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John Lindsey
15th October 2007, 20:55
We had an unwritten rule in Iraq that "drivers drive and shooter shoot" and it made perfect sense. A car is a great weapon. It has true knockdown power. If you are in an ambush, you don't stop and fight it out. You drive away. Drivers need to have both hands on the wheel, not on the weapon.

This thread will discuss how to use your vehicle as a weapon, and how to use your weapon from a vehicle.

If you have followed my other postings, you probably picked up on the fact that I am all about training. Real training. If you carry a med bag, get training. If you carry a weapon, train! Going to the range and shooting a few rounds at a bullseye is not training. With a vehicle, it is the same. Most people probably don't know how to drive correctly. They surely don't know how to drive combatively if needed.

How much time do you spend a day in your car? Is it worth learning how to drive and fight with it? You can't learn how to drive from the internet, but we can help you in setting up your vehicle, what to look for, and how to use it as a weapon.


The most common emergency situation we had to deal with was flat tires. Anytime you go static in a vehicle in a high threat area, that is an emergency situation. When was the last time you trained at changing your tire? Never I bet. Have you at least inspected the spare and the tools to make sure they work? On my team there was an SOP that the wheel nuts had to be oiled every week. There is nothing worse than a stuck nut while trying to change a flat.

We would do a daily inspection (first parade) of all the vehicles before a mission. You don't need to do as detailed of an inspection, but at least walk around your car and check it out. Don't just go outside and immediately jump in your vehicle. Before you turn the key, turn the steering wheel slightly and apply pressure to the brakes. When the car starts, you should feel the power steering kick it, along with the breaks. Then, when you start going driving down the road, do a rolling break check to make sure your breaks are working well.

Try not to let your vehicle get under a half a tank of gas.

Seat belts. Use them. Belts should be the last thing on, first thing off. Don't put on your seat belt till you are in your car, doors locked, and mobile. When you are getting ready to exit the vehicle, the belt comes off just before you pull into the parking lot, your house, etc. If you are static, a seat belt can be used against you, or slow you down if you have to exit.

We will discuss vehicles and guns later. For now, go and grease your nuts...

Jason Chambers
15th October 2007, 21:09
I look forward to following this one...

George Kohler
15th October 2007, 22:33
I use to have problems getting out of the vehicle with my seat belt over my gear back in my counter-drug task force days. How did your team do it without something getting snagged when trying to get out?

Woody
15th October 2007, 23:21
When you are getting ready to exit the vehicle, the belt comes off just before you pull into the parking lot, your house, etc. If you are static, a seat belt can be used against you, or slow you down if you have to exit.
The weird thing about this one is that I have always done this. My wife and kids ask me why and I've never really known. It just always felt 'right.' I look forward to more of these tips John.

John Lindsey
15th October 2007, 23:29
George, good question. First of all, make sure the belt is placed across the gear in such a way that it will not bind or hook on the pouches. If it is a planned halt and debus, the seat belt goes off just before you arrive. I would also check my glock in my thigh holster since I am left handed and the buckle tended to hit the mag release.

If you have to get out quickly and can get the belt released, but it is hung up on your gear, continue to get out and "spin" down the side of the car. For instance, if you were in the passenger seat, you would spin clockwise. It doesn't take much to get free.

Also train on how to get out from under a seat belt if it is jammed. You have to pull the slack all the way down from the top and feed it through, making a big enough loop to slip through it. Gets tough when you have gear on though. If you have a knife, cut it.

John Lindsey
15th October 2007, 23:36
Woody, now you need to teach your wife to combat park. Instead of driving into a parking space, always back into it. This allows you to quickly drive away. It is also safer than backing out since you can see oncoming cars or pedestrians.

Another thing I learned the hard way: I always wear eye protection in a vehicle. Even if you have a car accident, broken glass can often give off finely powdered glass that can get in your eyes. Might not cause long term problems, but it takes your eyesight away when you should be trying to get the family out of the car, etc.

I can't stress enough the idea of having a first aid kit in your car.

Cady Goldfield
16th October 2007, 01:08
Great thread, and amazing info. Thanks, John.
I've always kept a first aid kit, jumper cables, tool kit, small shovel, sleeping bag or blankets and foul-weather gear (New England weather), regional map book, compass and snacks. Never considered it to be a jutsu, just common sense.

Also, I always get standard transmission vehicles rather than automatic. If you stall or can't start the engine, at least with a "stick" you can usually pop it into 2nd and get the engine to turn over by rolling downhill or getting a good push.

John Lindsey
16th October 2007, 01:40
Cady, in regards to transmissions, we can talk about what I call Dead Driver Drills, or maybe Drunk Driver Drills (low threat). Basically, the passenger learns how to drive and control a vehicle if the driver becomes incapacitated. If it is a high threat situation, you need to keep the speed up to avoid the threat. For instance, if you are in an ambush, be it in Iraq or downtown Detroit. In this case, automatic transmissions are the best, since you don't have to mess with a clutch. With a standard, you can still grind the gears without a clutch.

So, you have to control the car, watch where you are going, and accelerate or brake as needed. One way is to put your left foot across, and control the steering wheel with your right hand. I use the right, because the driver may be slumping forward, so you use your left hand to hold him back.

Using the right hand to steer allows you a second option if you can't get your leg over to the accelerator. What you do is duck down and use your left hand to brake or accelerate. But, you have to immediately pop back up so that you can see where you are going.

Even if the driver has his foot on the accelerator, you can press down on the top of his foot. No need to move it away.

Cady Goldfield
16th October 2007, 02:27
Thank you for those tips. Very practical. I can see how an automatic would be less work, thanks to not having the stick in the way to have to lean over. On the other hand, I have successfully slipped/ground the gears when for some reason I couldn't operate the clutch (i.e., object jammed underneath).

Here's a related question. Besides wondering how to drive the car with an incapacitated driver, I always wondered what I'd do if I were in a taxi and the driver got shot, etc. I always sit in the front seat in a cab, and wonder whether that is wise (other than the possibility of having to take over driving). In the event of carjacking, is there an "exit strategy" that would favor front seat or back seat location? I'm thinking of cabs where there is a glass shield between the driver and back seat, as that's the most common kind in the city.

John Lindsey
16th October 2007, 03:19
Great question.

I don't like to use cabs.

Lets see what the good and bad points are...

If you are in the front passenger seat, you only have one readily accessible exit door. In the backseat you have two, but will not be able to control the vehicle, especially if they have a divider.

If the cab gets hijacked at a stoplight for instance, the threat will probably come from the driver's window, as the bad guy tries to get him to give over the cab. If you are in the front seat, you are more likely to be in the line of fire. In the backseat, you can exit right, and then run at a 45 degree angle to the right rear. That will give you a bit more concealment, but no cover. Vehicles really are not good for cover, even behind the engine block. You don't want to run in a direction that puts you back in the line of fire.

If you are in the back, you can help watch out for people approaching the driver's door. Hard to do from the front seat.

I would probably sit in the back. You really have to do a threat analysis and determine what are the most likely threats. Most likely, Achmed will probably get involved in a wreck long before he gets hijacked. So, the back seat is safer. But, if you are in Bogata Columbia and want to go out at night... stay in the hotel :).

Cady Goldfield
16th October 2007, 05:04
Thanks, John.
That definitely changes my cab-riding habits.

Vedenant
16th October 2007, 08:02
Thank you for those tips. Very practical. I can see how an automatic would be less work, thanks to not having the stick in the way to have to lean over. On the other hand, I have successfully slipped/ground the gears when for some reason I couldn't operate the clutch (i.e., object jammed underneath).

If you drive a car with a regular transmission, you can practise changing with out the clutch. You really don't need to "grind" the transmission, what you need is to learn the correct treshold in revs to time your changing. You can go both up and down gear with out clutch. Once you learn this it becomes second nature and is just as easy as driving with clutch, maybe even a little easier.

On a second thought, get some one to teach you how to do it. It is also very easy to break the gear box learning this ;-). Some rallydrivers i know use this method of changing, so if you know someone into rally they can teach you this.

John Lindsey
16th October 2007, 12:42
If you drive a car with a regular transmission, you can practise changing with out the clutch. You really don't need to "grind" the transmission, what you need is to learn the correct treshold in revs to time your changing. You can go both up and down gear with out clutch. Once you learn this it becomes second nature and is just as easy as driving with clutch, maybe even a little easier.

On a second thought, get some one to teach you how to do it. It is also very easy to break the gear box learning this ;-). Some rallydrivers i know use this method of changing, so if you know someone into rally they can teach you this.

Good information. One of my senior drivers was from Wales, and a rally driver. He had really good skills and I learned a lot from him. Is this dependent on watching the RPM and engine sounds? This might need a lot of training, to be able to pull it off during an event such as a complex attack in which you are facing explosions and small arms fire. I am sure that rally driving is high stress too, but this is a bit different kind of stress. :) I will ask my friend about this, thanks...

Cady Goldfield
16th October 2007, 14:47
That is good information about slipping an automatic transmission. I've noticed that even with a manual one, you can slip the gears without the clutch and without gear-grinding, using the same concept -- listening/feeling for the "sweet spot" in the engine revs. It makes sense that you could do the same with an automatic.

yoj
16th October 2007, 15:03
Ok so we all know how to do a snatch recovery with a kinetic rope right?

John Lindsey
22nd October 2007, 21:56
Jim,

Those are great, but aren't they good for one use only? My company was going to buy those, but decided against it because of being single use only. Not bad for average people, but we had to tow quite often.

There is also a airbag jack made in the UK that inflates off of the car exhaust. Very quick and easy.

Jason Chambers
18th March 2008, 19:58
More... More...!!!!