Tracker's top tip to avoid being hijacked!

2010-05-03T02:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Tracker receives calls every day from concerned customers and members of the public wanting to know what they can do to reduce their chances of being hijacked. While there is sadly nothing one can do to completely guarantee one's safety, Tracker would like to share some key advice that may well prevent you from becoming a victim of this despicable crime.

The number one modus operandi for hijackers in South Africa, in terms of Tracker's experience, is when a hijacker follows a victim home or to their business premises and hijacks them in the driveway. In most cases, they will have been observing their victim for a period of days and may well have followed them from a public place such as a shopping centre or a bank. As the victim pulls up in front of their gate and either waits for it to open, or climbs out to open it by hand, they drive in behind you and 'box' you in. So Tracker's advice is as follows:

If you live or work in a relatively quiet area, try and approach your home or business when there are no cars driving behind you. This, obviously, is not always possible, but always be mindful of suspicious vehicles travelling behind you. If you feel uneasy about the vehicle in your rearview mirror, drive around the block, performing four right or four left turns. This means that you have effectively driven in a circle and if that vehicle is still behind you, you can be certain that you are being followed. In this case, proceed directly to your nearest police station and contact Tracker immediately.

When you pull up outside your house, do not drive into 'the mouth' of your driveway as you wait for your gate to open. Rather remain on the pavement - with your car still facing up or down the road. Only once your gate has been fully opened should you pull into the driveway. This way, if a suspicious vehicle drives up slowly behind you, you will see it and can simply pull off as you are not 'boxed in'.

Please take heed of this advice and feel free to share it with friends and family. It may well save you the trauma of being hijacked.

Some other tips include:

Clear away all unnecessary foliage around your front gate and keep your front yard well lit. Dogs are a good idea – normally if they’re not at the front gate it might indicate a problem. Circular security mirrors that enable you to see either side of your wall are also advised. Palisade fencing is wonderful for improved visibility.

Lock your car doors when travelling. Tracker personnel are always taken aback by the number of people who are hijacked as a result of their doors being unlocked in transit.

Let your loved ones know your travel schedule so that they can react in the event of you not arriving at your destination within a reasonable time frame.

If you live at a complex, be weary of strange people standing at the main intercom next to the front gate. Hijackers sometimes pose as visitors trying to get hold of someone inside the complex and when you pull up to the gate, they turn around and hijack you. Rather drive around the block. If the person is still there five minutes later … ask yourself why?

Beach goers and surfers should try and avoid keeping their car keys hidden under their towels while unattended as criminals are often watching for these ‘soft target’ opportunities.

Lock up early and don’t linger. When you arrive home, lock away your vehicle as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you’re ready to go to bed. You will be amazed at how brazen some vehicle criminals are.

If you have friends or family visiting your house, say your goodbyes inside your home and allow them to leave your property quickly. Hijackers love scenarios when people are standing by their cars on the pavement, with children running around. Not only are you a soft target in this case, but your attackers might – in addition to hijacking you - decide to mug everyone and go back into your home as well.

Always try to maintain a gap between yourself and the car in front of you when stopping at an intersection. This affords you a critical escape route in an emergency situation.

Never allow yourself to be distracted at either the driver’s window or a passenger window – this is a classic hijacking tactic. And remember, women are hijackers as well. Tracker has encountered several incidents of female hijackers over the past two years. Hijackers are known to use women as a distraction tactic.

Well that's it for now, please feel free to share your experiences below should you have been the unfortunate victim of a hijacking. Where we can, we will try to offer advice on what you can do to reduce the chances of it happening again.

Stay vigilant everyone!

Regards,
Tim from Tracker.

Tracker Network

Tracker's top tip to avoid being hijacked!