Bluelion;
True, if my car is running I would also 'pop smoke' instead of shooting. Unfortunately driving away may not be possible.
IMO having training and learning tactics to deal with shooting from a vehicle is a 'good idea'.
Mr James Yeager of Tactical Response was working as a member of a PSD team here in Baghdad. His team was ambushed about a mile from the gates of BIAP (
Baghdad
Iinternational
Air
Port). His team became stuck in traffic, and the insurgents used a frontage road running parallel to Route Irish to fire on his team. I read about the incident on Yeager's website, and on-line news accounts, but I am working from memory and may be a little sketchy on the details.
I believe there were three vehicles, the first was an unarmored passenger car that if I am not mistaken was driven by Yeager himself.
I believe that the second car's passenger compartment was armored, but a AP 7.62x54R went into the transmission and disabled it, rendering the vehicle unable to move.
The third car, I forget.
Regardless, the team was forced to dismount and fight
on the X or in other words they were trapped in the kill-zone.
Now let's take the lessons of that situation and convert them so they apply to our own daily activities. Please don't flame me, I'm just using vague examples....
Being stuck in traffic is a real possibility for most of us. Consider the possibility of an 'road rage' incident in which you cannot immediately flee the scene due to traffic conditions, or a collision.
Not long ago on another forum there was a short video clip of a dirt bag attacking a car with a tire iron, 'just because'. Although in traffic, it is likely (yet debatable) that the car could have driven immediately away. The car provided cover, yet once the windows were smashed the tire iron could have inflicted fatal blows on the occupants.
The driver if unable to drive away due to traffic, yet armed and in fear of being killed, would have had to either fire from inside the car, or dismount and fire.
(the Lady, apparently with children in the car, tried a weak attempt to drive away and after what seems like an eternity was able to turn the corner. The BG was toying with her, and could have likely killed her if he was determined to do so. Of course she could have been killed 'accidentally' by a hit form the tire iron.)
IMO;
My first response to an attack while driving would be;
a) drive away
b) use the car as a weapon to remove the threat (run him over), if I can't drive completely away
c) only dismount/shoot if neither of the above is possible and I am under imminent threat.
Having a plan and then rehearsing and practicing that plan (even if only mental) seems to make sense to me.
Yeager has a forum called GetofftheX.com
You have to be a groupee(sic) member.
Info can be found at getoffthex about the BIAP ambush.
http://getoffthex.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/440107932/m/156105536/r/156105536#156105536
Just my 2 cents.
Thank you and take care,
John