Vehicle hijacking happens quite often in South Africa, therefore, to be alert with the surrounding environment is the best way to avoid being the next victim. Alike the other criminals, the hijacker always attacks those who are careless about their surrounding environment.

The basic character of this type of crime is the hijacker would demand the victim to hand over the car key and disarm the vehicle's alarm system at the possible place. The hijacker would hurt or even kill the victim, in order to reach his/ her intention on hijack the victim's vehicle away. The hijacker seldom works alone, they usually are the organized group of criminals, whom obtain various technology skills of vehicle renew. The hijackers treat this type of crime as their ordinary job; therefore, they seldom stand in the shoes of the driver.

 

1. Pay attention and be alert

Normally it's hard for one to acknowledge or get notice of a hijacker who is hiding around your vehicle, at the corner of the street, at the parking lot or even on the pedestrian way. However, if one could be alert, the hijackers usually obtain the following characteristics:

1) According to SAPS's indications, hijackers normally are males around twenty years old. However, sometimes one could also found female hijackers, because an ordinary person would feel women are powerless in stereotypes.

2) Normally, hijackers are tidiness, they would wear jackets or sport wears to hide their weapons.

3) Hijackers usually drive a powerful vehicle with dark color window to the crime scene. Before the incident, usually the hijackers would drive around and get familiar with the crime scene (sometimes it would take few days), and sometimes they would park their vehicle just next to the garage or at the side of the road.

 

2. Prevention

If one could find a vehicle always drive behind your vehicle, or staying around your living place. First, remember the brand, model type, color and the car registration number of the suspicious vehicle; then, report to the nearest police station. It can effectively prevent being the next victim of such crime.

 

3. High risk area

1) The Central Business District and its surrounding area.

2) Streets of the residential areas.

3) Street corners and Robots.

4) Parking lots that without security guards.

 

4. Basic Knowledge

We could be the possible victims whenever we approach our vehicles, therefore, besides the ordinary safety knowledge, one should also maintain an appropriate driving behavior.

I. We should:

1. Always lock all doors when one was driving.

2. All windows must be closed, or just left a gap that could not allow anyone to put a hand in the vehicle.

3. When driving, always maintain a gap with the car ahead; make sure you can see the back tires of the vehicle ahead.

4. If the following vehicle hit your vehicle, only leave the vehicle if you know there is no sign of hijacking.

5. If you consider that you are in a dangerous situation, please hod, flash the front light or even scream to make the other vehicles or pedestrians' attentions.

6. Be alert to those who are approaching to your vehicles and those who are wondering at the street corners, at the traffic light and at the parking lot.

7. Always be alert of your surrounding environment. If the hijackers were in a group of more than one car, they would try to play tricks and let you stop your vehicle. If you get suspects of the vehicles around, you must leave them as soon as possible.

8. If you alert that someone is following you, it would be the best for you to drive to the nearest police station. If not possible, then drive to some safety area, and should not go home.

9. Especially at night or at the quiet place, if there are suspicious people trying to approach you, please leave as soon as possible and drive carefully. Although drove pass the red traffic light is against the traffic rules, however, it is also a way to protect your own safety.

10. When drive passes the traffic block of accident or the speed check, first lock all the doors and close all the windows. Without open the window; ask the police or traffic policemen for their personal pass.

11. Always sleep at the safe place when one have a long distance drive, it is not safe to park and sleep at the side of the road or at the parking lot.

12. Always report to the police about the suspicious vehicles or people, and describe such suspicious vehicle and the inside passengers.

II. We should not:

1. Unless one could define a real car accident did happen, otherwise, never stop at the car accident scene. If you witness a car accident, it would be wise to drive to the nearest police station and report the accident. Because the accident scene could be a trap, which was set up by the hijackers. Sometimes, they would even lie on the side of the road. Slow down the speed at this moment would probably make you the victim.

2. If you suspect someone is following you, never drive back to the garage or parking lot at your house.

3. If someone on the street indicates that your car has any problem, or your tiers are broken, never stop immediately. It would be better to drive to any car-fixing garage or stop at a safe area to check the problem. Always bring along the tires fixing instruments in your vehicle.

4. Never tell the strangers where are you going and what you are going to do.

5. Never let the strangers to hitchhike.

6. At the front or at the garage of your house, never open the car doors and switch on your car engine, because crimes always happen quicker then what you can expect.

7. Never let the hawkers and the brochure distributors to disturb your attention at the side of the road. Never try to buy flowers and newspapers from the unknown hawkers on the street.

 

5. When crime happened

1) No matter which type of criminal one is involved, either the criminals or the victims would only grave to be alive at the dangerous moment.

2) Hijacking is always well planned, and the hijackers are always experienced. Therefore, they always handle the hijacking incident better then you do.

3) A hijacking incident happens only in few seconds, but it could be one of the most terrify incident one could experience in his/ her life. Always stay in calm; follow the instruction from the hijackers, in order to protect your life.

4) Always consider the safety of you and the other passengers first, Refuse the hijackers' instruction would be endanger your life. Bear in mind: You can always earn more wealth, but you can never earn back your life.

5) The hijackers could be as terrify as you do, and alcohol or drugs could influence their mind. In such situation, their behavior would also be unpredictable.

6) Always stay in calm; never do something out of the hijackers' expectation. Never scream or waving your hands.

7) Never look straight at the hijackers' eyes.

8) Always put your hands in the position that hijackers could see, it would be the best to put your hands in front of your chest, and let the hijackers believe that you do not have weapons on hand. Do not put your hands over your head, because it would let the hijackers misunderstand that you are trying to attract other people's attention.

9) If the hijackers tell you to leave the vehicle, it would be the best to let them open the car doors. Otherwise, put one hand at the position that the hijackers could see, and use the other hand to open the door slowly. Always use the hand, which is far from the sit belt to unfasten the sit belt (Use your right hand to unfasten the sit belt buckle at your left-hand side).

10) Leave the vehicle slowly; let the hijackers feel that you will not intimidate them.

11) Listen to the hijackers carefully, and only follow their instruction.

12) Stay in calm and let the hijackers believe that they could drive your vehicle away.

13) If the hijackers demand your other personal belongings (such as: belt, handbags, or cell phone…etc). Let the hijackers take by themselves; never take it by yourself, unless the hijackers order you to do so.

14) Always answer the hijackers' questions truly. If they ask if you have any weapons, tell them where are the weapons. The hijackers might hurt you, if they found out you are lying to them. Tell the hijackers how to disarm the vehicle alarm system, or disarm by yourself, if they instruct you to do so.

15) Remember how many hijackers, what did they wear, their age, looking and their special characteristics. However, do not stare at the hijackers and don't let them recognize that you are observing them. The hijackers might hurt you, if they found out you are observing them.

16) Hijackers might not recognize there are any children at the back seat. In such case, please point it out to the hijackers and tell them the children would not cause any harm to them. Without their instruction, do not try to approach to the children. If there is any pet at the back seat, also do the same things; but do not put yourself in dangerous because of an animal.

17) If the hijackers order you to bend over on the floor, always face the floor, and do not observe the hijackers. Only look for help after the hijackers have left the scene. The hijackers might drive your vehicle away, or might instruct you to carry on driving. If the hijackers tell you to carry on driving, maintain silent and only answer their question, or repeat their instruction. Never do something out of the hijackers' expectation.

18) After the hijackers have release you, only look for help when you could make sure that you are out of their sight.

 

6. After the incident

1) Report to the police as soon as possible, after the hijackers have left the scene. There is a high possibility that the police could arrest the hijacker when the hijackers are still driving your vehicle.

2) After the hijacking incidence, the psychological trauma would happen to the victim sooner or later. When such syndrome happens, do not try to heal it by yourselves, it would be the best for the specialist to heal your psychological wound.