10 safety precautions to prevent smash and grab incidents
Whether you're in a moving or stationary vehicle, bear the following safety precautions in mind.
A trip to the supermarket can quickly take a turn for the worse when unsuspecting drivers’ are caught off guard by snatch and grab ‘specialists’. The cunning crooks require only a few seconds to strip you of your possessions and before you know it- they’re gone like the wind.
Whether you’re in a moving or stationary vehicle, bear the following safety precautions in mind.
1. Look the vehicles doors and close all the windows. Thieves often target vehicles in peak times when traffic is heavy and while stationary at an intersection.
2. Leaving valuable items in plain sight is only further attracting thieves to your vehicle. Remove items for the vehicle or ensure they are well hidden. Out of sight, out of mind. 
3. Don’t hesitate to report suspicious looking individuals or vehicles to the police. Be fully aware of everything surrounding you and your vehicle. 
4. Be wary of people standing at traffic lights or intersections. Perpetrators often mix with the most innocent looking people to avoid suspicion. 
5. Never open your vehicle window or door for any stranger. Perpetrators often point to the vehicles tyres or lights in an attempt to get the driver to pull over, making their task a lot easier. 
6. Thieves target parking lots. Parking in an area with a parking attendant will limit the their opportunities to break into your vehicle.
7. Do not park in poorly lit parking lots at night. Parking in a well-lit area at night allows you to survey the area before exiting and re-entering your vehicle. 
8. Never leave your children alone in a vehicle. Children innocently allow perpetrators into the vehicle, leaving the child to fend for themselves. 
9. Do not exit your vehicle to remove objects laying in the road. Chances are the object have been put there to force the driver to remove it, making them an easy target. 
10. Immediately lock the vehicle doors when you enter or exit your vehicle. Don’t give crooks the opportunity to enter your vehicle. It happens in the blink of an eye. 
