By Steven Symes 
Much is expected of US Secret Service special agents, like the ability to drive a variety of vehicles, including one with a stick shift. Thanks to General Motors, instructors at the James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC) located in Maryland will be able to teach that and more.
Study warns giving your kid your old car could be deadly.
GM delivered three trucks full of new vehicles to the RTC, allowing special agents to better understand how the latest in car technology works. But they’ll also be learning what some consider a relic in the past, thanks to a Cadillac CT4 and CT5 in the mix, both outfitted with manual transmissions.
“Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift,” RTC driving instructor Mark Armstrong said. “Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.”
As instructors point out, manual transmissions aren’t in Secret Service patrol cars, but one never knows what might happen on assignment, especially in other parts of the world. Plus, we think being able to handle a stick shift is a great skill to have.
Also included in the drop of new vehicles are two C8 Corvettes, a Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Colorado, Chevy Tahoe outfitted with the police package, and a Chevy Suburban. There’s also a Cadillac CT4 and a CT5 with an automatic, balancing out the two stick shift cars.
Instructors at the RTC are using these new rides not only to teach special agents, but also to test out the onboard technologies to see how they might help with field operations. After all, with the world continuing to change, including more cars being outfitted with driver assistance technologies, law enforcement agencies have to keep abreast.
Most special agents will be driving SUVs, especially those made by GM like the Escalade, Tahoe, and Suburban, when they’re on assignment. After all, there aren’t many police sedans on the market anymore, in part because the utility of SUVs has become heavily favored by law enforcement, including the Secret Service.
Still, learning to drive sedans, pickup trucks, and even sports cars can be useful for special agents.
“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.”
Images via United States Secret Service