Driver Awareness - Emergency Vehicle Operations Course
DRIVER AWARENESS/EVOC
Expanded Course Outline
COURSE GOAL:
The course provides law enforcement officers with the minimum topics of Driver
Training/Awareness necessary to conduct safe and proper vehicle operations during on
duty law enforcement vehicle operations. The topics are required in the POST Perishable
Skills Training Program including: Basic Driving Principles, Legal and Moral Aspects,
Defensive Driving and Maneuvering Course Exercises.
The course consists of a hands-on/practical Driver Training/Awareness for in-service
officers. The training may be presented in a 4, 6, or 8 hour format allowing for
flexibility based upon specific agency or trainee group needs, and as long as the
minimum topics are contained within each format independently.
DRIVER TRAINING AWARENESS
Minimum Topics/Exercises:
A. Behind the wheel exercises to improve driving skills – judgement and decision
making
B. Class Excursuses/Student Evaluation/Testing
C. Defensive driving
D. Backing/parking exercise(s)
E. Policy, legal, and moral issues
F. Vehicle Dynamics
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of their Driver Training/Awareness skills and techniques
2. Demonstrate a minimum standard of psychomotor skills with every technique and
exercise, to include:
A. Judgement
B. Decision Making
C. Defensive Driving
D. Basic Driving Principles
E. Policy, Legal and Moral Issues
F. Vehicle Dynamics
Minimum standards of performance shall be tested by an instructor observing the
trainee during their performance of each technique and exercise. If the trainee does
not meet minimum standards, as established by the presenter, remediation will be
provided until the standard is met.
DRIVER AWARENESS/EVOC
Expanded Course Outline
I. Introduction / Orientation
A. Introduction, Registration and Orientation
1. Safety Briefing
2. Radio procedures
3. Medical emergency procedures
B. Course Objectives/Overview/Exercises, Evaluation/Testing
II. BASIC DRIVING PRICIPLES
A. Weight transfer
1. Weight distributed between front and rear wheels
2. Engine location has greater part of weight distribution
3. Types of weight transfer
4. Lateral transfer created when vehicle turned left/right
5. Longitudinal transfer created when:
6. Can’t be eliminated in a moving vehicle
7. Minimized by good driving techniques and smith operation
B. Steering control
1. Seating position
2. Steering method – Two handed shuffle steering
3. Steering method backing
C. Roadway Position
1. Definition: The position of the vehicle on the roadway that maximizes
speed with minimum steering and risk of loss of vehicle control while
negotiating a turn
2. Driving advantages
3. Driving points in a turn
III. LEGAL AND MORAL ASPECTS
A. California Vehicle Codes
B. Case Law
C. Agency Policy
D. Moral Aspects
IV. DEFENSIVE DRVING
A. Defensive Driving
1. Avoid collisions regardless of right-of-way
2. React properly to hazards
3. Maintain a professional attitude
B. Dangerous Driver Attitudes
1. Overconfidence
2. Self-righteousness
3. Impatience
4. Preoccupation
C. Collision Avoidance
1. Space cushion
2. Intersections
3. Maintain high visual horizon
DRIVER AWARENESS/EVOC
Expanded Course Outline
4. Consider steering to the rear of a conflict vehicle
5. Backing
6. Lane changes
7. Blind spots
D. Occupant Safety Devices
1. Safety belts
2. Supplemental Restraint System (Air Bags)
E. Vehicle Dynamics
1. Rear wheel cheat
2. Front-end swing
3. Oversteer
4. Understeer
V. MANEUVERING COURSE EXERCISES
A. Slow speed and precision driving course – Station Rotation
1. Collision Avoidance
2. Parallel Parking
3. Steering Course (Forward and Reverse)
4. Cul-de-sac “U” Turn
VI. EMERGENCY DRIVING AND PURSUIT TRAINING
A. Response to Crime Incidents / Department P&P 704… Category II Driver Training
Topic (a) (d) (g) (h)
1. Types of law enforcement driving and the purpose for each
2. Statutory conditions exempting peace officers from certain
rules of the road when operating law enforcement vehicles in
the line of duty
3. Impact of case decisions on the operation of law enforcement
vehicles in emergency response and pursuit driving conditions
4. Objectives of emergency response driving
5. Importance of agency specific policies and guidelines regarding
emergency response driving
6. Statutory responsibilities of non-law enforcement vehicle drivers
when driving in the presence of emergency vehicles action
under emergency response conditions
DRIVER AWARENESS/EVOC
Expanded Course Outline
7. Emergency warning devices available on law enforcement
vehicles
8. Factors that can limit the effectiveness of a vehicle’s emergency
warning devices
9. Siren syndrome and its effects on law enforcement officers in
emergency response and pursuit driving conditions
10. Guidelines for entering a controlled intersection(with the
signal and against the signal) when driving under
emergency response conditions
B. Vehicle Pursuit/Code 3 Driving Dept. P&P 704……….Category II Driver Training Topic (a)(d)(g)(j)(i)(k)
1. How vehicle pursuit situations can be more dangerous to
officers and the general public than emergency response
driving situations
2. Intervention Techniques/Risk Assessment, factors that should be
considered before employing any authorized offensive
intervention tactic
3. Legislative intent of Penal Code section 13519.8 including:
4. Issues officer should consider in a balance test before initiating
a vehicle pursuit, including:
5. Responsibilities for the primary unit and supervisor in managing
a vehicle pursuit
6. Conditions that could lead to the decision to terminate a vehicle
pursuit
7. Role of agency policy and guidelines governing
inter-jurisdictional vehicle Pursuits.
A. Behind the Wheel Emergency Driving Operations - Station Rotation
...Category II Driver Training Topic (a)(b)(d)(f)(g)(h)(j)(i)(k)
1. The student will gain the necessary skills to operate a Law
Enforcement vehicle “code 3” in a maximum safe manner:
2. The student will gain the ability to accurately steer the vehicle
including:
3. The student will gain the ability to maintain
control of the vehicle that is skidding including:
4. The student will gain the ability to threshold brake
technique including:
5. The student will gain the ability to safely drive and control a
vehicle while operating under emergency conditions including
proper:
6. The student will gain the ability to properly accelerate the vehicle:
DRIVER AWARENESS/EVOC
Expanded Course Outline
7. The student will gain the knowledge of the Anti-lock Braking
System:
B. Pursuit Driving- Station Rotation:
1. The student will gain the ability to safely drive and control the vehicle
while operating under pursuit conditions including proper:
2. The student will gain the ability to properly conclude a pursuit:
3. The Student will demonstrate the ability to transition from a pursuit to an
apprehension perimeter.
4. The Student will gain the ability to transition from a pursuit to a first
responder medical aid at related auto accident scene.