USA Carry by Salvatore April 12, 2023
The popularity and focus on “vehicle tactics” comes and goes among the civilian self-defense community. The interest in this niche topic escalates during times of civil unrest, such as we witnessed in the summer of 2020. Law enforcement and certain military groups have a much more focused and consistent interest in anything related to fighting around vehicles, obviously. However, there are certain basics that a civilian concealed carrier, or anyone interested in personal protection, should know related to vehicles. Most Americans spend a considerable amount of time in the automobile. For most, many hours of the week are actually spent behind the wheel. A good deal of crime and violence does, indeed, happen to people while in or around the vehicle. Therefore, an understanding of the best strategies for dealing with violence when in your car is in order.
As it pertains to civilians, the majority of “vehicle tactics” training is not very relevant. Law enforcement officers and military personnel face the very real possibility of being ambushed when in a car, so most such training involves skills and techniques related to shooting from the vehicle, or around the vehicle, etc. While anything is possible, it is exceedingly rare to find instances where citizens are ambushed while in their car in such a capacity that they are shot at while behind the wheel. The nature of criminal predation against citizens is most often that of robbery, and carjacking typically involves the criminal actor wanting the vehicle itself. Being forced out of the vehicle at gunpoint, or being taken at gunpoint when going to your vehicle in a parking lot, is the far more likely scenario faced by the citizen self-defender.
Similarly, even violence involving shooting is the small minority when it comes to violence around the vehicle. Carjackings are rare compared to heated arguments that come to blows during road rage incidents. Techniques for shooting through the windshield have little to do with most such threats. Other drivers becoming irate with anger over stupid disputes on the highway lead to aggressive behavior, most of which does not involve weapons. However, these incidents can easily escalate to armed conflict. Most often, many other tactics can and should be employed long before any shooting is necessary, such as de-escalation, if possible, or the use of less lethal tools against a less lethal threat.
So, what are the realistic vehicle tactics that are most applicable to the armed citizen?
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