Hijacking hot spots and how to avoid falling victim to this crime

While some crimes in South Africa have decreased, hijacking is not one of them.

With a total of 47 600 vehicles hijacked across the country between October 2021 and September 2022, at a cost of R4.9-billion, motorcar theft has become a billion-rand industry.

This is according to the SAPS crime stats for the period under review.

To put it into perspective, the number of vehicles hijacked during this period is more than there are seats at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and almost double that of Kingsmead in Durban.

While Gauteng remains at the top of the country’s hijacking hot spot list, KZN is creeping into the fray, with Durban Central at number 9.

Protect against hijackings

There are measures every citizen can take to avoid becoming a hijacking victim.

• Always ensure you are not being followed, and be extra vigilant when leaving shopping centres or when heading home late at night
• Be sure to keep all emergency numbers to hand, including your local CPF
• Wait in the street while your electric gate is opening, don’t park in your driveway
• When parking your vehicle, take a look around you before exiting your car, making sure there are no unsavoury characters lurking
• When climbing back into your vehicle, lock the doors immediately
• Be cautious on the road – know where you’re going to avoid getting lost en route

While no one wants to live a life in fear, with hijackings and car theft a daily reality, every precaution must be taken to avoid becoming a victim.

Source: Cartrack.co.za/blog

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