Bronkhorstspruit Police provide tips on how to protect yourself when hitchhiking

The Bronkhorstspruit Police received several complaints of rape or sexual assaults, some involving women who accepted lifts from strangers.

“We therefore warn the public not to accept a lift from a stranger and to refrain from hitchhiking,” said Const Catherine Ramovha, media spokesperson for the Bronkhorstspruit Police in a media statement released on May 26.

In some instances, however, it is inevitable for some to hitchhike and for that reason the police provided some tips that could save a person’s life:

Trust your instincts and refuse a hike if you feel uncomfortable;

Use reflectors/ bright clothing and be visible especially at night;

Refuse rides from drivers who are intoxicated;

Avoid hitchhiking at night;

Offer to pay for your trip even if it is a small amount of money. You can therefore avoid a ‘lift’ in exchange for ‘other favours’;

Do not hitchhike while you are drunk or under the influence of drugs;

Make a call to your friend about the details of the car you are travelling in or just send an SMS or WhatsApp;

Do not accept a ride in a car full of strangers;

Women should avoid a lift in cars with multiple men inside;

Find a best waiting spot in the open or on a road that is heading in the right direction;

Always ask where the car is headed first rather than offering up a destination;

It is better for women to hitchhike in pairs.

These warning tips on hitchhiking directly follows an incident in which a woman was allegedly sexually harassed after she was picked up by a motorist in Bronkhorstspruit. (Streeknuus, June 3).

The incident happened on Tuesday, May 19. The said woman was walking to work in Lanham Street in Bronkhorstspruit when she was convinced to get into a car with a stranger.

He apparently sexually harassed her, but she was able to escape from the vehicle and reported the incident to the police.