The Introduction to The Science of a Vehicle Ambush – Vehicle Ambush 101 For nearly half a century, ISDA’s founder, Tony Scotti, has been leading the way in understanding the “how” and “why” of vehicle ambushes. Since the mid-’70s, Tony has been conducting forensic analysis of vehicle attacks and distributing his findings to the Ep and Secure Trans…

A tragic video has been circulating throughout various social media. It took place at Fort Tiuna in Caracas, Venezuela. The video is from a bodyguard training program. This terrible event brings to light a problem – which is the state of security driver training. Read the full show notes from this episode at SecurityDriver.Com…

This episode is a continuation of episode 206, where we continue to look into security driver salaries. While curating Security Driver job opportunities for our International Security Driver Association members, we data mined the salaries offered on LinkedIn and Employment Websites. Our goal was to get an idea of the Security Driver’s Pay Scale. On…

This Sunday, May 29th, will be the 106th running of the Indy 500. So, we thought we would apply the Science of Driving to the Indy 500 and do a simple analysis of the track and the drivers. Hopefully, it will make watching the race more enjoyable. Full show notes are available hereBy International Security Driver Association

Meta released their 2021 SEC 14A filing recently. As our research shows, there is year over year increase in secure transportation spending. Unlike social media posts and comments, there are businesses willing and able to hire those who meet the required ESK - Experience, Skills, and Knowledge. Full show notes are available at SecurityDriver.Com.…

This episode will cover Executive Vehicle Specifications, including H-Point, Vision Line Height, Cargo Room, and how these measurements affect the safety and security of the vehicle occupants. We’ll also touch on another safety topic, advanced driver assistance systems. As we have said many times, the executive vehicle is the instrument used by the…

When news about tires and how they affect the Security Driver and the Secure Transportation function comes into the Association’s network, our members and we feel that we need to make the community aware of this important news. So here are a few news items that have come out lately that we hope can assist you. The first news item that got our atten…

The question that many Security Drivers and Secure Transportation providers have heard – “Why do I need a Security Driver – Why can’t we use a chauffeur service?” Or – why can’t we use an Uber or Lyft car? A few years ago there was an article that appeared in Security Magazine, titled “What to Look for in Travel Security and Executive Protection Se…

In today’s episode, we have three news stories to share – the driver of a Tesla charged with vehicular manslaughter, we’ll take a look at a few executive vehicle’s impressive skidpad tests and what that means for the security driver, and a new tech venture with Ford and ADT to combat thieves. Full show notes and links click here…

With all the inherent risks security drivers secure transportation service providers face on the road, there is probably none more so than road rage or aggressive driving. So, today we are talking all about road rage – what it is, how to avoid it, and some interesting statistics that show the impact of road rage. Full Show notes and links…

Hello, and welcome to our 200th episode of the EPST podcast. There are two topics for discussion in today’s episode, they are the future of secure transportation, and marketing the service of secure transportation, and determining your value. For complete show notes and links click hereBy International Security Driver Association

The number of carjacking incidents reported by the Department of Justice is about 49,000 per year. In some locations in the U.S., the number of Carjackings is becoming an epidemic – it can happen to anyone anywhere and anytime. In 2020, Chicago carjackings were up a staggering 134%, with 1,416 people being forcibly removed from their vehicles. This…

For this week’s episode we are revisiting a previous topic, tires and tire pressures, to answer a question we received, and we’ll introduce a new paradigm – the Dynamic Driving and the Human Driving Tasks. Tires and Tire Pressures The reason we spend a lot of time talking about these subjects can be found in a comment made by a Bridgestone engineer…

We have two topics to discuss in this episode - how the infrastructure bill will impact secure transportation. Also, we’ll share information on a somewhat related topic - the Lucid Air Electric Vehicle. Full show notes and links are available here.By International Security Driver Association

Welcome to episode 196 of the Executive Protection and Secure Transportation podcast. I’m your host Larry Snow. The podcast is provided by the International Security Driver Association. Every week we share secure transportation and executive protection headlines, news, trends, and educational content for today’s practitioners. For this week's episo…

In today’s episode, we continue with the second installment of our Best Practices for Protective Driver Training Series. The topic for part two is benchmarking driving skills. You can find part one here. as serious practitioners have known for decades, statistics have indicated that the overwhelming majority of security incidents involving corporat…

In this week's episode, we share information on a recent IIHS crash test, other OEM armored vehicles besides the Mercedes Guard Car, and the use of telematics devices for monitoring by insurance companies. Click here for complete show notesBy International Security Driver Association

In this week’s episode, the topic is An Answer to Question - Why do I need secure transportation? – A Marketing Tool from the IRS. On-Page 136 of Joe Autera’s book “The Professional Guide to Planning, Managing, and Providing Secure Transportation is written as one of the better answers to the question - Why do I need secure transportation? A quote …

In this week’s episode, the topic is Best Practices for Protective Driver Training. This is the first in a series of podcasts that will cover Best Practices for Protective Driver Training. We have close to 50 years of experience conducting various driver training programs and services that had to withstand the scrutiny of a Corporate Security commu…

In this week’s episode of the EPST podcast, we discuss certification in Executive Protection. The podcast is provided by the International Security Driver Association. Every week we share secure transportation and executive protection headlines, news, trends, and educational content for today’s practitioners. Two topics of discussion that can domin…

This episode is part two on the vehicle attacks that have changed how Executive Protection and Secure Transportation practitioners work and train. In episode 189, we covered Hans Martin Schleyer and Aldo Moro. In this week’s episode, we discuss John Butler and Alfred Herrhausen.

By International Security Driver Association

In this week's episode, we share an update on Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's assassination. Also, there is a significant rental car shortage in high-demand areas which may impact secure transportation providers. We shared GM's news on winning a contract to develop and build purpose-built vehicles. Lastly, we shared the importance of headlights while driving …

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.By International Security Driver Association

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 devi…

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…

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 occur…

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 situationa…

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 o…

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 fo…

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 …

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…

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 …

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 Surv…

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 …

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 exec…

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 t…

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 securi…

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 sea…

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 train…

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 t…

Driving in reverse is a valuable driving skill to have. Backing up slowly can be a problem but backing up fast is hard and dangerous if not done correctly. With that said, it is by far one of the most valuable driving skills to have, and a Security Driver can acquire. Along with being hard to do, it is hard to teach and, if not taught correctly – d…

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 "drivin…

There are two words that are often used in the automotive industry and protective driver training vernacular the words are handling and cornering. To get a better understanding of how the driver interacts with the vehicle requires understanding the difference between Handling and Cornering. While conducting a driver training program understanding t…

Ensuring the passengers’ safety and security requires the driver to have the knowledge, skill, and experience to control the vehicle when confronted with an emergency. The emergency does not necessarily need to be a security scenario; it can often be an accident-producing situation. As we have mentioned many times in the past, research and science …

The topic for this week’s episode is Vehicle Dynamics and Passing. Passing the vehicle in front of you is one driving skill we often do but don’t give it much thought. Once you decide to pass a vehicle in an urban environment, realize, and remember that you and your car will be spending a good deal of time in the wrong lane. To give you an idea of …

Hello, and welcome to episode 163 of the EPST podcast. I'm your host, Larry Snow. The topic for this week’s episode is the huge increase in carjackings. Statistically, driving the principal from point A to point B has been the highest risk the principal faces during their daily routine. A not so new risk needs to be added to that trip, and that is …

As 2020 comes to a welcome end, we reflect on the effects COVID-19 had and look into its impact on the profession. There is no doubt that Covid-19 has changed Secure Transportation; the question remains: for 2021, how long the changes will last, and will those changes be permanent. It is impossible to accurately predict the overall impact that the …

The topic for this week’s episode is an outline of the assassination of Iranian Senior Nuclear Scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, dubbed the father of the Iranian nuclear program, held the rank of brigadier general in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to intelligence reports, he was responsible for Iran's dev…