How to Avoid Getting Stuck in a Protest While Driving
Plan around it, stay flexible, and know what to do if the road closes in
By Larry Betz | Prepared Not Paranoid https://www.preparednotparanoid.com/
Whether you agree with the cause or not, protests can turn unpredictable fast. When your family is in the car, your first job is getting them home safe.
The scenario: You're driving through a major city with your family. There's a scheduled protest downtown. Traffic slows, then stops. People start filling the street around your car.
What could you have done differently? And what do you do now?
First, Let's Talk About "This Is Why I Carry"
Every time a protest makes the news, I see the same comment online: "This is why I carry."
I'm a firearms instructor, and I want to address that line right away. My goal as an instructor is to teach people how to never have to use their firearm. So let's slow down and think this through.
1. You just told the world you're armed. If you post that online, you've announced that you carry and that you might be willing to shoot someone over a protest. Peaceful assembly is a constitutionally protected activity. That post will be used against you later, legally and socially.
2. Have you trained to shoot in or around a vehicle? Most people haven't. Bullets do strange things when they go through glass, especially a windshield. Rounds deflect. Glass fragments fly. People in the next car or on the sidewalk are in the path. You are responsible for every round you fire, and a judge is attached to every round that leaves your gun.
3. Can you clearly explain why you believed your life or your family's lives were in immediate danger? Not "I was scared." Not "they were blocking the road." A judge and jury will ask whether a reasonable person in your seat would have believed deadly force was necessary. Being stuck, delayed, or yelled at is not that. If you can't explain it, you've opened the door to serious legal consequences.
4. The law depends on where you're standing. Some states have no duty to retreat. Others, like New York, require you to retreat before using deadly force if you know you can do so with complete safety. Look up the Daniel Penny case. He was acquitted in December 2024, but only after a year and a half of charges, a trial, and his name in every headline in the country. Even when you're found not guilty, the process itself is the punishment.
Driving your car into a crowd is deadly force too. Your vehicle is a two-ton weapon, and the law will treat it that way.
Bottom line: avoidance is always the best strategy. If you can plan ahead, reroute, or delay your trip, do it.
Smart, prepared people don't seek confrontation. They avoid it.
Before You Leave: Use OSINT to Plan Your Drive
OSINT stands for Open Source Intelligence. It just means using free, public information to see what's happening before you get there. A few minutes of checking can keep you out of the whole mess.
Check local news and social media for protests, marches, or road closures:
X (Twitter): Search your city name plus "protest" or "march."
Citizen app or Nextdoor: Good for hyperlocal activity and road updates (Citizen is available in many larger U.S. cities).
Reddit: Your city's subreddit (r/yourcity) often shares protest info in real time.
Local TV station apps: Most push alerts for major road closures.
Use real-time traffic apps. Google Maps and Waze show slowdowns, police activity, and blocked routes. Turn on notifications for traffic incidents and hazards before you pull out of the driveway.
Route Planning: Distance Is Your Best Friend
Know the hotspots. Government buildings, courthouses, city hall, universities, and large parks are the most common protest locations. Plan your route around them.
Have 2-3 alternate routes before you leave, including a way out of the area if your main route closes.
Download offline maps. Large crowds can overload cell towers, and your signal can drop right when you need it.
Keep your distance. Stay far enough from large groups that you can still reverse, turn around, or take a side street.
While Driving: Stay Aware, Stay Flexible
Watch the foot traffic. If you see large groups forming, people carrying signs, or people in masks gathering near the road, turn around early. Don't wait to see what happens.
Watch the drivers ahead of you. If cars ahead are making U-turns or pulling off, they may be seeing something you can't yet.
Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. Don't push through crowds or blocked streets.
Don't engage. Never honk, argue, gesture, or challenge protesters. That's how a delay turns into a confrontation.
Ask Yourself
If this street closes in front of me right now, where do I go?
Do I have room to turn around, or am I boxed in?
Is this trip worth it today, or can it wait an hour?
What to Keep in the Car (Just in Case)
Charged phone and a car charger
A printed map of the area as backup
Water and snacks, especially with kids in the car
Gas tank at least half full. Sitting in a jam with the A/C or heat running burns fuel fast.
A dash cam. It records what happened in case of legal issues or false claims.
Basic first aid kit
Comfortable shoes in case you have to leave the car on foot
Tools I recommend: You'll find the dash cams, car chargers, first aid kits, and car emergency gear I recommend in my Amazon store. [AMAZON STORE LINK]
What to Do If You're Already Stuck
If you planned well, you'll probably never need this section. But if the crowd is already around you:
Lock your doors and stay calm. Panic spreads to your kids, and it makes for bad decisions.
Roll your windows up. Don't argue or shout through the glass.
Stay in the car unless the car itself becomes the danger (fire, for example). Your car is your best protection.
Look for an exit: side streets, alleys, parking lots, or a gap opening up behind you.
If you have to move, go slowly and steadily toward the opening, never into people.
Call 911 if you feel you're in danger, not just delayed. Give your exact location, cross streets, and what you see.
Keep the dash cam running and let it do its job.
What to Say to Your Kids
Kids read your face before they hear your words. Give them something calm and simple:
"We're okay. The road is busy, so we're going to wait in the car with the doors locked. I need you to stay buckled and quiet so I can focus on getting us out."
Remember
The best way to protect your family is to not be there when things go sideways. A few minutes of OSINT and planning can keep you far from protests, flash mobs, and road blockades. Space, time, and situational awareness are your best tools, especially with the people you love in the car.
Go Deeper
Everything in this post comes back to awareness: reading your environment, spotting what's changing, and making calm decisions before you're under pressure. That's the foundation of my book Situational Awareness and Safe Family Travel Strategies. It covers route planning, hotel and airport safety, crowds, and keeping your family safe on the road. [Get the book here: LINK]
Free download: Get my free Travel Safety checklist bundle, including the Rental Car Checklist, so you're ready before your next trip. [CTA: Comment or DM "[KEYWORD]" / or download it here: LINK]
Related reading:
Mobile Command Center: Setting Up Your Vehicle for Emergencies [LINK]
Go Bag / Bug-Out Bag: What to Pack and Why [LINK]
Situational Awareness and Movement series, Part 1: What the Research Shows [LINK]
Red Cell Your Family series, Part 1: Think Like the Threat [LINK]
Sources
New York Penal Law § 35.15: Justification; Use of Physical Force in Defense of a Person
Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-405: Justification; Use of Deadly Physical Force
Daniel Penny Acquitted in NYC Subway Chokehold Case, Boston Globe, December 9, 2024
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for professional firearms training or a consultation with an attorney. Self-defense and use-of-force laws vary by state and change over time. Learn the laws where you live and where you travel.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Awareness gives you time. Time gives you options.
The prepared protector is someone who's decided that loving someone means being ready for them, not just hoping things go fine.
Prepared Not Paranoid. Protecting the Most Vulnerable Among Us.
