The report revealed that there were 16,717 reported vehicle hijackings between April 2016 and March 2017, a drastic increase of 14.45%. The shocking news is that this was the highest number recorded in the past ten years. On average, 46 cars were hijacked each day during this period.
The seven-second rule
Research has shown that a criminal decides in just seven seconds if you will be their next victim – whether you are walking in the park, driving into your garage or parked at a red traffic light. There are a few pointers that you can apply to prevent a hijacker from taking you by surprise:
- Lock up. Lock your doors the minute you climb into the car, and keep them locked until you get out.
- Out of sight, out of mind. Keep bags and other valuable items in the boot and out of sight
- Stay alert. Always be aware of your surrounding and be aware of anything suspicious.
- Clever stopping. If you’re travelling late at night, slowdown in such a way that the light is green by the time your reach the traffic light. This avoids you coming to a complete stop, reducing your risk of becoming a target.
- Make some friends. Knowing your neighbours and the cars they drive will help you identify any suspicious individuals or vehicles.
- Use your panic button. If you sense you are in danger, use your Matrix panic remote
For more information, visit www.matrix.co.za or call our Customer Care team on 0800 33 99 88
*For MX2 and MX3 customers only