Car Safety, Situational Awareness, and Self-Defense

Protecting Yourself and Your Family In and Around Vehicles

Introduction

For most Americans, the vehicle is one of the most common places we spend time outside the home. We drive to work, church, the grocery store, school events, vacations, and across state lines. Because of this, vehicles are also one of the most common locations where people experience criminal encounters, road-rage incidents, ambushes, or are caught unexpectedly in civil unrest.

Car safety is not just about seatbelts and airbags. It also involves situational awareness, understanding how a vehicle can be used for protection or escape, and knowing how to enter, exit, and move around your vehicle safely, both on normal days and under stress.

Situational awareness does not guarantee safety. It does not prevent every attack. What it does do is give you time, options, and opportunity, and in violent encounters, those three things matter.

Situational Awareness: Your First Line of Defense

Situational awareness means being mentally present and observant of your environment without being paranoid or distracted. It is the ability to notice what is out of place, recognize developing threats, and make decisions early, before situations escalate.

While situational awareness will not protect you from every threat, it dramatically increases your odds of identifying danger before it “pops off.”

Key principles of situational awareness around vehicles include:

• Paying attention while approaching and exiting your vehicle

• Not being buried in your phone

• Scanning parking lots, intersections, and crowds

• Noticing vehicles or people that don’t fit the environment

• Trusting intuition when something feels off

Awareness buys time. Time allows movement. Movement creates safety.

The Vehicle as Concealment vs. Cover

One of the most misunderstood aspects of vehicle defense is the difference between concealment and cover.

Concealment

Concealment hides you from view but does not reliably stop bullets.

Examples of concealment on a vehicle include:

• Car doors

• Trunk lid

• Hood

• Seats

• Glass and windows

Car doors, in particular, are often misunderstood. While modern car doors may contain metal, wiring, and structural elements, they should not be relied upon as ballistic cover. Bullets can and do penetrate doors easily.

Car doors = concealment, not cover.

Concealment can still be valuable:

• It may obscure your position

• It may cause hesitation or confusion

• It may buy seconds to move or escape

But it should never be mistaken for true protection from gunfire.

Cover

Cover both hides you and provides ballistic protection.

The most reliable areas of a vehicle that can provide cover include:

• The engine block

• The wheel hubs and axles

• The front tires and rims

The front of the vehicle, especially near the engine compartment and wheels, offers the greatest ballistic protection. The engine block is dense and can significantly slow or stop incoming rounds. The wheel and axle area also provide more protection than doors or body panels.

If gunfire is involved and movement is possible, the front of the vehicle is your best defensive position if available.

However, cover is not invincible. Bullets can deflect, fragment, and penetrate under certain conditions. Cover is about reducing risk, not eliminating it.

Firearms, Magazines, and Everyday Carry (EDC)

When people ask what firearm they should carry for concealed carry, the most honest and responsible answer is:

Carry the firearm that works for you.

What works for one person may not work for another.

Factors that affect concealed carry choices include:

• Body type

• Clothing style

• Comfort and concealability

• Hand strength and recoil control

• Training level

• Job duties and daily movement

There is no “one-size-fits-all” gun.

The same applies to:

• Magazine capacity

• Number of spare magazines

• Holster type and carry position

Your everyday carry (EDC) should be:

• Comfortable enough to carry consistently

• Reliable

• Something you have trained with

• Compatible with your lifestyle

Carrying more equipment than you can realistically use, conceal, or retain under stress is not preparation, it’s fantasy. Preparedness means practical, sustainable habits.

Entering and Exiting Your Vehicle on a Normal Day

Most vehicle-related incidents happen during routine moments: entering or exiting a car, loading groceries, buckling children, or unlocking doors.

Best practices on a normal day include:

Entering Your Vehicle

• Scan the area before unlocking

• Look inside the vehicle before opening the door

• Unlock, enter, and lock promptly

• Avoid lingering outside your vehicle

• Keep keys in hand, not buried in pockets or bags

Exiting Your Vehicle

• Pause before opening the door

• Look around, not just straight ahead

• Check between vehicles

• Be aware of people loitering or watching

• Exit with purpose and awareness

These small habits significantly reduce vulnerability without drawing attention or looking “tactical.”

Entering and Exiting Your Vehicle Under Stress or Threat

Violent situations do not announce themselves. People are often caught off guard during:

• Sudden unrest

• Unexpected riots

• Roadblocks

• Large hostile crowds

• Escalating protests that turn violent

History has shown that people can be trapped in vehicles during civil unrest with little warning.

If You Are Inside the Vehicle

Your vehicle is primarily a means of escape, not a fighting position.

If possible:

• Stay inside

• Lock doors

• Keep windows up

• Drive away from danger immediately

Do not stop to engage unless escape is impossible.

If You Must Exit the Vehicle Under Threat

If escape by driving is no longer possible:

• Exit away from the threat if possible

• Move quickly to the front of the vehicle for better cover

• Use the engine block and wheels for protection

• Keep the vehicle between you and the threat when moving

• Focus on creating distance and escape routes

Your goal is not to win a gunfight. Your goal is to break contact, protect your family, and get out of harm’s way.

Movement, Not Static Defense

Standing still behind concealment is dangerous. Vehicles are transitional tools.

Remember – Movement = Life think of it this way “Movement is Life”

Movement principles include:

• Don’t stay pinned behind doors

• Use angles and distance

• Move when the threat pauses or shifts

• Prioritize escape paths over engagement

If family members are present:

• Give clear, simple commands

• Move together if possible

• Do not abandon dependents to “clear the area”

Traveling Beyond Montana: Awareness Outside Familiar Environments

While Montana may not see frequent large-scale riots, travel changes the equation.

When visiting:

• Other states

• Major cities

• Large public events

• Other countries

You must adjust your awareness.

What is normal in one area may be a warning sign in another. Cultural norms, crowd behavior, and police response vary widely.

Preparation does not mean paranoia. It means:

• Understanding local laws

• Knowing where you are going

• Watching crowd dynamics

• Avoiding known high-risk areas when possible

• Having contingency plans

Preparedness Without Tactical Fantasy

Preparedness does not mean:

• Wearing a plate carrier everywhere

• Carrying a rifle in public

• Turning daily life into a combat mindset

Preparedness means:

• Awareness

• Simple, effective habits

• Realistic tools you will actually carry

• Training appropriate to your lifestyle

Your EDC should support your life, not dominate it.

Conclusion

Situational awareness, vehicle knowledge, and realistic self-defense preparation are about protecting life, not seeking conflict.

Your vehicle can be a place of vulnerability, but it can also be a tool for escape and protection when used correctly. Understanding the difference between concealment and cover, choosing an EDC that works for you, and developing sound habits for entering, exiting, and moving around your vehicle can dramatically improve your chances in dangerous situations.

Situational awareness will not stop every threat. But it gives you something invaluable:

A chance.

And sometimes, a chance is all you need to get yourself and your family home safely.

Remember when seconds count and help is minutes away, you are your own first responder.

Stay safe my friends.

Pastor Bart Goldbar
Sensei | Instructor
Goldbar Defense LLC