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Idaho State Police recruits undergo driver training

Posted at 10:40 PM, Oct 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-21 00:40:12-04

Remember when you first got behind the wheel and your parents were teaching you how to drive and they told you don't speed or don't hit that car? At Idaho State Police driver training, recruits are taught to throw that out the window. 

"The recruits are learning the high-speed driving, backing, and we've done some PIT which is pursuit intervention technique, basically learning how to spin a car," explained Sgt. Gordon Dye with Idaho State Police.

According to ISP, some of the officers will spend in the range of 50-60 hours a week in their cars driving.  

"We need them to be able to do it safely. We need them to be able to handle a car in all different types of weather, all different types of circumstances, sometimes driving at high speeds, sometimes just driving on icy roads," said Sgt. Dye. 

ISP sets up a course and teaches driving in all sorts of conditions. 

"Our trainers are amazing out here. They ride with us. They make sure we know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it," said ISP recruit Andrew Towely.

They don't just do it in the daytime. They also run the track at night which presents its own unique set of challenges for drivers.

"Your emergency lights bounce off a lot of things, a lot of speed signs, yield signs, just cars in general, so you've gotta be more aware," said Towely.

But once they get used to driving fast and can run the course without knock over the cones and successfully PIT a car without hesitation, "then they've got a grin from ear to ear and all you can see is teeth and eyeballs," said Dye.

While driving fast and pitting cars is always fun on the track, its because it's in a very controlled environment. 

"Once you get off this environment it's not so much fun anymore," said Dye.