Johannesburg - The scourge of car hijackings in South Africa continues to rise at a worrying rate, with the official SAPS crime stats for the last quarter of 2021 showing a 13.8% increase year-on-year.
Equally worrying is that carjacking has overtaken conventional car theft as the predominant vehicle crime, according to figures released by vehicle tracking specialist Tracker on Monday.
These stats show that carjacking accounted for 57.5% of all automotive crimes recorded by the tracking company, which has an installed vehicle base of over 1.1 million. This represents a complete turnaround in just over three years, given that conventional thefts accounted for 57.2% of vehicle crimes in the second half of 2018.
The company also released data on times and days when carjackings are most likely to occur. According to Tracker, a vehicle is most likely to be hijacked on a Thursday, followed by Tuesday, and there’s also a higher incidence of these crimes between 4pm and 8pm. That said, the percentage difference to other days remains marginal, which means that drivers need to remain vigilant at all times.
As you might expect, Gauteng remains the hijacking capital of South Africa, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. However, the latter has the highest hijacking-to-theft ratio of 78/22%, whereas Gauteng has a 55/45% split and KZN stands at 53/47%.
According to Tracker the increasing slant towards hijacking is probably an opportunistic tactic, as there’s been a noticeable increase in vehicles being targeted for their contents, especially fast-moving consumable goods. Those carrying large amounts of cash are also being targeted.
HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM
It is important to remember your life is worth more than your vehicle. Also get familiar with the following tips, supplied by the National Hijacking Prevention Academy and Dialdirect.
Make sure you’re not being followed
If you suspect you are being followed, make a couple of false turns. If someone is still following you, drive to the nearest police station.
Some basic housekeeping rules
These include knowing your neighbours and what cars they drive, keeping your driveway free of places where perpetrators can hide and ensure the area is well-lit. Also be sure to lock your doors when you’re driving.
How to safely enter your property
If your gate is automatic, stop in the road parallel to the gate, if possible, to give yourself an escape route. Once the gate is fully open, turn in and stop on the other side of the gate and wait for it to close. You want to avoid being followed into your property, as a hijacking could turn into a house robbery.
If you don’t have an automatic gate, you need to check it’s safe before exiting your vehicle and Dialdirect advises leaving the key in the ignition, but with the car door closed, so that a perpetrator doesn’t have to approach you in order to take the vehicle.
Plan your route
Plan your route carefully to avoid driving at unsafe times, through unsafe areas, or coming to a stop / driving slower, and thus becoming an easier target. Alternate your habits and routes to avoid being a predictable target.
Be smart with how you stop
Motorists are advised to approach red traffic lights slowly so that a complete stop might be avoided. When stopping behind a vehicle at a traffic light or stop sign, make sure you can see its rear tyres touch the road surface. This will make it more difficult to be boxed in.
What if you get bumped from behind?
If your vehicle is bumped lightly from behind, don’t pull over immediately. If the bump wasn’t hard enough to have damaged the vehicle, and you feel that there might be a threat, indicate to the vehicle behind you to follow you to a place of safety such as a petrol station or police station.
Watch out for bogus police
If you’re followed by a vehicle with a blue light it’s best to reduce your speed, switch on emergency lights and indicate that they must follow you to a safe place such as a police station (your intentions must be very clear and understandable). Do not, under any circumstances, drive home.
If you are confronted by a hijacker:
- Put your hands up immediately to show that you’ve surrendered.
- Don’t speak too fast and do not make sudden movements.
- Do not lose your temper, threaten or challenge the hijacker and to exactly as you’re told.
- Don’t resist, especially if the hijacker is armed. Surrender your vehicle and move away.
- Be sure not to reach for your purse or valuables. Leave everything in the vehicle.
- Don’t make eye contact with the hijacker. They may perceive this behaviour as a threat.
How to exit the vehicle
Use your left hand to unlock the door and use the same hand to undo the seatbelt and put the car out of gear. With an automatic vehicle, just pull up the handbrake. When getting out of your vehicle, turn your body sideways, lift your shoulders and use your hands and arms to cover the head / neck area. Move away from the vehicle immediately. Keep your hands still and visible to the hijacker, to give them assurance of your passive consent.
What if your child is in the vehicle?
If you have a child in the vehicle, you may want to reach through between the seats to retrieve the child, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you may exit the vehicle and open the door behind you immediately. Step into the vehicle with your right leg and foot and lean across to retrieve your child.