I know how to drive about as well as I knew how to shoot five years ago. Let’s hear some options for formal driving training…
I know US Training Center/BW does some driver training. Last time I checked, however, the civvy courses were limited to a one day defensive driving course.
Skip Barber’s school has some decent defensive driving courses based on some reviews I’ve seen.
Do you mean tactical driving (black vehicle required:p), or racing type school?
Here would be my choice. Oh man this would be great 
http://www.team-oneil.com/
But really what kind of driving do you mean?
The Bob Bondurant school now offers training for “military and executive”. I’m a graduate of their 3-day ZO6 Experience - it was great. More info on the military class here:
http://www.bondurant.com/high_performance_driving_school/military_executive_security.php
My whole family (parents, brother, wife) and I took the 1-day “civilian” course at BSR in West Virginia years ago. Worth every penny. At least three of us can point to instances where that training probably made the difference between no accident and tragedy.
On the West Coast, Bobby Orr does training and on the East coast I recommend BSR. The good outfits won’t train just anyone, steer away from any outfit that will.
BSR 2 day or Toni Scotti.
I was just thinking earlier today about starting a similar thread. The July issue of SWAT magazine has a good article about BSR… www.bsr-inc.com
Last paragraph of article: Let’s face it: most of us spend more time behind the wheel than facing down threats with a firearm. While both firearm and driving skill sets are important, recovering a vehicle from a skid will more likely be utilized in our lives than a tap-rack-bang-drill.
Makes a lot of sense to me.
In the racing commuting Bob Bondurant is consider one of the best. I have read Bob Bondurant’s Book and I considerate a must read for drivers wanting to the basics for improving there driving skills.
Depends on what you want. I autocross and participate in Open Track events. If that’s your idea of fun try SCCA. They have Evolution Schools where you can drive your own vehicle around a pylon course with professional instruction. Then I’d autocross a season and during the off-season look up Bondurant or Barber for a two or three day course. BMW also has one day courses in which the M cars are used. Look up Porsche as well. Both are open to the public.
Doesn’t our very own Looey teach driving for BW/US Training Center? Drop him a PM, TK.
He used to, he’s in Firearms and Tactics now.
Of course, that only holds true if people sign up to take vehicle dynamics/accident avoidance type classes.
It can be neat to learn how to drive from the passenger seat if the driver is shot in the head, or how to crash an armored Suburban through a barricade, etc., but for the vast majority of people those are not everyday skills. Spending some time on a skid pad, learning how to threshold brake, etc. are things that may not be as sexy but they are actual life-saving skills.
I took a 1-day defensive driving class, set up through my work. It was in conjunction with the local campus of OSU and affiliated with the OHP, I believe. They have a huge course for cornering, accident avoidance, etc. as well as a skid pad with the skid car to practice recovering from slides and all (that part was pretty fun :D) Like I said, I was there for work, but there were individuals in there as well.
Might look and see if there is something available like that from a local university or whereever the state or local police do training.
I’ll say, it’s much like a shooting class in that there are going to be a few things that are counter intuitive but okay if you give a fair shake, and even a few things that might not work for you…for example, they insisted on our tires being inflated to the absolute max, well past the point of getting proper contact patch. But much like a class or comp you get time doing things you don’t normally get to do in a controlled environment with instructor feedback.
I’ve been to this track for other events, but I have no personal experience with their training. It is a nice facility, and it is close to home for you Katarzan, right off of the Beaver Falls exit of the Turnpike.
Dude - that looks great! I wonder if we can scrape up any reviews of the training there?
Actually, threshhold braking, understanding under vs. oversteer and being able to FEEL THEM and properlycorrect is very sexy. Learning to identify the apex of a corner and HIT it time and time again makes for superb confidence with an automobile. AUTOCROSSING is a great inexpensive way to hone those skills for the entire family. Some may ask are those skills used everyday. Yes, they are. I don’t threshold brake, trailbrake but I do heel and toe downshift at every stop and I do find the apex though I don’t pull any appreciable g’s. I simply find the most efficient way through every corner - usually try to ‘straight line’ it for the least amount of g’s.
In my sports compact car do occasionally ATTACK cloverleaves (entrance and exit ramps). I do find the apex (usually two) and accelerate through them. I do drive aggressively enough at times to trailbrake to get the car to rotate in tight corners or decreasing radii corners. All of this learned thru lots of reading, driving schools, autocross, open track events driving simulators and more study of Vehicle Dynamics and Chassis. As you can tell I’m a road racing enthusiast but it’s not really necessary - just understand what is going on at the contact patches and how your steering, throttle and brake inputs affect it. Sounds easy. It isn’t. But it’s hella fun!
There are alot of driving schools that have opened since 9/11 but BSR is still the standard.
BW/US training center- All the initial instructors that set that program up came from BSR
Olive Security- driving program started by Alan Minnick, former BSR director of training
Beaver Run- started by Don Barrack, former BSR instructor
ITI- started by former BSR instuctors
Do you see where I am going with this. If you look back, 99% started at BSR.
Drink from the source or one of its many run offs. Me I drink from the source.
P.S. I am also bias because I worked at BSR for many years also!
With my old man racing there as an amateur, and Growing up close to Mid-Ohio Race Track (Lexington, OH), I’ve had the opportunity take several defensive driving courses there.
Highly recommend their Programs