Motorists are being urged to remain vigilant when travelling along the N4 between Pretoria and eMalahleni after alarming spiking incidents were reported recently

On the evening of January 23, several cars were targeted at various points along the N4.

One of the incidents that left motorists on edge occurred just under the Solomon Mahlangu bridge on the N4.

According to Andries Sindane, of a towing company in Pretoria, two people travelling together were trapped by stones thrown into the middle of the road.

“They hit the stones, stopped immediately after that, and got out of the car. As they were standing there, they noticed two people coming towards them and swearing at them,” said Sindane.

“For their safety, the victims decided to run away, but it was unfortunate for the driver who fell and he was robbed of his cellphone,” Sindane added.

Reports further indicated that another motorist who was travelling with a van was also targeted and robbed just before the two victims were running towards.

Community safety groups have renewed warnings about criminal groups targeting vehicles with road spikes in this corridor.

Drivers are advised not to stop immediately if their vehicle is spiked, but instead continue driving slowly to the nearest safe, well-lit area or police station.

“If you can’t drive any further, get out of the car, take some of your valuable items, lock the car, and go and hide by lying flat somewhere possible with no torch. It can be on the opposite roadside by the bushes,” said Schalk Vermaak from a community safety group.

Motorists should remain alert at night, avoid pulling over on isolated stretches of the highway, and report suspicious activity or spiked objects on the road to the police immediately.

Local community policing forums have encouraged motorists to share information about incidents to help authorities track patterns and respond quickly.

Residents in Pretoria, Middelburg, and eMalahleni are particularly urged to exercise caution when using the N4 at night.

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