[SOCAL] Review of a driving course, EVOC

[zguru24]

Below is a review of a driving course I took with a couple friends taught by the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department at their Emergency Vehicle Operations Center. It is more about car control than a performance driving course. Still thought it was a good experience for the money.

Link to description of course
http://www.sbcounty.gov/evoc/coursedeta ... ourseid=19

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It was good for what the course is intended to get across. Of course we all wished it was like that video I sent out. It left me and I'm sure the others to really want to do a performance driving school. Driving on the skidpan and the accident avoidance exercises are probably worth it just to experience those situations.

I realized how fast you do need to countersteer when a skid occurs. I had sort of an idea from my own limited experiences haha. Although how quickly you need to countersteer probably depends on the road condition. They said the skidpan had the friction coefficient of black ice. Pretty fun!

The accident avoidance was my second favorite although I realized my reaction time is way slow haha. I'm sure you have seen videos of this set up. Three lanes, light tells you to go left or right or brake in the middle. I think the distance between the trip light and the lanes are about 90ft(?). Just bumping up the speed about 5 MPH made such a difference for me.

The rest of the course was to basically give you a feel of car position and give you a method of precision driving. They gave us a method of how to maneuver through tight situations using the A and C pillars as references. Going forward and reverse through tight corners.

Also methods of parking. I never really had a method of how to parallel park but they did and found it pretty easy. Although I think it is tough on the power steering. They make you do full lock both ways. They also said the police are taught not to straighten their parking in parallel parking so they can just zoom out and know they will clear the car if some emergency happens. I always thought they were being A-Holes haha j/k.

I would recommend this class to everyone actually. Probably worth it for family and friends. Of course it is not a performance driving school. Our group was the only ones there for personal reasons. The others in the class this weekend were from various water districts to fulfill insurance requirements for their auto insurance. So I think the class is worth the tuition.

[sp3ctre]

Very well written review there, thanks!

[IMZ4N]

Way to go Mike,

It sounds like the training you got will help more for the every day driver. I almost wish every driver that has a license could take that course. Not to say we get that much rain, but if you travel much it could save your life and those around you.

[fire-n-ice]

It is a good course, I highly reccommend it. Although that's not the full course police/fire/ems takes, it gives you a very good idea of the training. Believe it or not, there is a Fire EVOC. I had to take that in our Engine, it was fun but much more stressful as you have to take into consideration the water weight/shift during evasive manuvers in a tanker vehicle. The Crown Vic and ambulance were a little easier.

I think it's awesome you took that course, kewl!!

[zguru24]

Our instructor said they even put the fire engines on the skid pan. Is that true? That would be a crazy ride!

Here is a video of us at the course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DOMBA72Axw

Our instructor wanted us to join! He said we would have passed most of the tests! Haha it was a blast!



J/K I wish the course was like that video!

[WLH]

Kewl...