Hijacking trends that emerged in 2024

Vehicle crimes, in particular hijacking and car theft, remain a major concern among South African motorists, with criminals seemingly refining their tactics to keep ahead of the curve.

As 2024 draws to a close, we look at some of the trending crimes of the year, in particular, hijacking trends.

The ‘tap-tap’ hijacking method re-emerged in 2024, sparking concern among motorists countrywide.

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This hijacking method is when criminals intentionally bump into a vehicle, creating an ‘accident’.

Most drivers would stop to assess the damage or exchange details, creating the perfect opportunity for a hijacking.

This trend resurfaced in urban areas particularly as congested roads are an ideal backdrop for such a crime.

Car jamming continues to pose a major problem to South African motorists, with these techniques becoming more sophisticated.

High value, luxury vehicles are mostly targeted, but what is most alarming is that advanced security features in modern cars do not appear to deter criminals as the technology they employ can bypass even the most sophisticated of alarm systems.

Kidnappings during hijackings also spiked this year, with criminals holding their victims hostage to reveal tracking devices, delay in reporting the crime, or to give the criminals time to force their victim to transfer the contents of their bank accounts to that of their attackers.

In Gauteng, off- and on-ramps of busy highways have become hijacking hotspots.

The combination of poor patrolling in these areas and motorists slowing down creates a perfect hijacking opportunity.

Notably, the time of day for hijackings to take place has changed.

Historically, hijackings were most prevalent in the evenings, but according to Naked Insurance, 54% of hijackings in 2024 occurred between 5am and midday, 47% between midday and 9pm, and 25% between 9pm and 5am.

With all this in mind, motorists are urged to remain vigilant at all times of day and in all areas, to avoid falling victim to hijacking or any other vehicular crime.

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