Companies have addressed rising security issues in a variety of ways by hiring executive protection officers, improving security at the workplace, and implementing both armed and unarmed and residential security, yet specialized security drivers are repeatedly undervalued. Hiring a security-trained driver is paramount to a successful executive protection program. Technical driving expertise is important, yet it merely scratches the surface of the value a specialized security driver can provide.
Why this Matters
Many people implement security protocols at home, and corporate offices often have security programs in place, but most forget about the downtime in between those two locations. Executives usually leave their secure residence and drive to a secure office. The desire of many executives to live away from the office creates a longer drive which leads to the issue of commuting. The average executive in the San Francisco Bay Area commutes an hour each way to and from work. This equates to 10 hours per week and a total 40 hours each month.
When taking a one month vacation into account, executives spend more than 480 hours in the car commuting each year. This means that there are nearly 500 hours of time each year that are virtually unaccounted for regarding security. Nearly 500 hours where an executive opens themselves up to threats and remains unprotected from distracted driving, on-road vehicle accidents, and external threats.
Mitigating This Risk
According to CDC data, a recent Global Business Travel Association survey found that 45% of business travelers called terrorism their greatest safety concern, yet motor vehicle accidents are actually the #1 killer of healthy U.S. citizens. Security drivers don’t just provide security support, but they provide productivity support. If the principal commutes one hour to work each day, hiring a security driver can give the principal an extra 40 hours each month to do as they please. The executive can now use the time they originally spent focused on driving to accomplish more business related tasks or simply use it as time to relax and recharge.
Retired Police Chief Brian Brady who also served as VP and Deputy Chief Security Officer at NBC Universal Media and now Executive Director at Cooke & Associates Inc. explains that “while riding in the fully equipped company car, the executive is able to conduct company business during the commute, thereby converting those lost commute hours to productive company time. Even on those mornings or evenings where the commute is punctuated by traffic issues, the executive is still able to conduct company business, even in a traffic jam.”
This ensures that the executive is provided full protection in the car both to and from home each day.
