FOLLOWING a hijacking incident in Haven Lane, Malvern on Friday, 13 May Malvern SAPS’ Corporate Communication Officer, W/O Radhika Marimuthu tenders these hints:
How to protect yourself while parking or entering your vehicle:
– Avoid parking under trees and dark passages. Park in well lit areas.
– When returning to your parked car, be aware of the surroundings. Look into the backseat before opening the car door. As you approach the car, look for someone hiding underneath the vehicle, behind a tree or anyone acting suspiciously near you.
– At night, use a torch to shine under the car and the backseat. Avoid texting while walking. This can serve as a distraction. Always be alert when walking to your car.
– Approach your vehicle with keys in hand. Be wary of people asking for directions, handing out fliers or selling products. Trust your instincts. If someone makes you feel uneasy get in your car quickly. Lock the doors and drive away.
-Install an anti-theft device that has an ignition shut off button or have a panic button alarm system that can be activated if you sense trouble.
– Always keep the car filled to at least half a tank of petrol.
– Parking lots, especially in shopping malls and work places, are generally favourite spots for hijackers, followed residential driveways.
How to protect yourself while driving
– Be alert when driving. Constantly watch if you are being followed. Avoid texting or talking on the phone as this can distract you.
– If you are being followed drive to the nearest police station or a busy area.
– Always change your routes to home and work.
– Lock your car doors when driving and keep your windows up.
– Many carjackings occur at red lights and stop signs esp if a person is distracted.
– Avoid driving alone especially at night. Rather leave a huge stuffed animal or teddy at the back seat to look as if there’s more than one person in the vehicle.
– Do not leave valuables on the seat which can be seen from outside. Place these items in the boots especially handbags and laptops.
– When you go to a filling station, turn off your ignition and lock your car when you go to pay the attendant.
– Do not stop if you see a stranger whose car is broken down on the side of the road. Call for help via cell phone. More often than not these are ploys by criminals to get you to stop your vehicle.
What to do if carjacked
– If you are outside your car and approached by a carjacker who is not armed and demands your car, throw your keys past him as far as you can. Scream for help or activate your personal safety device to get attention. Then run from the area as fast as possible.
– If your car is equipped with an ignition cut-off switch, activate it while getting out of your vehicle. Do so only if not being closely observed by the carjacker as you will put yourself in danger.
– Also, if the car locking remote is equipped with an alarm, activate it while leaving the area.
– If you are confronted by a carjacker who is armed with a knife, gun, or other weapon or if the criminal is violently agitated, excited or angry (many carjackers are high on drugs or very nervous), give up your car keys and car and leave the scene.
– Try to remember a description of the carjacker – age, sex, race, height, weight, hair colour, clothes, etc. This can help the police when profiling the suspect.
– If there is a child in the car with you, let the carjackers know by informing him in a loud-clear voice repeating, ‘my child is in the car’. While announcing the presence of the child in the car, continue to unbuckle the child from the car seat. Remove the child to a safe area and leave as fast as possible.
– At all times try to remain calm. The suspect is more nervous than you and any resistance from you can be life threatening. Resistance by you or any fight can result in the hijacker becoming violent.
SAPS Malvern can be contacted on 031 489 9619, 489 9620 or 489 9621.
