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7 Evasive Driving Maneuvers to Escape Your Enemy

Learn 7 evasive driving maneuvers to escape your enemy

7 Evasive Driving Maneuvers to Escape Your Enemy

There are a variety of evasive driving techniques in this tutorial. Some are useful for everyday life, but others can be dangerous. Practice them safely. 

Only try these defensive driving maneuvers in cars with a lower center of gravity. SUVs and minivans are likely to flip.

Before you endanger yourself and other drivers, ensure you have a tail.

Basic Driving Maneuvers Explained

Before you learn specific evasive driving techniques, you need to learn some basic driving maneuvers step by step.

Two-Foot Driving

If you are driving a car with automatic transmission, using two-foot driving will increase your reaction time.

To do it, use one foot for the brakes and the other to accelerate, as opposed to using one foot for both. Use the balls of your feet to depress the pedals.

Threshold Braking

Threshold braking is an evasive maneuver driving technique for slowing down faster. It will improve your car cornering techniques and other precise maneuvers.

Apply gradual but firm pressure on the brake until just before wheels lock or ABS kicks in. When/if the wheels lock, release the brake a little, then reapply it with slightly less pressure. If your tires screech, you need to release the brake—but don’t wait for that.

Outrunning a Pursuer

Unless you know your car will outrun a pursuer’s and you’re on open roads, keep your speed under 100km/h (65mph). If you’re going any faster, you’re likely to crash.

Prevent your pursuer from pulling alongside you by blocking his way. If he gets next to you, he’ll have a clear shot or be likely to ram you.

If he’s shooting at you, slalom (weave) to avoid the bullets. When shooting back, aim for the driver and/or his front tires. It’s best if a passenger does the shooting. Put him in the back seat so he can shoot in any direction.

To jump a curb, slow down to under 70km/h (45mph) and approach it at a 45-degree angle.

As a last resort, go off-road. Drive extra-carefully, as there will be many additional obstacles (dips, rocks, etc.). When you can’t go any further, get out and take cover so you can ambush your pursuers.

Advanced Driving Maneuvers

1. Car Cornering

Good cornering driving is all about when you take the apex. The apex is the point where your wheels are closest to the inside edge of the corner.

When you have several car lengths between you and your pursuer, aim for a late apex. This means you will slow down before entering the corner, but will exit it faster, and the faster you exit, the faster you’ll on the straight after it.

Here are some specific car cornering techniques. They assume you want to take a late apex.

90-degree Turn 

To take a 90-degree turn, start as far to the outside as possible. Use threshold braking as you approach, and release your brakes when you’re into the first third of your turn. Speed up as you exit the turn.

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The fastest way to take a 90-degree turn

S-Bends

In s-bends, drive in as close to a straight line as you can.

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Go straight through S bends

Hairpin Turn

To get around a hairpin turn, start wide on the first half, and treat the second half like a 90-degree turn. Take it slower than other turns.

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The fastest way to get around a hairpin turn

2. The Cut

The cut is a maneuver you can use to lose a pursuer in traffic. Without indicating, turn in front of oncoming traffic in the opposite lane.

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Use the cut to lose a tail in traffic

3. Bootlegger’s Three-Point Turn

This is a variation of the standard three-point turn. It allows you to reverse your direction after a curve on a narrow road.

Immediately after the bend, turn into an intersecting road (or driveway). Once your pursuer passes you, reverse and drive off in the opposite direction.

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The bootlegger's three-point turn allows you to reverse your direction after a curve on a narrow road

4. Bootleg Turn

The standard bootleg turn is a 180-degree turn on a two-lane road. It’s good to use after a blind corner or on a long, undivided bridge.

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The standard bootleg turn is a 180-degree turn on a two-lane road

When practicing this evasive driving training maneuver, inflate your tires to 10psi over the recommended maximum. This will prevent them from blowing. Expect your front tires to wear out quickly.

To prevent flipping or losing control, do not go over 50km/h (30mph).

If you want to turn left (as in the image) do the following in quick succession:

  • Place one hand on top of the steering wheel and the other on the emergency brake (or hand brake for a handbrake turn). It is important to use the hand/emergency brake. The normal foot brake will lock up the front tires.
  • ​Turn the wheel a little to the right.
  • ​Apply brake and simultaneously turn the wheel sharp to the left until your hand is near the 6 o’clock position. immediately
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Doing the bootleg turn involves several co-ordinated movements

If in a manual car, apply the clutch as you put on the brake.

When the car is at 90 degrees, release the emergency brake, straighten the wheel, shift into low gear (manual transmission), and accelerate.

Do not floor the accelerator.

5. Reverse 180

To turn 180-degrees on a two-lane road while going backwards, use the reverse 180.

This is good against roadblocks, and with enough practice you can do it in one lane.

As with the bootleg turn, inflate your tires to 10psi over the recommended maximum and don’t go more than 50km/h.

If you want to turn left ( that is, if the road space is to your left):

  • Place your hand at 4 o’clock (7 o’clock if you want to turn right) and put your other hand on the gear shift. Accelerate in reverse to about 40km/h (25mph).
  • ​Use your mirrors to look behind you, as opposed to turning your head.
  • ​ Turn the wheel a little to the right, then take your foot off the accelerator, shift to neutral, and turn the wheel sharply to the left as far as you can.
  • ​Do not use the brakes. When the car is at 90 degrees, shift into a low/forward gear, straighten the wheel, and accelerate.
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Use the reverse 180 to turn 180-degrees on a two-lane road while going backwards

6. Ram Through a Car Block

When you encounter a roadblock made of cars, it’s preferable to go around it. 

If that’s not possible, your aim is to push through it.

As you approach, slow down to under 30km/h (20mph). This will let you avoid disabling your car on impact and give any guards the impression you’re stopping. 

Aim to hit the corner of your car on the corner of the barricading car. Any corner-to-corner contact will work, so consider what’s behind the barricading car. If there’s nothing else to consider, then pressing your passenger side (furthest from you) to the other car’s rear corner (the lightest side) is ideal.

Keep your foot on the gas at steady pressure until you are through, then accelerate.

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If you can't go around a car block, push through it

When there are two cars, aim either for the car that’s the easiest to get past or the center of the gap.

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When there are two vehicles to ram through, aim for the center of the gap

7. Take Out Another Car

If you manage to get behind your pursuer, you can use the following techniques to ram him off the road. Unless he’s going under 45km/h (30mph) he’ll probably crash.

The first method is the precision immobilization technique (PIT). Get your front bumper in line with his rear wheel. Maintain your speed and nudge your front bumper into his rear wheel. Immediately apply your brakes and steer around him as he spins in front of you.

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The precision immobilization technique

To do the second method, start directly behind him and speed up, so you are going about 20 km/h (10mph) faster than he is. Hit the corner of your front bumper into the opposite side of his rear bumper. It is a hit, not a push.

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Hit the car as opposed to pushing it

For the final method, accelerate to overtake him. As you pass him, nudge the middle of your car into the corner of his front bumper. 

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Nudge him out of the way as you overtake

Evasive Driving Maneuvers Conclusion

In this article you have learned proper techniques for cornering in a car and other advanced driving skills to evade a car tail. 

Remember to practice these advanced driving techniques safely and only use them in traffic if you really need to. 

Did you find these step by step driving maneuvers useful? If so, please share them with your friends.

Article by Sam Fury

Sam Fury 3 png
Sam Fury 3 png

Sam Fury is the creator and owner of the Survival Fitness Plan.

He has had a passion for martial arts and outdoor pursuits since he was a young boy growing up in Australia.

As a young adult he joined the military and studied outdoor leadership in college. After that, to further his skills, Sam started traveling to learn from the best in the world in various fields related to the Survival Fitness Plan including various martial arts in China, SE Asia and Brazil, Parkour in Singapore, Surf Life Saving in Australia, and others. 

These days, he still enjoys learning new things, traveling and sharing what he has learned via the Survival Fitness Plan. 

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