The EVOS is a state of the art law enforcement tool. The system is designed to augment current state,
city, and county law enforcement EVOC programs further enhancing necessary driving and decision making
skills. Other various applications will focus on: response and situation awareness, traffic assessment,
defensive driving techniques, vehicle placement and much more.
The National Institute of Justice notes that many departments acknowledged they provide limited steps to
train their officers on skills and procedures regarding pursuit and response driving. For example, although
60 percent of the agencies reported providing entry-level training at their academies, the average time
devoted to these skills was estimated at less than 14 hours. Once in service, the amount of additional
training offered averaged slightly more than 3 hours per year and focused on the mechanics of defensive
and/or pursuit driving rather than scenario based exercises; training in regard to the when -or why - appears
to be minimal or nonexistent.
Traditional EVOC sessions are held in non-corrupt and sterile settings where real world hazards and geographies
are difficult to re-produce. The EVOS system will allow officers to train on every imaginable surface and
under every weather condition. Employing departmental approved response and pursuit termination techniques
in scenario based programs, officers will experience proper response and pursuit decision making under
actual conditions. Some examples of pursuit termination techniques that can be reproduced are:
Pursuit Intervention Technique
The PIT maneuver is a technique that should never be used unless the officer is specifically trained and
department policy allows it. Using this technique the pursuing officer utilizes his/her front bumper to
shallow strike the rear quarter panel of the fleeing vehicle (35 mph or under). The officer turns into the
fleeing vehicle so that its back tires lose traction causing it to spin out. This maneuver will cause the
engine of newer model cars to cut off (reducing risk of fire) and in most cases disorient the driver and
end the pursuit. If the PIT is used incorrectly it may cause the fleeing vehicle to overturn.
Boxing
This technique involves police vehicles pulling in front, beside or behind the fleeing vehicle. The
officers then slow down, which causes the fleeing vehicle to slow or ram the police vehicles.
Channeling
Officers position their vehicles in such a way that they force the suspect's vehicle into a 'safe zone'
where roadblocks, boxing, or PIT can be employed safely.
Vehicle Intercept
Vehicle intercept is a strategic method of positioning officers' around a suspect's vehicle prior to
activating emergency lights. This technique is a slow roll of under 10 mph and conducive only on surface
streets.
Screen capture
The actual driver compartment of a Crown Victoria surrounded by three 42" plasma image generators
with a 180 degree field of view provides officers with access to a 50 square mile region with 87 miles
of continuous roadways (city, highway, suburban, rural) with "drive anywhere" capability-on road
or off. Drive in a free-play, unrestricted, environment. Traffic is spontaneous, intelligent, and reacts
randomly to the officers’ vehicle. Each driving session can be unique so students must learn to
respond to new situations rather than base their reactions on memorized cues.
Generated traffic reacts autonomously to the officer's vehicle to create new and reactive sessions every time.
Instruction parameters include a 14 by 14 square city block sector to utilize over 72 repeatable script
specific scenarios. Driving worlds offer variable lighting (fog/day/night/dusk) and weather conditions
(rain/snow/hail/ice/wind), which are under the instructors control and can be implemented at any time. If
so desired vehicle malfunctions (tire blow outs, drop in oil/brake pressure) can be safely recreated for
emergency counteraction situations. Interchangeable driving station with emergency radio, ignition switch,
gear selector, turn signals, headlights, parking brake, speedometer/odometer, tachometer, fuel, oil pressure,
and volt meter.
Officers will respond to a variety of situations. Their actions will be based on observance and intuitive sense,
rather than memorized or visual cues. Driver error is an element that cannot be eliminated. The Tactical
Driving Simulator allows officers to gain experience in the "Gray Area" of pro active or reactive
driving without incurring associated dangers related to advanced driving techniques.
The United States Army reports that simulator training is three times faster with an above average retention
rate - than that of traditional behind the wheel training; the *German Army reports a 19% accident reduction
rate, and *North American Van Lines reports a 22% accident reduction rate.
* Supplied by FAAC Inc."
