EP and Secure Transportation

In this week’s show, we share information on electric vehicle basics and another report on the armored vehicle market and why it is important. We also share lesser-known incidents and four new books authored by ISDA members.

Theft of Catalytic Converters Your vehicle has a precious metal container infused with a precious metal that is selling for about $28,000 per ounce right now; that’s 15-times the price of gold. The metal is Rhodium, and the container is your Catalytic converter. The National Insurance Crime Bureau recorded 2347 thefts of the emissions-cleaning devices in December 2020, up from 578 a year earlier. Thieves are after the precious metals in the Catalytic converter that change highly toxic...

Preliminary numbers for the 2021 Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey A little background if you are not familiar with the survey. The Survey is conducted every two years since 2013. Over the last eight years, the survey has covered various aspects of secure transportation. The goal of the survey is to examine trends and collect data to develop a broader perspective on the secure transportation profession. The 2021 survey is unique because it covers the span of time that the...

Hydroplaning In the aftermath of Henri here in New England, I thought I'd lead off with the topic of Hydroplaning and the role tires play. Hydroplaning happens when one or more tires are lifted from the road by a wedge of water that gets trapped in front of and under a tire as the vehicle drives through the water. Hydroplaning most frequently occurs during heavy rainstorms when water creates puddles on the highway. In addition to the accompanying splash and scaring the heck out of the...

The Vehicle Ambush In Mexico In a post on LinkedIn, the author commented on a recent assassination of an individual while in a vehicle. It occurred in Mexico. The author mentions, “as noted in Gavin de Becker’s book, Just Two Seconds, 64% of attacks occur in and around the vehicle, and 77% of those succeed”. He also mentions the need for situational awareness. We’ll add the demand for Surveillance Detection and armored vehicles. A couple of thoughts come to mind. Data says 65% of attacks...

In this episode, the topics we cover are - The Mercedes Benz 2022 S Class Armored Vehicle Using Facebook as an example, we cover the dramatic increase in the number of dollars spent on Corporate Personal Security We discuss the ASIS white paper, How to Plant Seeds to Success in the Security Industry, which we feel is a must-read Plus other topics of interest. For those that would like to go deeper into our discussion topics, there are 12 informational links in the podcast show notes.

This week’s topic is the perception of speed in motorcades and training. Quick note, in the episode I’ll be only referencing Imperial system measurements, however, please visit the show notes at securitydriver.com/181 for the metric system references. The ISDA 2019 Executive Vehicle Survey results indicated a dramatic increase in the use of SUVs for Executive Transportation. The results also showed that there had been a significant increase in the use of two car scenarios for Secure...

In today’s podcast episode, the topic is the Indy 500 by the Numbers. This coming Sunday, May 30th, will be the 105th running of the Indy 500, so we thought we would do a simple analysis of the track and the drivers; hopefully, it will make watching the race more enjoyable. Let’s take a look at track dimensions The Indy 500 oval track is 2.5 Miles or 4 Kilometers in length. The track consists of: Two long straightaways that are each 3,300 Feet or 1006.5 Meters in length Two short...

In today’s podcast episode, the topic is surveillance detection. The content for this episode is taken from an article authored by Tony Scotti which appeared in the May 1992 issue of Security Management Magazine. Throughout history, terrorists have appeared invincible. They plan their operations meticulously to ensure success, and, once implemented, they seldom fail to strike and kill their targets. If their attack is against an individual, terrorists gather information and intelligence...

The topic for this week's episode is the science of the lane change. If you have been to an Advanced Driving, EVOC, or Protective Driver Training Program, you have driven through a Lane Change exercise. It is a staple of most all driving programs. Over the years, feedback from former students indicates that the "Lane Change" exercise is one of the most important, if not the most important exercise, in a protective driving program. The comment we hear often is that the Lane Change instills...

The topic for this week’s episode is a basic outline of the effects of the Vehicle Center of Gravity, Tires, and Run Flats on an Armored Vehicle. For links and transcript go to https://securitydriver.com/177

The topic for this week’s episode is the basics of armored vehicles and their use in protective services. Since the Omar García Harfuch Ambush, we (ISDA) have received questions concerning the use of armored vehicles in protective services. For the first part of the podcast, I’ll share some of the 2019 Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey results where it pertains to armored vehicles. In the second half of the episode, I share Armored Vehicle Basics. This is not meant to be the...

Every week we share secure transportation and executive protection knowledge, headlines, trends, and educational content. Today we are talking about the science of braking. Although most all Security Drivers realize that the higher the car's speed, the more distance required to stop, what is surprising to many drivers is how much extra distance it takes to stop a vehicle with just a small increase in speed. The braking distance increases four times each time the traveling speed doubles. This...

In this week’s episode, the topic is Payload – one of the five vehicle characteristics that affect the principal and passengers’ safety and security. This is a scenario that all Security Driver and Secure Transportation providers are familiar with; the Principal travels to a location and is met by a Security Driver. The Principal and two other executives will be transported in an SUV. Their luggage is stored in the rear of the vehicle. Depending on the number of passengers and the weight of...

In this week’s episode, we will cover a range of tire topics. Specifically tire pressure, the tire contact patch, and armored vehicles and tires. Anyone who has been to an old Scotti School or over the last 18 years to a VDI training program, knows the importance we place on tires. The ISDA is constantly monitoring the tire industry. We spend the time and effort researching tires because no other vehicle component is susceptible to time and the environment as the tires. As a Security Driver,...

Today’s topic is Autonomous Vehicle levels and their effects to secure transportation. On various social media outlets, news reports – vehicle ads - some have touted driverless vehicles. They are going as far as to say that driverless vehicles will soon be here. Some in the security community have asked will Autonomous vehicles eliminate the security driver profession – no, not really. That is not to say that basic autonomous vehicles are here to stay. As a Security Driver or provider of...

In this week’s episode, we are talking about the Tiger Woods accident, Event Data Recorder (EDR), and Secure Transportation. The February 23 Tiger Woods accident has created questions concerning the Event Data Recorder (EDR) and ownership of the data collected by the EDR. The question of who owns the EDR arose when the L.A. County Sheriff got a search warrant to seize the automotive black box in Tiger Woods’ vehicle. The warrant was issued because a judge believed that there was probable...

In this episode, we are continuing with the results from the 2020 ISDA Training Survey. Just a quick recap from the previous episode. The purpose of the Survey was to supply those looking to enter the profession and those who want to expand their education with data that assist with the decision-making process. Also, to help those who provide training to determine the best methods of reaching their potential audience. The Survey was separated into five sections – GI Bill – Training Course...

Last year ISDA conducted an Executive Protection Security Driver Training Survey. The 2020 ISDA Training Survey Results Our goals were to determine the dollar value of the Executive Protection and Security Driving training market. To acquire metrics concerning what motivates potential students to attend one program over another- such as - How did they fund their training? - How many training programs have they attended during their career? - What was their motivation to participate in the...

The Essence of Security Driving is Found in the Security Drivers Triangle. The driver's ability to avoid vehicle violence does not depend solely on their ability to control the vehicle. A driver is at the mercy of the environment and of the vehicle, they are driving. Driving, any form of driving, is a balance, and that balance is called the "driving system." The driving system is made up of three components: THE DRIVER, THE MACHINE, and THE ENVIRONMENT. In our world, it is called the...