. Try this next time you drive: as you go through the various actions you perform and scan the environment, try narrating everything you do, see, anticipate and expect to happen. As you narrate make sure you never pause. One sentence must lead into another, thus forcing you to constantly evaluate your own actions and the environment in which you are traveling. Try doing it down one block, then a few, then one day try doing this for a complete trip. Not as simple as it sounds. The ability to narrate will force you to maintain a level of awareness that has been lost on many.
Stay safe and watch your six.
BK Blankchtein
Masada Tactical Protective Services, LLC
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