Driveway hijackings: how to avoid becoming a victim

The South African Police Service reported a 6.5% increase in hijackings and car theft in the third quarter of 2023 compared with the third quarter of 2022.

An estimated 71% of car hijackings SA South Africa occur in driveways, and drivers can improve their safety by being aware of what is happening around their vehicle.

“As a responsible driver you must remove all distractions and keep 100% of your attention on the road, other road users and on the safe operation of the vehicle you are driving,” says Charnel Hattingh, head of communications at Fidelity Services Group.

She provides the following tips:

• Who is following you? Keep checking the rear-view mirror for any vehicles that might be following you. If you see a suspicious vehicle behind you, drive past your gate and circle the block. If they are still behind you, drive to the nearest police station immediately.
• Check the street before opening the gate. Do not open your garage door or your sliding gate until you have checked that there are no vehicles in your street.
• Break your routine. Criminals often rely on predictable behaviour and patterns. If you vary your routines to and from work or the road you take to the shops, you make it more difficult for them to plan a hijacking.
• Confirm your arrival time. Let your family members at home know when you are due to arrive home so that they can immediately raise the alarm if you are later than expected.

Motorists are also warned of three new hijacking methods:

• the blockage method, where criminals block you at a fast-food facility, with cars blocking you from the front and back;
• the tap-tap method, where hijackers drive behind you and slightly bump your car — once you stop, they grab your car and drive off; and
• the “good Samaritan” method, where pedestrians point to an apparent problem with your car — for instance a flat tyre — as you drive past, and then hijack your car when you pull over to look.

Fidelity Services Group CEO Wahl Bartmann has advised motorists not to offer resistance during a hijacking.

“Remember perpetrators are always armed and would not hesitate to fire when confronted. Additional perpetrators may stand out of view and fire should you fight back,” Bartmann warned.

“Where you do become a victim of a hijacking, it is critical to remain calm and to comply with instructions. Try to notice as much information as you can about the hijackers and the backup car they might be using.”

Some vehicles are more susceptible to car theft than others, based on the black market’s demand and supply. The demand for Toyotas, Volkswagens, Fords and Nissans remains high on the black market, with vehicle hijackings largely a business driven.

Fidelity Services Group says the seven most high-risk models for hijacks in South Africa are:

• the Toyota Fortuner (GD6 and D4D);
• Hilux (GD6 and D4D);
• Corolla Cross and RAV4;
• VW Polo (especially hatchbacks);
• Nissan NP 200; and
• Ford Ranger (double and single cabs).

Criminals sometimes target specific parts of the vehicle rather than the entire vehicle, notably those that are readily available and easier to conceal, including hubcaps and badges, which have always been popular with car thieves, airbags, batteries, wheels, tailgates, tyres and headlights. 

Here are the top crime hotspots for hijackings, based on the more populated provinces:

• Gauteng: Ivory Park, Moroka, Loate, Orange Farm and Eldorado Park;
• KwaZulu-Natal: Umlazi and Mariannhill; and
• Western Cape: Philippi East, Harare, Nyanga, Mfuleni and Delft.