A few weeks ago I sent out a survey. Getting it out in a readable format took a couple of attempts — if you filled it out twice, thank you for your patience. The responses that came back were worth every technical headache.

Readers responded from around the world — ranging from frontline instructors to retired specialists and beyond. The experience in this group runs deep: nearly two thirds of respondents have more than sixteen years in law enforcement or driver training.

What follows is an honest account of what you told me, organized around the three themes that emerged most clearly. I have kept your words where I can. This newsletter belongs to all of us.

Who You Are

The majority of respondents identified as EVOC instructors — police or private. A smaller group came from frontline patrol and other roles. Two respondents are retired but still engaged enough to fill out a survey and keep reading. That says something.

Experience levels skew heavily toward the senior end of the field. The people in this community have seen programs built, cut, rebuilt, and ignored. They know the difference between a training culture and a training calendar.

Years of Experience — EVOC Insider Reader Survey 2026

 Theme One: Training Design and Instructor Development

What Topics Matter Most to You? — EVOC Insider Reader Survey 2026

This was the clear priority — chosen most often when readers were asked what matters to them. And when the open-ended responses came in, it was easy to see why.

The frustrations here were consistent. Outdated exercises that bear little resemblance to real conditions. Pressure to move recruits through advanced skills before the basics are solid. The difficulty of keeping training fresh and relevant when time, resources, and administrative support are all in short supply.

One response stood out:

That tension — between depth and throughput — came up repeatedly. So did this:

Several readers pushed for more scenario-based work, more real-world conditions, and more honest conversation about what closed-course training can and cannot prepare officers for. One reader made a specific request for a multi-part series on implementing driver training on public roads — covering closed-course prerequisites, liability considerations, and phased implementation. That idea is noted and it will be addressed.

On instructor development, one reader put it plainly:

Passion is not a soft word in this context. It is the difference between a program that evolves and one that runs on inertia.

 Theme Two: Leadership and Culture

Leadership ranked third in the topic selection — but in the open-ended responses, it was everywhere. The word that came up most often was not support. It was understanding.

Getting administration to understand the critical need for driver training. Getting senior executives to appreciate how specialist units contribute to organizational safety. Overcoming the culture of speed. Dealing with officers who see driver training as a waste of time.

These are not training problems. They are culture problems. And as more than one reader noted, you cannot fix culture with another workbook.

Five words. No elaboration needed.

One international response described the challenge at a systemic level — seeking support in the face of overwhelming evidence that current practices need a thorough review, and finding that evidence alone is rarely enough to move organizations. That experience is not unique to one jurisdiction. It is a pattern.

The good news, if there is any, is that readers know what good leadership looks like. They have seen it. They want more of it and they are willing to make the case for it. The newsletter will keep helping with that.

 Theme Three: Advanced Techniques and Technology

Pursuit driving, collision avoidance, and commentary driving tied for second place in topic priority — a strong signal that readers want practical, technique-level content alongside the broader conversations about leadership and culture.

Technology came in fourth, but the responses around it were pointed. New vehicle platforms are changing what instructors can see, what they can feel, and what they can teach. One reader raised the question of backing skills in newer vehicles where rear visibility has been reduced. Another questioned whether tire pressure guidance has kept pace with changes in tire profile. These are not abstract concerns — they are the kind of operational details that matter in a training bay.

One reader flagged something that will become a recurring theme in this newsletter: the GPS problem. Officers who rely on navigation technology are losing the spatial awareness that underpins good emergency driving. Knowing where things are — intersections, landmarks, shortcuts, dead ends — is not a nice-to-have. It is a safety skill. And it is eroding quietly.

 What You Want From This Newsletter

The open-ended responses on this question were generous and specific. A few themes came through clearly:

–    Real stories that prove training works — not theory, not statistics alone, but accounts of specific moments where preparation made the difference.

–    Coverage of new vehicle technology and its training implications — an area where most publications have been slow.

–    Consistency above all. Nearly 60% of respondents chose "mix it up — just be consistent" as their format preference. I took that as, Show up. Keep showing up.

Two responses I want to quote directly because they deserve to be seen:

And one more — from a reader who is retired but still engaged:

 That one meant something to me.

Three Takeaways — One for Each Pillar

What Comes Next

The survey has shaped the editorial calendar for the months ahead. Upcoming issues will go deep on commentary driving, the cognitive science behind emergency vehicle operations, real-world training implementation, and the intersection of new technology and instructor practice.

If you have a story, a technique, a challenge, or a perspective worth sharing — reach out. This newsletter is better when more voices are in it.

Thank you for responding. Thank you for reading. And thank you for the work you do every day to make the road safer for the people wearing the uniform and the public they serve.

Until next time — stay safe out there.

 Hugh

Hugh Anderson EVOC Trainer | Author of Emergency Vehicle Operation Instruction: 5 Steps to Enhancing Your EVOC Training Grab the book on Amazon