Carjacking Safety Tips

With today's debt ridden society in Britain due to the recent recession and rising unemployment, not forgetting the fact that car manufacturer's now are making it harder to steal vehicles without the keys, the modern day car thieves are resorting to carjacking. In Britain alone carjacking crimes have been reported to be on the increase and in just one year there has been over 11'000 police reports.

Car Jacking simply refers to having your car stolen while your still inside, and the most common way carjackers attempt to steal your car is when your waiting at traffic lights or getting in or out of your parked car for example at shopping malls.

The best way to protect yourself and your family while your travelling in your car is to always keep your doors locked, and if possible have your windows closed, most cars manufacturers now offer air conditioning within their vehicles specifications, this is a great way to ensure you can stay comfortable while having your windows closed.

Majority of people believe carjackers are only interested in high value vehicles like Porsche, Bentley's, Range ROVERS, while this does seem to be a lucrative reason to the carjackers this is not always why they are stealing vehicles, some carjackers steal regular makes of models for future crimes, like drive-by shootings, robberies, car breakers.

Most carjackers will try to bump into your car at a set of lights, this causes you to get out of your car to see the "damage" this is when the unforeseeing 3rd party jumps into your car and drives away leaving you stood shocked with horror to what has just happened.

The best way to deal with this situation while you keep your engine running and while in 1st gear with the handbrake off (enabling you to drive off quickly in a potential dangerous situation) is to get the other driver to leave their vehicle and come exchange insurance details while your doors are locked, and by simply lowering your window sufficiently so you'll be able to communicate to the other driver while keeping yourself safe and secure at all time while in your vehicle, an alternative solution is to give the driver your mobile number and drive to the nearest police station that is open and deal with the incident with the aid of police officers on scene.

Another technique to gain access to your vehicle while your keys are with it, is to follow you home from work or a night out, the best technique to notice if your being followed is to do a couple of fake turns on the way home, keeping an eye on the vehicle behind you, if it constantly follows your every turn then they are not up to any good, in this situation you should call the police and proceed safely to a rendezvous while being followed by the suspicious vehicle, ensuring to monitor the lights and traffic so that you do not stop to give them a potential chance of gaining access to your vehicle while your vehicle is motionless.

If your travelling down a multi lane the best scenario to keep potential carjackers abay is to drive on the lane furthest from the path, this gives you additional escape routes if a potential attempt is still made, by driving down the opposite lane.

A simply way to monitor movements around your vehicle is to position your wing mirrors into a position that enables you to see the sides of your vehicle as well as the traffic, not forgetting to relocate the rear view mirror so you can easily keep an eye on the movements from behind you, especially when you are checking for potential carjackers.

Alternatively another solution to keep potential carjackers abay is to alternate your journey route this causes disturbance to any plans the carjackers have in trying to steal your car while on your regular journeys

Other solutions that can aid you from potential carjackers is to install a tracker system, however these are not cheap and can cost hundreds of pounds and then a monthly service charge.

Another alternative is to do an advance driving test, this is a great way to teach you how to control your vehicle in all weather conditions and speed, and is highly recommended, not only does it help to teach you to stay calm in all situations but is also a great way to boost your confidence on the road.

Some countries you are allowed to personally use pepper spray or mase for self defence this is a great tool to enable you to stay safe from a potential carjacker. Simply by spraying the canister in to the oncoming threat will immobilise them giving you crucial time to escape the trap and should always be kept close for easy access incase of emergencies

Remember by simply keeping calm in any situation and being aware of your surrounding area around your vehicle you should be able to keep away any potential carjackers, think safe, stay safe.