THE ART OF SURVIVAL DRIVING
About five years ago, I was driving through Baltimore. It was after a massive snowstorm, and there weren’t any other cars on the road. I was driving down a narrow city street, each side lined with row houses. Suddenly a guy ran right up to my car, and tried to open the door. He couldn’t get it open because I always make a point of locking my doors. I immediately accelerated and brought my eyes back to the road in front of me. A woman was standing right in front of my car, trying to block me in. Thanks to the training I’ve had, I was able to swerve around her and get away. When I looked in my rearview mirror as I sped off, about ten people had rushed out into the street, intent on chasing down my car. While I was fortunate enough to get away, things don’t end so well for everyone.
At about 9 p.m. on a Sunday a few weeks before Christmas, thirty-year-old Dustin Friedland and his wife, Jamie, were headed back to their Range Rover after shopping at an upscale New Jersey mall. Mr. Friedland closed the passenger side door for his wife when he was suddenly jumped by four men. There was a confrontation and Mr. Friedland was shot in the head (he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital). His wife was forced out of the car by one of the men, and they fled the scene. The men who stole the vehicle ended up abandoning it in nearby Newark. It turns out that the four men involved in the carjacking had serious criminal histories and had spent time in prison for multiple burglaries and drug counts.
One of Tennessee’s most grisly crimes began with a carjacking. Christopher Newsom and Channon Christian had been dating just a couple of months when they decided to go out for dinner. When neither of them returned home, their families called the police. Police soon found out that a railroad worker had found Newsom’s body near some tracks outside of Knoxville. Eventually Christian’s body was discovered as well. When the situation was pieced together by authorities, they were able to determine that the couple had been carjacked in an apartment building parking lot. While thankfully most carjacking victims do not suffer anywhere near as terrible a fate as the young couple did, carjacking is a serious crime that you must be prepared to combat.
Carjacking, basically a serious and possibly life-threatening form of car theft, is currently the fastest growing crime in America. Cars have become much more complicated to break into, and as a result, it’s simply easier for a criminal to steal a car directly from an individual by using force. I want you to know a few statistics about carjacking:
And while I can tell you firsthand that being the victim of an attempted carjacking is a scary ordeal, there are many simple things you can do to stay safe in your car.
Before we get into some of the admittedly more exciting aspects of survival driving, you need to be aware of the incredibly simple tactics that can save your life. I know what I’m about to tell you will sound like simple common sense, but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t do these things. Everything I’m about to talk about should become second nature, like putting on your seat belt.
In Houston, a woman was carjacked while stopped at a red light. The assistant police chief told the local news that the criminal “opened the door and got in.” Once he was in the vehicle, the armed criminal ordered the woman to drive to an abandoned restaurant, where he told her to get out. The vehicle was later tracked down via the GPS on her OnStar system. If you don’t already, you need to get in the habit of immediately locking your doors once you get in the car.
A Seattle area man probably regrets keeping the windows down while he sat in his parked car, waiting for his wife. He was playing on his iPad, but soon decided to put his iPad between the seats, close his eyes and meditate.
Moments later, he felt something touch his leg. A teenaged boy had reached his hand in through a side window and stolen his iPad.
While it’s clearly not a good idea to sit back in your car with your eyes closed with the windows down, it’s absolutely critical not to open your window for anyone. It was around 11 p.m. when “Danny” (the twenty-six-year-old entrepreneur did not wish to use his real name) pulled his car over to the side of the road to answer a text. A car swerved behind his, slamming on the brakes. A man got out of the car and knocked on his window, and unfortunately, Danny decided to open it to see what the man wanted. At that point, the man reached into the car and unlocked it. He entered the car, and was carrying a silver handgun. This wasn’t just a carjacking—it was a carjacking by a high-profile criminal, who was currently being hunted by authorities. Danny was ordered to drive, and when the moment was right, he acted quickly. They were stopped at a gas station that had a sign reading “cash only.” While the younger brother went inside to pay, Danny simply unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door and sprinted off. He was able to make it to a gas station across the street, where he hid in a supply room and asked the clerk to call 911.
While Danny’s story is unusual, it’s all too easy to be a target when you’re stopped at a light or parked with your windows open. Driving with your window open or opening it to speak with a stranger makes you immediately vulnerable to robbery or carjacking. Resist the temptation to drive with your windows down. It’s just not worth it.
Life is busy, and it’s really easy to think it will be OK to pop into a store to run a quick errand or chat with a friend without turning your car off. There’s a father in Minneapolis who learned the hard way how bad an idea this is. A man was at a gas station when he saw an acquaintance. He got out of his car to talk to the person, leaving his car unlocked, with his two-year-old son in the backseat. All of a sudden, a person got into his car and sped away. Thankfully, the police found the car a short time later, with the sleeping child safely inside. Residents of Colorado Springs have seen a rash of running vehicles stolen while they’re being warmed up, with their owners remaining in their homes. In Baltimore, law-enforcement officials were surprised to discover that half of all cars stolen in Baltimore had their keys left in the ignition. The Baltimore Sun points out that this problem isn’t unique to Baltimore. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation estimate that 40 to 50 percent of vehicle theft is the result of driver error. This means either leaving the keys in the ignition or leaving doors unlocked with the keys on the seat. As we discussed in Chapter 1, most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Don’t make it easier for potential thieves to steal your vehicle by leaving your door open and the keys inside. Always take the extra few seconds to turn your car off, even if you’re in your own driveway. The alternative—running quickly into your house to get your wallet, and coming out to find your car stolen—isn’t worth the risk.
It’s easy to think you’re secure in your car because it’s your own personal space. The bottom line is that when you’re in your car, you need to remain in Condition Yellow, just as you would if you were walking down the street. Susan Biggs, a Florida-based nurse, was reading in the parking lot of a hospital before her shift started. While she was reading, two men approached her open window. They had a gun, and told her to get out of the car. The suspects fled the scene with her car. They were caught after a long chase. It’s unfortunate that you can’t behave in your car as you would in your home, but that is the world we live in today.
Make a point of being extra vigilant when you are stopped at a light or a stop sign. Obviously, if your car isn’t moving, you’re an easy target. When you’re pushing 75 miles per hour down the highway you’re not an easy target and don’t have to worry about someone carjacking you. If someone approaches your car, do not roll down the window or attempt to talk to them. Keep an eye on his hands and what he is doing. If you see him reach for a knife or a gun or if your gut instinct tells you something isn’t right, then drive somewhere—whether it’s to the left or right or backward or forward. Remember, movement saves lives, so get yourself out of the danger zone.
Remember, carjackings can take place inside or outside of your vehicle. Dustin Friedland wasn’t in his car when the deadly carjacking took place. He was approaching his vehicle after exiting a shopping mall. When you’re walking to your car, be aware of places where someone may be hiding, park in well-lit areas, and always have your keys ready.
The next time you’re stopped at a light, take a moment to observe the car in front of you. How close are you actually stopped to that car? Can you see the tires? Teach yourself to stop at a point that enables you to see the tires of the vehicle in front of you. This is an important safety precaution that can save your life. Every time you are stopped or stuck in traffic, be sure to stop your vehicle before you are too close to see the tires. Leaving this amount of space enables you to get around that vehicle should you need to get away in an emergency. You can’t do anything to control the space behind your car, so be sure to take control of the space in front of you.
You’ve all heard that you should always have at least a half tank of gas. I realize that isn’t always easy to do and that most people will never do it. However, do not let your car get below a quarter of a tank—and never let it get so low that the gas light goes on. If something happens, and you’re in an evasive driving situation, a quarter of a tank can get you about seventy miles. That’s far enough to get you out of a potentially dangerous situation.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to have quality, properly maintained tires on your vehicle. Four tires are all that’s between you, your loved ones, and the road. If you are ever in an evasive driving situation, you’re going to need as much control as you can get, and this is going to come from your tires. And when was the last time you checked the air pressure on your tires? It turns out that most of us are driving with underinflated tires. Here’s a rule of thumb to follow: Keep your tires 10 percent under the recommended pounds per square inch (psi) given on the tire wall. In other words, if you go out to your car today and it says forty-four psi on the tire wall, then you would inflate your tires to forty. (I’m not concerned with what the manufacturer of the car says, because they don’t know which tires you may end up putting on the vehicle.) Not only will you have better control, but you’ll get better gas mileage. Once you get your tires at the optimum pressure, make a point of checking your tire pressure from time to time. And don’t forget to check your spare tire.
One of the first things I do when I teach my Escape & Evasion Driving Experience (SpyDriving.com), is show people how to know if their seat is in the optimum position for driving. Many people are actually sitting too far away from the steering wheel. There’s a simple thing you can do to see where your seat should be. The next time you get into your car, put your arm straight out toward the steering wheel and rest your arm on top of the steering wheel. You want the bottom of your wrist to rest on top of the steering wheel. If your fingers are touching the wheel then you are too far back and you need to move your seat forward. If the steering wheel is touching your forearm then move it back until your wrist is what’s resting on the steering wheel with your arm fully extended.
People who have taken my class know what a difference proper hand positioning makes. We do a series of drills evading roadblocks and ramming vehicles. People discover right away that if your hands aren’t positioned at nine and three o’clock, you can’t get enough control over the car to properly execute maneuvers. Should you ever end up in an evasive driving situation, it’s critical your hands are in this position. Having your hands at nine and three o’clock automatically forces you to keep your elbows bent, which enables you to get the most mobility out of your car. If your hands are in these positions, and there’s a guy standing in front of your car trying to block you, you’re easily going to be able to maneuver your car around him.
Most Americans use their side mirrors to see the back of their cars. The next time you get in your car, look in your side mirrors. If you can see any part of the back of your car, you need to push them out. This will give you more peripheral vision when you’re driving, and you’ll be able to see what’s in your blind spot better.
In some cases, carjackers simply approach the car, show their weapons, and demand you get out. Other times, carjackers will use trickier methods to manipulate you into a position where your car can be stolen. By being aware of the various tactics used by carjackers, you’ll know when a situation might not be quite what it seems.
It’s natural to want to be diligent and make sure no damage was done to your car in a fender bender. If you find yourself in a situation where the person behind you bumps into your car, you might want to think twice about inspecting the damage. In Delray Beach, Florida, a man got cash from a bank and was then rear-ended. When the man got out to inspect the damage, two men got out of the car, pulled out a handgun and bound the victim’s wrists and demanded money. When the man claimed he had no money, one of the robbers pulled cash out of the man’s shirt. The other robber tried to get into the man’s car, but the doors were locked. A similar situation in Atlanta, Georgia, ended tragically. Fifty-three-year-old Janice Pitts was driving to work with her daughter and four-year-old grandson when she was hit several times by Dewey Green at a light. When she got out to examine her car, Green accelerated his car, pinning the grandmother between the two vehicles. Green then backed his truck up, gunned his car, and drove over Pitts, killing her. Green had a history of reckless driving, sealed drug arrests, and a record of criminal mischief as a minor.
We’ve already talked about how being a Good Samaritan can get you into trouble. The same thing goes for potential carjackers. Four teenage girls in Orlando thought faking car trouble would be a great way to get money for gas and going out for a night on the town. The girls drove around with their hazard lights on, and when they noticed a young man walking along the street, they pulled into a parking lot and asked for help with their overheating car. Twenty-one-year-old Cameron Castro popped the hood, and one of the girls covered her face with her shirt and asked for “everything he had.” Castro handed over $50, only to get struck twice by the front bumper of the car. In Greenville, Tennessee, three suspects also faked road trouble to lure Good Samaritans. Apparently a male and female suspect sat on the side of the highway with the hood of their car up. The woman was holding what appeared to be a baby and was gesturing for help. When someone stopped to help, a man got out of the SUV, and the two men approached the victims with guns while demanding money.
It’s completely understandable to want to help victims of a car accident, but it’s also possible that the accident could be rigged. The bottom line is, if you see someone who looks like he needs help, use your cell phone to call the police, but if you decide to get out and help, be extremely cautious.
The trap is basically a way of robbing you in your own driveway. Leamon R. Hunt, a U.S. diplomat, was assassinated in Rome in 1984 in a variation of the trap. One night, Hunt arrived at his home, where he had to wait for a gate to open before driving onto his property. While he was waiting, three gunmen emerged from a car parked across the street and opened fire. Hunt was ultimately killed when a gunman jumped onto the trunk of his limousine and fired a shot that went through a gap in the bulletproof glass of his vehicle.
We all want to be safe drivers, so if another driver is flashing his lights at us, or gesturing at us to pull over, we may do so out of concern for our safety. However, carjackers have been known to prey on these fears to put people in a vulnerable position. If someone is waving frantically for you to pull over and your car isn’t on fire, and nothing appears to be wrong, just call the police and keep going.
While there are some basic tactics you can take to stay safer while driving, keep in mind that carjackers can get creative, and you must remain alert and aware. In England, carjackers started leaving brochures on the back windows of cars. Drivers didn’t really notice the papers until they begin driving, and looked out their rear window. When the driver pulls over to remove the annoying piece of paper, carjackers are hopping into the front seat and pulling off. So, remember to practice situational awareness at all times, and practice the following tactics:
While I certainly hope you will never be the victim of a carjacking, I’m going to tell you exactly what to do should the unthinkable happen. You’re stopped at a red light when an armed criminal approaches you and demands your car. What should you do? I’m going to remind you once again that movement saves lives. Whatever you do, make sure freezing is not your response.
Do not ask permission to get your child. Simply tell the carjackers your child is in the car and you are getting him. Go to your child, remove him from the seat belt and exit the car.
It is important that you know that you are in danger of losing your life if you get into a car with a criminal. Your chances of being raped or killed go up substantially if you get in a car with a criminal. Do not believe movies you see in Hollywood where people get in cars with criminals, and talk the criminal into letting them go. If you are being forced into a car, fight in any way you can to avoid this happening. Use your gun, knife, tactical pen, or whatever you have and do whatever you need to in order to make sure you don’t end up riding away with the carjacker.
When most people think of spy movies, they think of car chases—cars being chased by helicopters, cars flying off bridges, spies shooting at bad guys out of windows while flying through busy cities. One of my favorite classes to teach is the Escape & Evasion Driving Experience, where everyday Americans learn how to do a 180-reverse turn, avoid an ambush, ram a vehicle, and much, much more. Here are a few of the tips that I share with my students that may save your life one day:
Maybe you remember the crazy maneuvers Jim Rockford did in his gold Pontiac Firebird. Somehow that guy was always getting himself in situations where the reverse 180 was the only option. So what do you do if you need to drive backward in order to go forward?
This is a technique I teach to people who are in the executive protection business. Imagine a scenario where you’re in a convoy and one of the cars gets disabled during an attack. Using a car that is still running, you need to push the disabled car out of the area of attack.
Imagine a scenario where you come upon a roadblock and have to ram through it in order to save your life. Hopefully, you’ll never have to do this. A few things to know about ramming cars. Hollywood gets this totally wrong. You cannot ram a car as you’re traveling down the highway at 60 miles per hour. Going this fast can disable the car you’re in, and you’ll never be able to speed away once you get through the roadblock. In fact, you want to be going 20 to 25 miles per hour—tops. Not only is this the right speed for moving the other car but it ensures that the car you are driving will keep running. You also want to aim to hit the other car just to the right of the gas tank—toward the back. You don’t want to hit the car up front where the engine is—it’s too heavy.
Have you ever thought about what you would do if the person who was driving you in a car was shot in an ambush—or perhaps more likely, has a heart attack? There is a simple way to handle this situation should it ever happen to you.
Again, I hope you never need to use any of these evasive driving maneuvers in real life, but since this world is so unpredictable you just never know.