SKIDCAR News - Summer/Fall 2011, Alaska

Anchorage Police Department Instructor Training: Anchorage, ALASKA

The trip to Anchorage for instructor training proved to be very different than we initially thought. The Ford Crown Victoria that was available from the Alaska Police Standards Council proved to be in need of repair. Therefore, the Ford Expedition SKIDCAR that had not been assembled since it was purchased was brought into use. This change in equipment allowed us to expose the Anchorage PD instructors to Electronic Stability Control and the driving strategies needed to efficiently use this incredible safety system.

In our five year history of training with ESC and hundreds of Law Enforcement instructors being exposed to the workings of this driver safety technology, our experience has been that the instructors immediately tried to drive around or through the system. The basic working knowledge of how the ESC system worked to maintain control of the vehicle despite driver mistakes is commonly unknown in Law Enforcement. We were therefore able to instruct and promote to the Anchorage instructors an understanding of the system and baseline of use.

Although the Crown Vic SKIDCAR was serviced and eventually put into use, the modern driving techniques learned in the big SUV were much more valuable and the SUV was ultimately used throughout the training. Oddly enough and true to form, the techniques learned for Stable Platform Concepts of maintaining grip used to drive the SUV were also utilized to efficiently drive without activating the ESC. The ESC only engaged when a driver error occurred. Brilliant!

With ESC being made standard on all new police vehicles including sedans and SUVs, this type of training can only become increasingly important in saving the lives of our officers on the road.

Driving with Technology

The following article addresses a phenomena that we have been experiencing for several years. Teens or young adults who want to pursue a career in Law Enforcement and who previously did not possess a driver’s license are getting one as a requirement to be accepted into an academy where driving is a pre-requisite. This becomes a troubling problem, as academy budgets are designed to further driver training, not start the driving journey.

We at SKIDCAR SYSTEM® are currently engaged with developing lesson plans to help new drivers interface correctly with modern safety systems. An intellectual as well as validating physical experience has shown us that even though vehicles are becoming smarter and safer, drivers have to know vehicles still don't drive themselves. What multitasking behind the wheel means today with the enhancement of personal communications technology will soon, if not already, need to be a serious concern in basic driver training. Texting and mobile phone use has been brought to the public’s attention. But what about the other technologies in modern cars that young or old alike know nothing about? As an example: ESC, TC, or even ABS. How do some of you explain how to "interface" with these new technologies?

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/a-teenage-question-a-car-or-a-smartphone/

SKIDCAR News - Summer/Fall 2011, China

China Dragon Racing, Zhaoqing: Guangdong Province, CHINA

Our trip to train instructors in China was a very interesting exercise in the versatility of the SKIDCAR and our curriculum. The owner of the business, Kelvin So, had many challenges for us to meet. Not only did he want to use the SKIDCAR as a supplement for training in his racing school, but also wanted to use the driver training tool to gain access to training corporate markets, police, government, and beginner drivers. His model is very close to how we started with SKIDCAR in 1989 as an additional tool at my Pitarresi Pro Drive Racing School at PIR in Portland, OR.

Kelvin was an incredible host to Curt Cedergren and me. We also had an opportunity to get to know Team Manager and instructor candidate Zeng Wei Fang, who has to be one of the hardest working and most successful female Team Managers in Auto Sport. The other two instructors we schooled were motorsports professionals Zhu Yu and Tommy Chan, a young, up-and-coming racer, drifter, and motor journalist in China.

Additionally, the sale of the SKIDCAR to China Dragon Racing has lead to the subsequent reward of the Chinese SKIDCAR dealership. We feel this new team has a very successful future with SKIDCAR and driver training in China!

SKIDCAR News – Summer/Fall 2011

We at SKIDCAR SYSTEM, Inc. have been very busy with a number of new SKIDCAR™ deliveries and trainings. Below is the first in a series of highlights regarding companies and departments we have had an opportunity to visit over the past several months.

Southeast Regional College: Weyburn Campus, Saskatchewan, CANADA

The trend of community colleges offering unique curriculum is not new in North America. SKIDCAR SYSTEM® has been integrated into the Law Enforcement driver training programs at more than 28 community colleges around the country. But one such college in Canada has purchased a SKIDCAR for a new customer base; the oil and gas industry in the southern province of Saskatchewan.

Their instructor staff, utilizing the parking area at the regional airport, is now offering training courses featuring a Chevrolet Tahoe attached to a Type B SKIDCAR SYSTEM. The Tahoe SKIDCAR’s ability for training with 2 wheel, 4 wheel, and automatic 4 wheel drive is perfect for the challenging conditions and environment of rural Saskatchewan.

New vehicles used in the oil patch are coming standard with Electronic Stability Controls, traction controls, and ABS brakes, making this SKIDCAR training a fundamentally positive step forward in mitigating safety concerns from the industry. Congratulations to Southeast Regional College for accomplishing this much needed advancement in their area for oil field safety!