Posted: 10/1/2013 8:02:31 AM EDT
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After seeing the craziness that can ensue after a pack of motorcyclers try to overtake your car, I'm tempted to take a defensive driving course. (Other discussion here)
Anyone ever taken one of these before? What exactly do they teach? And do you find you use the stuff you learned? |
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Quoted:
Defensive driving is a 5 hour classroom/online course for an insurance/points reduction. Evasive driving is what you're looking for. Thanks. Was not aware of this distinction and updated the title. So is taking an evasive driving course realistic (I am not mil or LE). |
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I have taken a performance driving class and I would say YES, although it didnt deal specifically with mobs of motorcycles, it did instill a DRIVER mindset rather than an operator of a motor vehicle. I learned how far the car can go, what happens when I cross that, how to drive it on the edge of its envelope. All of that contributes to a can-do mindset in terms of how you command that vehicle, which would possibly be the difference between the decision to up and over the curb/obstacle/etc and out of here, vs sit and die in the vehicle.
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Quoted:
I have taken a performance driving class and I would say YES, although it didnt deal specifically with mobs of motorcycles, it did instill a DRIVER mindset rather than an operator of a motor vehicle. I learned how far the car can go, what happens when I cross that, how to drive it on the edge of its envelope. All of that contributes to a can-do mindset in terms of how you command that vehicle, which would possibly be the difference between the decision to up and over the curb/obstacle/etc and out of here, vs sit and die in the vehicle. welcome to highschool  where cars are pushed to the edge everyday before school. Doughnuts, fish tails, hydro planing, 360's, dirtbike jumps in your little car, E-brakes, racing, driving with lights off on a full moon.....check check check..
I knew one guy that could E-brake 180degrees into a parking spot between to cars, regular and parallel-wise. I've done it without the extra cars and just normal braking 180 into a spot. |
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After seeing the craziness that can ensue after a pack of motorcyclers try to overtake your car, I'm tempted to take a defensive driving course. (Other discussion here) Anyone ever taken one of these before? What exactly do they teach? And do you find you use the stuff you learned? Yes but it was part of my job in the military and it was at Gryphon Group. Still the skills apply and I think anyone who is ever concerned about going into shitholes or just being prepared needs to know principles of vehicle manuevering. There's too much to really talk about but simple things like this: Get on the hardball Stay on the hardball Find big, wide, fast lanes Stay on them... If you get put into the city, make turns to cause seperation then gain speed. Speed is life. Be proactive. Don't be lazy. Brakes are good Don't try a "J" turn... you won't make it happen. Video from GG of the course I went through, not my specific course but you get the idea: 
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I took the BSR Executive Security Driver course back in 1996. It has stood me in good stead in some interesting situations. I recommend it highly. Thank goodness I was working for a Fortune 100 firm at the time and they picked up the tab. Thanks. Found this course by BSR online: Evasive Driving Course Looks promising. Can't imagine how much that costs though. |
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Yes but it was part of my job in the military and it was at Gryphon Group. Still the skills apply and I think anyone who is ever concerned about going into shitholes or just being prepared needs to know principles of vehicle manuevering. There's too much to really talk about but simple things like this: Get on the hardball Stay on the hardball Find big, wide, fast lanes Stay on them... If you get put into the city, make turns to cause seperation then gain speed. Speed is life. Be proactive. Don't be lazy. Brakes are good Don't try a "J" turn... you won't make it happen. Video from GG of the course I went through, not my specific course but you get the idea:  http://youtu.be/mfgrtK0iOUM?t=1m10sQuoted:
Quoted:
After seeing the craziness that can ensue after a pack of motorcyclers try to overtake your car, I'm tempted to take a defensive driving course. (Other discussion here) Anyone ever taken one of these before? What exactly do they teach? And do you find you use the stuff you learned? Yes but it was part of my job in the military and it was at Gryphon Group. Still the skills apply and I think anyone who is ever concerned about going into shitholes or just being prepared needs to know principles of vehicle manuevering. There's too much to really talk about but simple things like this: Get on the hardball Stay on the hardball Find big, wide, fast lanes Stay on them... If you get put into the city, make turns to cause seperation then gain speed. Speed is life. Be proactive. Don't be lazy. Brakes are good Don't try a "J" turn... you won't make it happen. Video from GG of the course I went through, not my specific course but you get the idea: http://youtu.be/mfgrtK0iOUM?t=1m10sVery interesting. That class in the video by GG looks very advanced. I have my own homegrown techniques I try (no training, just common sense). Usually consist of not tailgating, giving myself a car length of space at stop lights so I have an out, and trying to scan the road looking for cars entering highway to avoid a collision or close call in the first place. That being said, I know I don't know lots of things, like if there is a proper way to swerve other than what I usually do (turn the wheel to avoid dog in road). Also, what is the hardball (the road?)? |
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Very interesting. That class in the video by GG looks very advanced. I have my own homegrown techniques I try (no training, just common sense). Usually consist of not tailgating, giving myself a car length of space at stop lights so I have an out, and trying to scan the road looking for cars entering highway to avoid a collision or close call in the first place. That being said, I know I don't know lots of things, like if there is a proper way to swerve other than what I usually do (turn the wheel to avoid dog in road). Also, what is the hardball (the road?)? Quoted:
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After seeing the craziness that can ensue after a pack of motorcyclers try to overtake your car, I'm tempted to take a defensive driving course. (Other discussion here) Anyone ever taken one of these before? What exactly do they teach? And do you find you use the stuff you learned? Yes but it was part of my job in the military and it was at Gryphon Group. Still the skills apply and I think anyone who is ever concerned about going into shitholes or just being prepared needs to know principles of vehicle manuevering. There's too much to really talk about but simple things like this: Get on the hardball Stay on the hardball Find big, wide, fast lanes Stay on them... If you get put into the city, make turns to cause seperation then gain speed. Speed is life. Be proactive. Don't be lazy. Brakes are good Don't try a "J" turn... you won't make it happen. Video from GG of the course I went through, not my specific course but you get the idea: http://youtu.be/mfgrtK0iOUM?t=1m10sVery interesting. That class in the video by GG looks very advanced. I have my own homegrown techniques I try (no training, just common sense). Usually consist of not tailgating, giving myself a car length of space at stop lights so I have an out, and trying to scan the road looking for cars entering highway to avoid a collision or close call in the first place. That being said, I know I don't know lots of things, like if there is a proper way to swerve other than what I usually do (turn the wheel to avoid dog in road). Also, what is the hardball (the road?)? Yes, because sometimes you get into incidents that happen on dirt. Dirt has a lot of things in it that like to kill tires and your mobility. The hardball offers speed and a bit of ride comfort for the car which means you can concentrate on driving and not being banged around too much while trying to dodge bullets and other cars. |
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Done properly, Defensive Driving teaches you not to get into situations where you have to evade in the first place. You should've seen the potential for disaster beforehand. Think "situational awareness" in traffic. This sounds right. Defensive driving to avoid the bad situations. But then I still want to take evasive driving as well for when you are in a SHTF situation like that Range Rover guy. |
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I went to a 5 day anti-terrorism evasive driving course at Fort Leonardwood. Course included braking, swerving to avoid, braking in a turn, j turns, track and tech line driving, rams, PITs, all the fun stuff)
Best 5 days ever!  Crazy to say for a TRADOC course but it was fucking sweet. Especially afterwards when watching Live Free or Die Hard going "yup, did that; know how to do that; pssht I could do that better" on all the driving scenes.
It will improve your confidence behind the wheel and you get to do cool shit that you would never do in a car you own. Also, don't be a dumbass and try doing J turns in a parking lot with your new knowledge. |
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Quoted:
After seeing the craziness that can ensue after a pack of motorcyclers try to overtake your car, I'm tempted to take a defensive driving course. (Other discussion here) Anyone ever taken one of these before? What exactly do they teach? And do you find you use the stuff you learned? BSR teaches a pretty good one. FWIW, "defensive driving" and "tactical driving" are very different things, usually. Most defensive driving/accident avoidance courses are about learning to control the car and avoid accidents. Tactical/Evasive driving courses are about some of the same stuff, but add in escape and evasion techniques and may include some offensive content teaching you how to use the vehicle as a weapon without destroying your mobility in the process. The driver improvement stuff is going to be useful full stop. A better understanding of car control will be useful, and the practice you get working the drills will contribute to a significantly improved ability to control the car safely, especially as you approach the limits of its performance. It will help you learn to react faster, and to do things that avoid accidents. The stuff about escape and evasion isn't terribly likely to be used, as bad guys chasing you in vehicles doesn't really happen much in real life unless you are in some extraordinary circumstances. If you take trips to parts of the world where kidnapping is a regular event that changes. Offensive techniques are very unlikely to be useful except in very extreme circumstances. The odds you'll need to bust through a road block or PIT somebody are pretty damn slim unless, of course, you're in one of those hostile places on the globe. |
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I've taken several driving courses and would suggest finding one that:
Incorporates performance driving (fast). It helps you experience what happens to the car when you push it too hard and helps you control it up to that point. Uses old cars to do traffic drills. Experience just how small of an area you can squeeze a car through and how uneventful hitting another car can be. Teaches you how to properly ram another car and get it out of your way. These type of things will give you the experience to handle unusual situations and raise your confidence in normal everyday driving. It would be money well spent for family as well. |
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This is what you want
http://www.vehicledynamics.net/courses.html |
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Quoted:
After seeing the craziness that can ensue after a pack of motorcyclers try to overtake your car, I'm tempted to take a defensive driving course. (Other discussion here) Anyone ever taken one of these before? What exactly do they teach? And do you find you use the stuff you learned? I'd go do several days of high performance driving instruction at a race track first. What you learn in car control and vision would make a specialty class like defensive a lot more useful. Understanding how to read a corner (surface, line, apex) as well as how best to handle combinations of corners plus coming to terms with the friction circle and how to optimize driver input while responding to the car's feedback are kind of the "freshman" classes you'd want before working on a "sophmore" entry level defensive driving class. |