The most dangerous part of driving is opening the gate

It seems that the most dangerous place a motorist can stop is right in front of their own house; this follows after a second citizen of eMalahleni was hijacked whilst trying to gain access to their driveway.

While many of us are distracted by holiday traffic and the general buzz during our day-to-day commuting, it’s a fact that criminals are more likely to target those who look as though they’re distracted or not paying attention to their surroundings.

On November 14, a 24-year-old man pulled up in front of his driveway’s gate in Tasbet Park.

He pulled up his handbrake and exited the car to open his driveway’s gate manually.

“While I was busy putting the key into the driveway gate’s lock, I suddenly heard two voices behind me demanding that I get back into the vehicle. I turned around and was met by two strange men, both holding pistols pointed at me. I did everything they said and got into the backseat of my own car. They forced me to lie down on the backseat and drove around with me for a while,” the man explained, clearly rattled by the turn of events, “after a while, they dropped me off near one of the power stations. I tried to hike home for a while, but luckily I was picked up by a good Samaritan and taken to the police station.”

The two hijackers made off with the young man’s Volkswagen Polo, and had not been caught at the time of publication.

Citizens of eMalahleni are urged to remain vigilant when pulling up to their own driveways, avoiding having to operate a manual gate as far as possible.

Hijackers need you to be stationary which is why you should never pull into your driveway until the gate is open.

Instead, wait in the road parallel to your driveway, ready to go at any moment, while the gate opens.

Once the gate has opened, and you have driven into your driveway, remember to stop your vehicle just on the inside of the gate and select reverse while waiting for the gate to close.

This creates confusion and may buy you a few seconds for the gate to close completely behind you.

Of course, it’s not always possible to avoid opening a manual gate.

Should you find yourself in the position where you have to operate a manual gate to gain access to your property, make sure nobody suspicious is around and that the road is clear.

Stop right in front of your gate.

You should not switch off the vehicle – instead leave the key in the ignition, get out and close the door (not creating temptation), then open the gate. Drive in and close the gate immediately behind you.

If you have small children in the vehicle and have to open a gate manually, take the car’s key with you.

You need the key as a ‘negotiating tool’ because the perpetrators want your vehicle and you want your children.

If your children are older, it is advised that they exit the vehicle with you when opening the gate so that you are all separated from the vehicle should an attack occur.