{"id":233787,"date":"2018-04-01T18:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-04-01T16:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=233787"},"modified":"2018-03-29T16:37:30","modified_gmt":"2018-03-29T14:37:30","slug":"are-south-african-hijackers-also-tracking-hotspots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/motoring\/233787\/are-south-african-hijackers-also-tracking-hotspots\/","title":{"rendered":"Are South African hijackers also tracking hotspots?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Security, insurance and car tracking companies regularly publish new hijacking statistics detailing which areas and roads are the worst affected.<\/p>\n

While the majority of experts<\/a> <\/strong>agree that the trends themselves don’t change, there are questions as to whether hijackers are making use of the same data to target areas which were previously seen as ‘safer’.<\/p>\n

This was a question raised this past week after Arrive Alive<\/a><\/strong> approached colleagues from the vehicle tracking and security companies for updates on the latest statistics.<\/p>\n

While the companies were happy to provide the data, one of the tracking businesses noted that it had\u00a0recently seen some different hijacking points and were wondering if its stats impact on this.<\/p>\n

“In other words, do these thugs learn from our stats?”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Speaking to BusinessTech, Arrive Alive’s Adv. Johan Jonck confirmed that\u00a0at least one of the tracking companies (who preferred not to be mentioned by name) said that the hijacking hotspots have shifted.<\/p>\n

“This is indeed an interesting point of discussion and we could ask the public to comment,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Is it that criminals also follow these alerts, or is it merely that they believe lightning don\u2019t strike twice at the same spot?”<\/p>\n

Jonck noted that the crimes are still a very real threat and it was important for Arrive Alive to\u00a0focus on sharing information on hijack avoidance advice and on the need for alertness at all times.<\/p>\n

“Also interesting that the public often say that there should be no need for signs of ‘hotspots’ as it begs the question why don\u2019t we do something in those areas by way of improved enforcement,” he said.<\/p>\n

“In the past we have shared info on a specific incident at a smash and grab hotspot at Fountains in Pretoria – and found a perpetrator shot through active enforcement about a week late at that location.”<\/p>\n

Arrive Alive also noted that it may also not be such a bad idea to find that these ‘hotspots’ have moved.<\/p>\n

It could be that these criminals may:<\/p>\n