In a bid to better prepare its agents for the unlikely scenario of high-speed driving, the Secret Service had 10 GM vehicles delivered to its Laurel, Maryland training centre, putting the finest law enforcers to the test.
Among the fleet were two C8 Chevrolet Corvettes, four Cadillac sedans (two CT4s and CT5s), a Cadillac Escalade, a Chevrolet Suburban, a Chevrolet Tahoe and a Chevrolet Colorado.
While part of the aim was to put agents behind the wheel and enhance their high-performance driving skills, instructors were also asked to provide feedback on the technology integrated into the vehicles, influencing changes to assist the Secret Service.
“I think it is cool to try out all these different platforms to figure out what is going to fit, and what we can use,” Secret Service driving instructor Constantine Gerukos said.
“The times are changing, and so is the rest of the world. So, we have to do the same thing.”
Despite manual transmissions becoming less common in new-car showrooms and even less so in police fleets, two of the vehicles – a CT4 Blackwing and CT5 Blackwing – were equipped with a three-pedal layout.
“Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift,” driving instructor Mark Armstrong said.
“Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.”
Scott Simons, Special Agent in Charge of the James J. Rowley Training Center added the diversity of the vehicles will better prepare Secret Service students for real-life situations.
“Experience with different types of vehicles can help instructors teach students how to adapt their driving techniques based on the vehicle they are operating,” Simons said.
“Because each vehicle handles differently in any given situation, exposure to new cars will challenge instructors and give them an opportunity to develop more realistic training scenarios.”
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