Car jacking a new danger on the roads
Getting cheap car insurance, coping with rising fuel prices and ensuring breakdown cover is up to date are just some of the rigours of owning a car. However, on top of all of these issues, there is a new and dangerous dilemma for drivers: car jacking.
The growth of car jacking
Car jacking (literally a combination of car and hijacking) is a motoring problem that has been growing for many years. It first
began to be recognised in South Africa in the 1970s and since this time it has grown in prevalence and spread around the world.
However, South Africa is still the place in which it is most common and it sees over 16,000 instances each year.
America is another place in which car jacking is commonplace and it is an offence that has even targeted the rich and famous. The singer-songwriter Mark Cohn was killed in a Denver car jacking in 2005, whilst later in the same year the rapper Cam'ron was shot in an attempted car jacking in Washington D.C.
In the UK the problem is not as widespread and London is thought to experience around 90 cases a year. However, the exact figure is unknown because there is no law specifically against car jacking and perpetrators are usually charged under one of three possible sections of the Theft Act 1968. Depending on the circumstances, they may face being prosecuted for theft, robbery or the lesser charge of taking without consent.
Suggestions that the UK should follow in America's footsteps by creating an offence of car jacking have been met with criticisms that our current laws are more than adequate for dealing with offenders. However, this view may change in the future if the number of car jackings continues to rise.
The forms of car jacking
There are a range of tactics used by car jackers but they all centre on the fact that the car keys need to be obtained from the
victim. This is because car security devices, such as immobilisers, make it much more difficult to hotwire a car, making
traditional smash-and-start methods redundant.
A common car jacking scenario is that of the thief waiting for a vulnerable-looking person to stop at some traffic lights or junction and then swinging open the driver's door and ordering them to get out. The driver will likely be terrified and get out the car without taking the keys, allowing the thief to drive away in their vehicle.
An alternative tactic is for the thief to hang around a quiet car park or street, waiting for an easy target to walk up to their car and open the door. As the person is doing this, the thief will strike, either attacking them or threatening them until they get hold of the car key. Once they have the key, they will drive off without a care for the welfare of their victim.
A third method usually involves two thieves and is known as bump car jacking. One will cause a low speed rear-end car accident that will not badly damage either vehicle. When the victim gets out of their car to exchange car insurance details, they may well be too shocked about the accident to worry about taking their car key with them. An accomplice will then slip into the car that has been hit and drive it away, quickly followed by the thief that had caused the accident.
The effects of car jacking
When someone is targeted by car jackers, it can leave them very traumatised and scared of driving for fear of it happening again.
Stories in the UK news report that some people are affected so much by the experience that they refuse to get in a car or, in
some cases, even leave the house.
If violence has been involved, the physical and psychological effects of the assault may also take a long time to recover from. In the most serious cases of car jacking, the victim has been killed by the thieves, either because there was an attempt to fight back or simply because the thieves were desperate. Unfortunately, these stories are all too common in South Africa and warning signs have had to be erected in areas of particular danger of car jacking.
The final effect of car jacking is that of the financial damage done when a car is stolen. If the car cannot be recovered or is in a poor state of repair when it is found, a motor insurance claim may well have to be made. This can be extremely costly, especially when considered in terms of the loss of a no claims bonus, which can impact the chances of getting cheap car insurance in the future.
Tips to avoid car jacking
The police are very aware of the danger to the UK public that car jackings pose. As a result they have issued some advice to
reduce the chance of becoming a victim of car jacking. These are some of their tips:
- Always lock your car doors when driving.
- Do not leave your vehicle if you are bumped from behind and you feel the circumstances are suspicious. Instead, ensure the doors are locked and drive to the nearest police station.
- Do not leave the car keys in the ignition if you are leaving the car, even for just a few seconds.
- If you are threatened by car jackers, hand over the keys and do not antagonise them.
- Be aware of the cars near to you and ensure that, when queued, you leave enough space between you and the car in front for you to be able to pull around and drive away if necessary.