USAID Evasive Driving Training

NOTES

MODULE 1

Evasive Driving- Overview

“Effective vehicle control will not only allow you to drive more safely, it will also enable you to avoid
unexpected situations you may encounter on the road. Ultimately, being able to control your vehicle
could be the difference between life and death.”

-USAID

 It is important to understand what evasive driving is and what it isn’t.

 Although the training covered here is designed to help you in a situation where you are
intending to evade someone with hostile intent, they will serve to make you a better everyday
driver.


Training Focus

Though the proper application of the principles you will be exposed to in this training will enable you to
drive a car more quickly, the focus will be on driver precision and vehicular control, rather than speed.

Components of the Driving System:

 Vehicle
 Environment
 Driver

These three components to the driving system, the vehicle, the environment, and the driver, each
play an important role in moving your car efficiently down the road.

Through the presentation of principles and controlled exercises, we will see how dynamics influence
your vehicle’s handling.

In this module we will address:

 Vehicle Dynamics
 Cornering and Steering
 Breaking
 Driving in Reverse

1
Evasive Driving- Vehicle Dynamics
“The key to controlling a vehicle is to understand the forces acting on it and how each of them affects
the vehicle’s operation.”

-USAID

Vehicle Dynamics Defined:

 The physical forces influencing a moving vehicle and their effects on its operation.

There are ONLY THREE THINGS a vehicle can do:

 Accelerate
 Break
 Turn

In theory, you can do all three of the above things at the same time, but for optimal performance these
three inputs must be done separately.

As a simplified example, consider a dollar. Let’s say we have a dollar to spend. This dollar represents
100% of a vehicles capabilities. We can spend thirty-three cents on each of the handling inputs, or ten
cents on breaking and another ten cents on turning, which leaves us with eighty cents for acceleration.
We can never spend more money than we have. If we attempt to ask too much from our vehicle then
none of the handling inputs will perform the way we want and expect them too. It is far more efficient
to ask for one-hundred percent from each acceleration, breaking, and turning in sequential successions.

Vehicle Weight Shifts

One thing that all three handling inputs have in common is that they cause weight transfer which in one
way or another impacts the cars handling.

Positive Weight Shift

 More of the weight is over the front wheels of the vehicle

o An example would be when you are breaking in a straight line.

Negative Weight Shift

 More of the weight is over the rear wheels of the vehicle

o An example would be accelerating in a straight line

Neutral Balance

 The vehicle’s weight is evenly distributed over the front and rear wheels

2
 o An example would be driving at a constant speed in a straight line.

Evasive Driving- Cornering and Steering

“Limiting the time your vehicle spends turning will enable you to maximize the efficiency of the car in
curves.”

-USAID

Concepts

Ocular Driving:

 Looking where you would like the vehicle to go

o Achieved by keeping your head up and looking down the road; around the corner for
example, and not at the ground directly in front of your vehicle.

Apex Driving:

 The act of driving through a corner in a way that minimizes the time the vehicle spends
cornering.
 Consists of 1. Entry Point, 2. Apex, and 3. Exit point.

Over Steer:

 The vehicles turning radius is smaller than you intend

o When you are attempting a corner and the vehicle is diving into the corner at a faster
rate than you intended it to. This is often exemplified with the rear end of the car sliding
out in a skid.

Under Steer:

 The vehicle’s turning radius is wider than you intend.

o When you are attempting a corner and the front wheels are pointed in the direction that
you would like to go, but the car continues to plow forward.

Steering Inputs

Steering Types:

 Hand-over-hand
 Shuffling
 Crossover (fixed hand)

Shuffle Steering should be used for most general purpose driving.

During the Shuffle Steer technique, you do not remove your hands from the steering wheel.

3
The steering inputs should be nice and smooth, not jerky. This keeps the vehicle from jumping and
bobbing around.

If you accelerate during a turn, it opens your turning radius.

If you decelerate during a turn, it closes your turning radius.

When you are in a turn, you should be looking at your exit and looking at where you want to go, as
opposed to tunnel vision and looking right in front of or directly in front of the vehicle.

Steering Considerations for SUVs

 Larger and heavier vehicle

 Higher center of gravity
 Vehicle must be operated at reduced speeds
 Smooth steering inputs

Consistent Fundamentals of Evasive Driving:

The fundamentals of evasive driving remain the same regardless of the type of vehicle driven.

 Break before the turn

 No breaking or accelerating in turns (nothing but turning inside the obstacle)
 Accelerate out of turns
 Smooth hand placement, no abrupt steering inputs
 Look at your exit from the turn, look at where you want to go

“Smooth is Fast!”

4
Evasive Driving- Breaking
“One of the surest ways to keep yourself safe in a vehicle is to make sure you stop it before hitting
anything.”

-USAID

Braking Terminology:

 Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

o A system in a vehicle that prevents the wheels from locking up. This permits the driver
to keep using steering inputs despite emergency braking situations. ABS allows the tires
to continue rolling, so that the driver can continue to steer and control the car while it
slows down.
 Threshold Braking
o A technique of braking used in cars without ABS to achieve similar results. The driver
applies the brakes and releases just before the point of lock up, and immediately re-
applies and repeats the process until the vehicle has decelerated the desired amount.
 Stab and Jab
o Is a method of braking before a corner that transfers the weight of the vehicle forward,
creating a positive weigh shift, which increases traction on the front wheels before a
turn, increasing the cars ability to carry speed through the corner.

5
Evasive Driving- Driving in Reverse
“Ensuring you are comfortable driving in reverse will greatly increase your chances of successfully
avoiding or removing yourself from hazardous situations on the road.”

-USAID

Palm Steering

 Using the palm of your hand to provide steering inputs to your vehicle
o Palm steering should only be used for reverse driving. It is too easy to have your palm
slip off of the steering wheel when you are using it to steer while facing forward, which
could result in an accident.

Reverse Driving Guidelines

 Physically look behind yourself, out your read windows to see where you are going. Always
primarily use your rear window as though it were your windshield. Refrain from using your rear
view mirrors as much as possible.
 Use a Palm on the top (12 O’clock position) of the steering wheel to add steering inputs
 Spot your turning point
 Back in
 Look forward
 Switch directions
 Look where you are going
 Head out

Evasive Driving- Serpentine Exercise

“This exercise exposes you to the skills needed to avoid surprise situations you may encounter while
driving.”

-USAID

 Conduct this exercise moving both forwards and in reverse.

 A series of nice, smooth steering actions around a series of cones in a serpentine manner.
 You want to avoid all jerky actions as you do not want to cause your vehicle to roll over.
 When backing in reverse, as soon as one of your obstacles disappears, begin steering in the
opposite direction.

6
7
USAID Evasive Driving Training
NOTES

MODULE 2

Evasive Driving- Practical Examples

“The following sequences demonstrate how the skills learned in the controlled exercises work together
and enable the driver to safely manage emergency situations on the road.”

-USAID

Backing out of an Ambush

Points to Remember:

 When backing away from a threat, do not stop until the initial threat no longer poses immediate
danger.
 To help ensure your vehicle maintains traction and doesn’t become stuck when making any
emergency maneuver, make every effort to ensure your vehicle stays on the roadway. Refrain
from leaving the pavement.
 In a situation that requires you to drive in reverse, remember to check traffic, and if needed,
change lanes so you are driving with traffic.

One Car Roadblock Ramming

Points to Remember:

 Using your vehicle’s headlight as an aiming point will help ensure that your vehicle makes solid
contact with the blocking vehicle and maximum energy transfer.
 Aim towards the rear axle of the blocking vehicle.
 Approach at from 5-15 mph.
 Power through the blocking vehicle at 5-15mph. This will help ensure that your vehicles airbags
do not deploy and its fuel delivery system continues to operate.
 If there is an option, choose to ram the rear of the vehicle. – It is lighter and easier to move.

Two Vehicle Roadblock Ramming

Points to Remember:

 Align your car so that it splits the blocking vehicles down the middle
 Power through the blocking vehicle at 5-15mph. This will help ensure that your vehicles airbags
do not deploy and its fuel delivery system continues to operate.
 Once clear of the roadblock, continue driving to a safe location.

8
 Evasive Driving - Overall Guidelines
 Above all else drive within your limits (always drive in control)
 Fluid steering inputs
 Proper hand positioning
 Look where you would like the vehicle to go
 Keep your head up
 Driving through a curve in a manner that minimizes the time the vehicle spends turning

Smooth is Fast!

What to Focus on (When someone is behind you):

 Watching your mirrors
 Do not let them get next to you
 Do not let them pass you

Evasive Driving – Conclusions

“The combination of proper technique, smooth inputs, and driving within your limits will help
ensure you are able to respond to any threat you may encounter on the road.”

-USAID

To sum it all up, evasive driving does not necessarily mean driving fast.

What to Remember:

 Proper Technique
 Smooth Inputs
 Drive within your limits

Staying vigilant will help you avoid situations that could be potentially dangerous or life threatening.