Sometimes we get so caught up in the pressures of modern policing--in the battle to reduce liability and to make our bosses happy--that we forget what it takes to get through a patrol shift safely and effectively. That's true for use of force issues and arrest procedures, and it's also true of motor vehicle operations.

Routinely driving your patrol vehicle isn't as exciting (usually) or as life threatening (normally) as locking up a bad guy or driving in a pursuit, but we do it a lot more. And it's during those long night shifts, when nothing's happening, you're bored and just driving around, that many officer-involved accidents occur.

Talk of pursuit management and P.I.T. maneuvers is important, and training with controlled-deflation devices is critical, but on a day-to-day basis, nothing is as important as defensive driving. A quick look at the number of officers killed in motor vehicle related incidents will convince you of that.

The Problem with Defense

So, what do we mean by "defensive driving"? Simply put, defensive driving means to operate your vehicle carefully and thoughtfully, always looking out for what the other guy might do, and taking steps to be ready if he does something unexpected. Defensive driving is safety-oriented driving.

There are two elements to defensive driving: awareness and reaction. Many different systems have been developed over the years to teach drivers how to drive defensively, but most of them come down to just paying attention. That sounds easy to do, and it is--most of the time.

The problem lies in how routine the driving task has become. With automatic transmissions, power steering and brakes, and all of the other power-assisted doo-dads a driver has within reach, operating a vehicle is no longer an engaging activity. There is little interaction between the average driver and his or her vehicle. Once the car is in gear, very little is required to move the vehicle from place to place.

That's great in many ways, but it also presents a trap. The relaxed complacency that sets in during a long drive can be deadly. Additionally, because driving demands so little of us, many drivers undertake various distracting activities while they drive. Eating, drinking, smoking, talking on a cell phone, and even reading a book or a newspaper are just a few of the distractors we use to fill our time behind the wheel.