{"id":279107,"date":"2018-10-23T10:03:13","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T08:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=279107"},"modified":"2018-10-23T10:03:13","modified_gmt":"2018-10-23T08:03:13","slug":"more-hijackers-are-targeting-motorists-in-safe-places-like-complexes-and-estates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/motoring\/279107\/more-hijackers-are-targeting-motorists-in-safe-places-like-complexes-and-estates\/","title":{"rendered":"More hijackers are targeting motorists in &#8216;safe places&#8217; &#8211; like complexes and estates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As can be seen by videos doing the rounds on social media platforms, hijackings and robberies are becoming more prevalent in less traditional places and times.<\/p>\n<p>This is according to Ron Knott-Craig, executive of operational services at Tracker South Africa, who notes that criminals are becoming brazen and pouncing on unsuspecting individuals wherever the opportunity presents itself &#8211; even in broad daylight and at locations that are perceived as safe and secure.<\/p>\n<p>This includes outside business premises, housing estates and shopping complexes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These locations generally have security personnel stationed at the entrances, access control and an abundance of video cameras,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Criminals are most likely to strike when you least expect it and you\u2019ve dropped your guard.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s important that you are vigilant at all times and that you are aware of your surroundings and able to get away should the need arise.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Below he outlined the following safety tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be aware<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t be an easy target. While driving, be vigilant about your surroundings. Also, be alert and on the lookout for suspicious persons or vehicles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Watch your tail<\/strong> \u2013 Pay close attention to ensure that you are not being followed. If you think you are being followed drive to a police station.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t be flashy<\/strong> \u2013 In some cases, hijackings occur not for the vehicle itself but for the valuables inside. Avoid driving with your valuables in plain sight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be prepared<\/strong> \u2013 Have your access card or driver\u2019s license ready to ensure that you can pass through the boom gate of an office park or housing estate as soon as possible. Also, don\u2019t talk on your mobile phone while entering any premises as attackers are relying on you being distracted and vulnerable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Drive on<\/strong> \u2013 If something looks suspicious as you\u2019re approaching an access-controlled area, rather drive off and come back later. Have a back-up plan in case of an emergency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Testing, testing<\/strong> \u2013 Regularly test your tracking device to make sure it\u2019s working, including the assist button if your device has one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keep calm<\/strong> \u2013 If you are hijacked, remember your life is worth more than your valuables, so keep calm, co-operate and try to get away as quickly as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong> Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/278163\/the-truth-about-crime-waves-in-south-africa-and-the-types-of-areas-targeted-by-criminals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The truth about \u2018crime waves\u2019 in South Africa \u2013 and the types of areas targeted by criminals<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As can be seen by videos doing the rounds on social media platforms, hijackings and robberies are becoming more prevalent in less traditional places and times, says Tracker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":93506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11119],"tags":[26],"class_list":["post-279107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motoring","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279107"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":279119,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279107\/revisions\/279119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}