Episode 185 - Driving and Sunglasses, What it Takes to Make an Armored Car, Tom Cruise's Stolen BMW X7

Executive Protection and Secure Transportation Podcast

Preliminary numbers for the 2021 Executive Vehicle & Secure Transportation Survey

A little background if you are not familiar with the survey. The Survey is conducted every two years since 2013. Over the last eight years, the survey has covered various aspects of secure transportation. The goal of the survey is to examine trends and collect data to develop a broader perspective on the secure transportation profession. The 2021 survey is unique because it covers the span of time that the industry was dealing with the Pandemic. The final report will examine the differences in the metrics covering the eight-year time span, emphasizing the change from 2019 to 2021.

Driving and Sunglasses

Many security drivers drive in the sunrise and the sunset. Blinding glare from low sunlight or bright light reflecting off snow, puddles, other vehicles, or even your own hood can be potentially lethal. Glare is frequently cited as the cause of traffic accidents, but the right pair of sunglasses can prevent it. There is some confusion, though, about what sunglasses you should wear when driving. ISDA asked the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians for guidance.

What it Takes to Make an Armored Car

Our next topic comes from an interesting and informative article from the February issue of Motor Trend Magazine. The article titled “What it Takes to Make an Armored Car” covers the process used by armored vehicle manufacturers to produce an armored vehicle. It covers the subjects of Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, Payload, the types of armored material used, such as opaque and transparent armor. The article also covers what they call overlapping, a thin band that goes around the perimeter of the door or on the vehicle’s frame that prevents rounds from entering the vehicle within the seams of the door. And of course, they cover the cost of doing all that.

Tom Cruise’s Stolen BMW X7

Our last topic this week is one that a few EP groups were chatting about. The theft of Tom Cruise’s BMW X7. It was outside Birmingham Grand Hotel while Tom Cruise was shooting for Mission Impossible 7.

The vehicle was transportation for the actor Tom Cruise. It contained Mr. Cruise’s luggage when the vehicle was stolen. From all reports, he was not happy, and we would imagine that the transportation providers had some explaining to do.

Not knowing the actual circumstances, it’s hard to place blame, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the driver and the company supplying Mr. Cruise with his transportation.

What is of concern to Security Drivers and Secure Transportation providers is how the thieves stole the BMW.