Vigilance pays off when you’re on the road

The last thing on your mind while driving your new ‘baby’ off the showroom floor is that you could have a gun in your face and be robbed of it in an instant.

Why? Firstly, because hijacking remains rife in SA and, secondly, you may not realise your new car is a favourite among hijacking syndicates and highly sought after in the black market.

Charnel Hattingh, Fidelity Services Group head of marketing and communications, says the ordinary motorist has a torrid time dodging potholes and hijackers. Fleet companies have an even bigger challenge with vehicle security and anti-theft systems.

“Hijackers are brazen. However, we all have a role to play in avoiding falling victim. Your car theft prevention systems are a backup to your vigilance.

“Victims of crime often say, ‘they came out of nowhere’. No, they didn’t. They were in that blue car you drove past as you pulled into your driveway, or the guy with the gun was sitting on the sidewalk and you barely noticed him,” she says.

“Vigilance is our best defence when driving, parking and leaving and arriving home. This means be aware of your surroundings, turn the radio down, cut any call you may be on and focus on the immediate environment.”

Hattingh says explains the six things that make you vulnerable to hijackers or vehicle theft:

1. Being unobservant and pre-occupied when pulling into your street and driveway. Is there a strange car or person nearby? Are you too busy talking on your cellphone to notice?

2. Boxing yourself in by pulling up right to the gate and waiting for it to open. You have nowhere to go if another car blocks you from behind.

3. Not noticing you are being followed. This could be from the bank, from an appointment, or from the office. The best way to determine if you are being followed is to take a few turns and see if the car follows. If you need to, go to the nearest police station or petrol station and call for help.

4. Following the same routine day in and day out. Hijackers rely on your routine to execute their plans. If you do things to the minute every day, they will know exactly when you are at your most vulnerable.

5. Not checking your car is locked before walking away. Remote jamming is rife and it can happen to you anywhere. Always check your doors before walking away and look around for suspicious people sitting in a car nearby.

6. Not having any vehicle protection devices fitted. Hattingh says avoiding falling victim to hijacking is not about the car you drive. It is about being alert and aware of your surroundings.

“Importantly, know how to respond if you are hijacked and specifically if you have children in the car. The main thing is to remain calm and let them take the vehicle,” Hattingh concludes.

“You can replace your car. You cannot replace a life.”