advanced techniques (short header article about advanced driving)
Crumple Zones (advanced should be a single page)
Aerodynamics
Defensive Driving
Offensive Driving
Maneuvers

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Offensive driving- Is just what it sounds like. Well, not quite. Offensive driving IS NOT changing lanes in your H2 Hummer without turn signals but rather the middle digit of the hand that should be on the steering wheel. It is however a driving style used to bring another vehicle to a stop.

It's primary use is in law enforcement. Police use various maneuvers to stop fleeing suspects, drunk drivers, etc. Offensive driving can be an extremely effective way of chasing down an enemy such as a raider and it can be invaluable post Z-Day.

However, it can also kill you if done improperly. For example, a poorly executed PIT maneuver can send you into a guardrail or telephone pole. Try to shove another vehicle, and you may find that they can push back harder. Try to pin another vehicle and you could go headlong into a ditch.

Obviously, discretion is necessary. If you aren't comfortable handling a vehicle at speed, don't try these manevuers and you'll only hurt yourself or other innocents. And it goes without saying that you should never, EVER, try these in a normal situation. You'll kill yourself, somebody else, or get arrested and sued for every penny you have.

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One Vehicle Maneuvers- These are some of the main maneuvers that comprise offesnive driving. While improving is key to this style of driving, there are a few tried and true methods to stop a fleeing enemy. This section concentrates on manevuers that can be done with one chasing, or offensive, vehicle.

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P.I.T.- The Precision Driving Technique. Developed in Germany, American police have fallen in love with this technique. They use it to bring pursuits to an abrupt and sometimes violent stop.

The goal of the PIT is to spin the fleeing vehicle and bring it to a stop. This is accomplished by bringing the chase vehicle up alongside the rear quarterpanel of the fleeing vehicle. Then, the chase vehicle steers into the fleeing vehicle and pushes the back of the fleeing vehicle around. To help bring the pursuit to a close, the chase vehicle should slow and maneuver to block the front of the vehicle as it stops, to prevent the fleeing vehicle from driving away again.

This causes the rear to break free and the result is the vehicle spinning and hopefully coming to a stop. The PIT's main advantage is that this manevuer can be done with minimal damage to the chasing and fleeing vehicles. IT's downfall is that a skilled driver can easily escape it (see defensive driving for details). Also, when done to a top-heavy vehicle (such as an SUV) the fleeing vehicle can easily roll and be demolished.

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The Press- Unfortunately, I almost saw this accidentally performed on a Toyota Corolla, by a dump truck loaded with salt for de-icing roads. A few inches more on the part of distracted truck driver would've resulted in a fatality without question.

This brutal move centers on getting a vehicle between a rock and a hard place, and pressing it to a stop. It can be done using two cooperating vehicles, or a single vehicle and a hard object such as a wall, guardrail, or even a high curb. The bigger the chasing vehicle is and the smaller the fleeing vehicle, the better this move works.

To perform the press, the chasing vehicle must first get alongside the fleeing vehicle. Then, the chasing vehicle must guide the fleeing vehicle over to a guardrail or wall or similar obstruction. Using the weight and force of the chase vehicle, turn into the fleeing vehicle and press it between the chase vehicle and the obstruction. This move can easily crush and disable a vehicle, especially if the size gap is significant.

The downside of this move is that it is very size dependant. Try to press a Crown Vic in a Mini Cooper, and you'll only damage your vehicle and encourage them to try the smae manevuer on you. Also, if the fleeing vehicle is fast enough to stay ahead of your vehicle, it can't be done. Similarly, if the fleeing vehicle speeds ahead or slows down suddenly, the chase vehicle can collide with the obstruction intended to be used on the fleeing vehicle.

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The Pin- This is a move best saved for last case scenario, and for more compact environments. It is a move that is viciously effective even with a signifcant size gap between the vehicles. A small compact car can pull this move off on a much larger sedan or SUV if done properly, though it is a manevuer of desperation.

The pin is a one-shot move that requires the chase vehicle to become perpendicular to the fleeing vehicle. By using speed as an adjustment, the goal is to ram the rear door or quarter-panel of the fleeing vehicle with the front end of the chase vehicle

This move can easily spin or even roll the fleeing vehicle and the impact can often times disable the vehicle struck. However, it deals almost as much damage to the chase vehicle and often the vehicle causing the impact is totaled as well.

For that reason, this move is considered last resort. While it is effective, there are three major reasons to avoid it.

1) Missing- If you miss the fleeing vehicle, you need to slow, turn hard and then accelerate after the vehicle which has been moving in a straight line. This can create a gap allowing the fleeing vehicle to escape the chase vehicle. Also, if there isn't any room to slow down, the chase vehicle can hit another object and be destroyed while the fleeing vehicle is unharmed.

2) Too early- If the fleeing vehicle is hit too early, along the doors, it may not be totaled and may not even spin. While the chase vehicle is almost assuredly demolished, the fleeing vehicle may be able to continue on.

3) Too late- If the fleeing vehicle is struck too late, the impact may only shear the rear bumper off and leave the vehicle other wise unharmed. This allows a gap to form as the chase vehicle corrects its path and tries to pick up the pursuit.

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The Swoop- This is the freeway-friendly hybrid of the Pin and the PIT manevuers. The swoop is similar in its execution and it's result, as well as it's danger. The Swoop is easier to recover from if a miss occurs, but is still very dangerous. If a PIT manevuer doesn't work on the fleeing vehicle, the Swoop can produce a more powerful result but increases the damage sustained to both vehicles.

The Swoop involves getting alongside the rear door of the fleeing vehicle, much like the PIT. Then, the chase vehicle should be floored, and the wheel should be cut as hard as possible towards the fleeing vehicle. The chase vehicle should impact the fleeing vehicle's rear quarterpanel with as much speed and force as possible, and as close to perpendicular as possible.

The result should be the fleeing vehicle spinning or rolling to a stop, and hopefully unable to continue on. Optimally the chase vehicle isn't totaled or seriously damaged, though suffering damage is inevitable with this maneuver.

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Ramming- It's a simple concept really; just bash the other car off the road. The goal is to force the fleeing vehicle to a stop, through disabling it, wrecking it, causing it to hit something, or causing it to spin or roll.

To orchestrate, simply floor your vehicle and aim it at the vehicle you wish to offend. Coming from behind, running into a corner of the rear bumper can cause the fleeing vehicle to fishtail and lose control. If you hit the other vehicle along it's sides, you can bump it into another object or focus on the wheels and attempt to bend an axle.

Ramming is a primitive method, but nonetheless a powerful and damaging one. It is also very intimidating and can encourage the driver of the fleeing vehicle to slip up. This can lead to them spinning or hitting something and disabling their vehicle while leaving yours mostly intact.

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The Block- The block is a method used to stop an enemy vehicle without doing serious damage to it. This move can be succesful, but it is vital that all of the factors are correct. Speed, the size of the road, the position of the vehicles, and the size of both must be correct for this to work. Even still, the enemy vehicle is undamaged and can try to flee again which is something that must be anticipated.

The Block is a very simple method at the surface. First, pull ahead of the fleeing vehicle, after co-ercing it over to one side of the road. Then, cutting in front of it, apply the brakes liberally. Your vehicle stopping, preferably on an angle, forms a block in front of the enemy vehicle.

This move isn't infalliable however. If the enemy vehicle is bigger, or just more determined, they can ram you when you try to stop. This can cause a spin or even flip your vehicle. If the enemy vehicle can stop quickly, they can simply slow and manevuer away from your vehicle, thus escaping the block. And finally, they can reverse away after stopping.