Preventing a Hi-jacking Situation

• Ensure that all your vehicle’s doors are locked and windows closed. Leave your window a little open for air.
• Get to know your environment, as well as who belongs in the vicinity of your home or workplace and take note of strangers. If you see a stranger walking around with or without uniform at odd times, be careful and rather inform your security company.
• Be aware of anything out of the ordinary
• Hijackers plan their attack most of the time. So be sure to change your route from time to time. For example in the morning, take a similar route to the evening when you come back from work.
• Ensure that your mirrors are adjusted to provide you with optimal all round view of your immediate surroundings
• Attempt to stop at least five meters behind the vehicle in front of you at an intersection with a stop sign or traffic light. This provides you with a better opportunity to escape in a crisis
• At the robot, drive slowly if red so that it will become green by the time you get to a stop preventing the need of stopping your vehicle.
• Try not to be first in line at the Robot. 90% of the time, the front car gets hi-jacked.
• Make sure if possible you stay with the other cars so that when you get to a stop, you are less likely going to get hi-jacked. 95% of all hijackings at robots occur when you are the only vehicle.
• If a stranger approaches you, push your hooter to attract as much attention as possible.
• Always be on the lookout for suspicious looking vehicles and people. Do not hesitate to report them to the police.
• Know your routes and closest way to the police station. If you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station.
• If you are suspicious of or feel unsure about any person or vehicle in high-risk areas, take appropriate action, for example ignore a red robot (provided that this is safe) and speed away from the perceived danger area.
• Relax and focus on not stalling your car when a stranger approaches.
• In some instances accidents are staged, for example where your car is bumped from behind. If you do not feel comfortable about the individuals involved in the situation, drive to the nearest police station for help
• If your electric gates are jammed, rather phone the SAPS or your security company for assistance. Criminals love to jam your gates with industrial strength cable ties to jam your gate. You get out the car, stop or lose concentration, you can kiss your car goodbye.
• Ensure that you have your ignition key ready without making it visible, when getting into your car.
• Always drive with your windows closed and doors locked
• Ensure that passengers you have dropped off are safely inside the next vehicle or premises before departing
• Avoid driving through high crime or unfamiliar areas
• Avoid driving late at night or early in the morning when possible
• Never drive alone, if possible. 48% of hijackings are directed at drivers with no passengers
• Never pick up hitchhikers
• When returning home after dark, ensure that you stop in a well-lit area or have someone meet you outside, and ensure that you were not followed
• When exiting your vehicle, be cautious and aware of surrounding obstructions, particularly shrubbery that may be concealing a possible attacker
• Never sit in your parked car without being conscious of your surroundings. When fetching your kids from school, make sure there is always security around and make sure you don’t wait much.
• Never sleep in a stationary vehicle in an unsafe or unknown area, find a police station if this is really necessary
• When approaching your driveway, be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles or people

How to respond if being Hi-jacked

• Remain calm and remember that the preservation of human life must take precedence over retaining material assets
• Never initiate any movement but rather wait for an instruction from the hijackers and co-operate; be honest! The hijacker is more likely to become violent if he suspects that you have lied to him
• Do not do anything that is going to alarm the hijackers. They are also nervous and this makes them more dangerous
• Do not motion with your hands. Rather tell them where they can find requested items
• Keep your hands clearly visible at all times
• If you have a baby in the car tell the hijackers and ask them if they can fetch the child. Do not move towards the car without their explicit directive
• Look at the faces (if possible without making it obvious), clothing, type of firearms, type of cigarettes, if they smoke, type of cellphones, vehicles they used and registration numbers, etc. and try to memorise it if possible
• If they kidnap you, co-operate with them fully
• Listen to their conversations and listen for names used
• Try to memorise the route that was taken even if you are blindfolded
• If kept hostage, try to mark the place for later identification
• Make sure you have a tracking device with a hidden panic button that is easily reached, for example around the steering wheel or by the gearstick or handbrake. As long as these panic buttons are not labeled, you should be alright. Even voice recognition panic signals are excellent.
• You can have your own personal tracking device / panic button.
• The trick is to anticipate the attack and then to act very quickly and calmly so that the criminals do not suspect you.
• Do not attempt to jump out of the car especially while moving. You will be killed either by the momentum or by the criminals.
• If somebody hi-jacks you with the car, they might be interested in your jewelry, your cell-phone clothes, ATM withdrawal or even your body. Prevention is always better than cure. If the hi-jacker is after your shopping cards such as Mr. Price, Woolworths and others, it might be fatal so that you will not be able to cancel your shopping store cards.
• Once you have been hi-jacked and if taken along for the ride, your chances of survival are approximately 70% if you follow all of the instructions given to you. If you are asked to get out of the car and not come along for the ride, doing as they say will give you about 80% chance for survival according to statistics. Not all criminals wish to have a murder charge on their hands or are willing to live with the conscience of living with themselves after murdering somebody in cold blood. However, please treat any situation as a dangerous one.

What to do after the hi-jacking

• When the criminals tell you to leave the car or whatever they tell you to do, needs to be done 100%. Do as you are told. No funny hand movements. Look away from the criminals. As little contact as possible.
• Remember your surroundings if possible from the trip.
• Stop the nearest vehicle for urgent help
• Run to the nearest phone and call the police
• Do not leave the situation alone and make sure you get a case number. You could be saving other people’s lives and / or from going through the same situation.
• Put up adverts of your stolen car with detailed pictures all over the internet forums, try get it into the local newspaper (if possible. Let all your friends know of where your car was stolen.