Hijackers block road with rocks

While authorities warned motorists to watch out for dangerous items on roads again this week, one such incident occurred in our area.

A motorist (47), driving past the turn-off to Deelkraal at approximately 04:00 on 16 November, had to stop when he saw several rocks in the road. Suddenly, three men wearing balaclavas stormed up to his car. When the owner tried to get away, they smashed the windshield with a metal rod.

The hijackers, who spoke Sotho, then pulled him from his car. They hit him over the head and left him injured in the road before speeding off with his Toyota Corolla.

The owner later got help to get to Carletonville Hospital and reported the case to the police.

By printing time, his car was still missing.

Meanwhile, Arrive Alive warned motorists to be on the lookout for spikes or other items on the roads again this week.

They offered tips on how to stay safe from this peril.

One is to ensure you are off a highway before traffic decreases considerably. Avoid driving over anything on the road, as even plastic bags may conceal spikes.

If you are driving behind another vehicle, keep six or more seconds behind them so you can watch their driving to see whether there are problems on the road. If possible, drive in the middle of two lanes because this could help you miss spikes or other obstacles on the sides of the road.

Once you are safely past an obstacle, contact authorities to prevent other drivers from becoming victims.

Change lanes just before you pass under a bridge. If you spot an obstacle before you reach it, move into the emergency lane or grass if the road allows.

If you hit a spike, reduce your speed to approximately 40 km/h and continue driving to the nearest place of safety.