Hijack 101
One of the reasons hijacking is so prevalent is that 'it's easier to hijack a vehicle with the keys, and with alarms and immobilisers deactivated, than it is to steal a parked car,' says Dave Johnston, driver-training manager of the South African Automobile Association. 'All the hijacker needs to do is get rid of the driver and passengers.'
The statistics being what they are, if you live in South Africa, it's crucial that you learn not only the skills that may help you avoid being hijacked but also what to do if you are hijacked.
THE APPROACH
• If someone approaches your window with a gun, drive off fast, if possible, says Melinda Brussow of Arrive Alive's hijack-prevention-and-survival course. 'Or use your car hooter to attract attention.'
• If a hijacker (or hijackers – there's usually more than one) breaks your window, 'remain as calm as possible and comply with his demands,' says Johnston. Sanette Smit says, 'Usually, hijackers want the car more than anything else.' Your car is replaceable. You are not.
• If the hijackers think you are reaching for a weapon, they may panic and shoot. 'Keep your hands where they can be seen and unlock the door slowly,' says Johnston. 'Answer truthfully if they ask you about firearms, cellphones, PIN numbers and tracking devices. Tell them where your valuables are but don't try to get them yourself – let the hijackers do it.'
'Don't try to reason with hijackers,' says Captain Elliot Sinyangana of the SAPS. 'It might provoke them.' He recommends that you avoid eye contact – your attackers may think you are getting a good look so you can identify them later. Still, try, without being obvious, to make a mental note of what they look like. A detailed description will help police in their investigation. Once your door is open, your attackers will probably take your seat belt off and force you out of the car, says Johnston. Often you will be searched, stripped of your valuables and made to lie down. Stay put and wait for them to drive off.
• If you're in your driveway and your attackers want to come into the house, try talking your way out of the situation, says Nomathemba Mgwebile of the SAPS. 'Tell them you have dogs on the premises. Set off your alarm.' Johnston says, 'Rarely will a hijacker hang around if he already has what he came for – your car.'
IN THE CAR
• If your hijackers try to force you back into the car, fight them. Smit says, 'Even if they are armed and stab or shoot at you, you have a better chance of getting help from someone on the street who can call an ambulance and the police than if you are taken to a forest or a warehouse, where you could be raped or killed.'
• If a hijacker has forced you to stay in the car and tries to drive off with you, attack him. 'Strike the sensitive target areas on his face – the nose, eyes, ears and throat,' says Smit. 'Scratch his face and claw at his eyes. Punch at his groin. Use maximum force and speed. Don't give up.' Keeping pepper or Mace spray or sharp items in your car's glove compartment may help you in such a situation – a nail file, screwdriver, key or pen can be grabbed as a weapon. If you are still driving the vehicle, brake and jump out of the car, making sure it's safe to do so and there are no cars speeding up behind you. It's best to do this in a built-up area where you can run to a person or into a building for help.
TAKING YOUR CHANCES
If you are forced to continue driving, drive as fast as you can, says Brussow. 'This will alert people to the fact that something is wrong – for example, that you are driving a stolen or hijacked vehicle – and someone may call the police.'
Your reaction could even be more extreme, depending on how much danger you felt you'd be in if you stayed in the car. 'If I were hijacked and they succeeded in forcing me into the car and driving away with me, I'd certainly try to jump out,' says Smit. 'I know it's not safe to do so, but I believe I'd stand a better chance of surviving than if I were taken to a destination where I could be raped and possibly killed.'
It's important to remember that in any dangerous situation, often the best thing you have to rely on is your intuition. There are no definitive wrong or right actions – only what seems to be the wisest thing to do at the time to survive.
SNEAKY HIJACK TECHNIQUES
Be alert to the possibility of any of these situations and try to avoid them.
• An accident is staged where a woman on the roadside appears to be in distress. Once you get out to help her, her accomplices hijack you.
• 'A hijacker places a broken matchstick in the valve of your car's tyre so that it deflates slowly,' says Dave Johnston. He will follow you and, when you pull over, will offer assistance – then hijack you.
• 'More than one car boxes you in – the car ahead of you brakes suddenly and the car behind you is on your tail,' says Johnston. You're forced to stop, leaving you trapped and vulnerable to attack.
• A car pulls up alongside you and the occupant asks for directions. When you stop and roll down your window, you're attacked.
PREVENT IT
• Be very alert in a parking garage if you're alone, says Sanette Smit. If you see someone loitering, go back inside the main building.
• Before getting in, check whether anybody is lying behind the seats.
• 'When you leave home,' says Dave Johnston, 'check for other cars or people before you unlock the gate. Keep the ignition key in your hand when you get out of the car so no-one can jump in and drive off.'
• 'When approaching a red light, slow down gradually and avoid stopping if you can,' says Smit. 'It's more difficult to hijack a moving car,' Johnston says. 'Most hijackings happen when the car is stationary.'
• Avoid turning against the flow of traffic. By merging with traffic flowing in the same direction, you'll be surrounded by other cars and will be able to attract attention if a hijacker tries to attack you.
WHERE MOST HIJACKINGS TAKE PLACE
12% moving vehicle forced off road
13% in street just outside the driver's house
17% entering or leaving the house
15% public place (garages, car parks and open areas)
18% roadside
13% stop street
9% traffic light
3% picking up/dropping off passengers