The festive season is the busiest time of the year for both syndicates and opportunistic criminals, and recent data shows that the most common place of attack is still right outside the motorist\u2019s home \u2013 in the driveway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is according to MiWay Insurance, which highlighted that hijackers continue to adopt new deceptive tactics, and consumers need to raise self-awareness and become more vigilant during the festive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), 5,488 cars were hijacked during the second quarter of 2023, with an estimated 60 carjackings reported each day \u2013 up from 57 cars per day in Q1 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Youlon Naidoo, Executive Head of Claims and Procurement at MiWay Insurance, of all the methods carjackers use, the most common place of attack is still right outside the motorist\u2019s home \u2013 in the driveway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that despite your home being commonly considered a \u2018safe place\u2019, it has become the most targeted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAccording to recently released statistics by Crime SA, an estimated 71% of South African car hijackings occur in residential driveways. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our internal data further reveals that most hijackings take place within a five-kilometre radius, mainly between 6 pm and 9 pm, and that they rarely occur in the morning<\/strong>,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Targeted vehicles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Santam noted in its report that it had seen a shift away from older, low-value vehicles with limited security requirements to more expensive double cabs and SUVs. This aligned with the experiences of private security companies such as Fidelity ADT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Fidelity, vehicles under the Toyota, VW, Ford, and Nissan brands continue to be common targets among criminals, and the specific models include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, much like Santam\u2019s experience, Fidelity noted that high-value cars such as Toyota Prados and Toyota Landcruisers are among the most popular models for criminals, along with the Hilux bakkie and Fortuner SUV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Safety tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the safety tips from Naidoo to help South African motorists be extra vigilant when arriving home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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