Running From Danger – Straight Line or Not?

Running From Danger – Which is more effective? Straight Line or Zig Zag?

“Serpentine! Serpentine!” is a line from a movie made in the 70s called “The In-Laws” where two men are trying to escape men shooting guns at them. The resulting scene is one that has been referred to many times in cinema since then. The concept is simple: run in an erratic pattern and you make a harder target to hit. But does this really work? At Survival Life they study whether or not travelling in a straight line or a zig zag pattern is more effective when running from danger. The results are interesting. A test was run by a Firearms Training expert from the Ohio Police department. He had people run in three different ways whilst being shot at with paint balls fired from a Glock 17 pistol. One group was told to run in a straight line, another was told to run in a crouching position and the last group was to run in a zig zag pattern. The shooter started out with his back turned while the runner had to run a 30 yard distance to shelter and avoid getting shot. The results of the test were that running in a zig zag pattern was only slightly more effective (between 2-9 percent). So although many prey in the wild adopt the pattern of running erratically to escape, perhaps the advent of modern weapons have made it less effective. Here are some things to remember when trying to escape without getting shot: •Speed is key. The faster you can get out of range or behind cover the safer you’ll be. Running in a zig-zag pattern can take longer to get away. •Zig-zagging should not be the default plan for everyone. •Running in a zig-zag pattern tends to make hits less serious. •Zig-zag running may not be recommended for people with weak knees or ankles or people carrying a lot of extra weight – either from extreme obesity or heavy packs and armor. •Don’t run in a crouched position either straight or in a zig-zag pattern while in the open. Only crouch when you are staying low behind cover. •For those that can’t run fast the zig-zag is likely the best option. So, if you are quick, running in a straight line might be your best option. If you aren’t the fastest kid on the block, maybe you should zig zag. What about you? How would you escape from danger? If it were me, I think an armoured car would be the best option. What about you? To see the shooting test in more detail, click here: http://www.survivallife.com/2013/12/27/is-running-in-a-zig-zag-pattern-actually-effective/ Are you liking, following & pinning? Connect with our pages, boards & feeds.

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