Fighting the crime of car jacking

Keep your wits about you and you'll keep your car

There was a time when most of us believed our cars were really only at risk if we left them unattended in a dubious-looking public place, but not any more.

The crime of car jacking is becoming ever more wide-spread. Figures from Scotland Yard suggest that, in London alone, there are some 1,200 cases every year. One well-publicised incident involved a Mercedes driver who, when he was hit from behind and got out of his car to exchange insurance details, was attacked by car jackers and forced to hand over his car keys.

Even more worrying than the continuing rise in incidents like this is the fact that car thieves are no longer targeting just high value vehicles. There's also growing evidence that people are becoming increasingly worried about car jacking in general. A recent NOP survey reports that 47% of motorists now fear they could be targeted, while 34% of all drivers say they always lock their car doors before setting off on any journey.

Even if you don't believe you're ever going to be a victim of car jacking, there are some sensible precautions it's worth taking, if only to minimise the personal risks involved.

For example, so far as possible, always be careful where you park your car in any public place and to try to keep any eye open for any unusual activity near it.

When you return to your car, make sure you have your keys in your hand but keep you hand in your pocket or out of sight somewhere. This will help stop anyone noticing that you're on your way to your car. When you do get to the car, check to make sure all the doors are still locked before you unlock any of them. Check the back seat, too, to see if everything looks as it was when you parked the car.

Try not to activate or de-activate your car alarm from too far away. If you're several yards away, it could alert someone to where your car is, and that its doors are unlocked, before you get back to it. By then it could be gone.

Once you are in your car, it's a good idea to keep the doors locked and your property out of sight.

While you're driving, be aware of other drivers around you. Car jackings often take place at intersections, when cars have to stop at traffic lights or to give way to other moving vehicles.

If you are stopped by suspicious-looking people, and feel you may be at risk, sound your horn and flash your lights to raise the alarm.

If another driver bumps into your car, or you're stranded by one of your tyres going flat, stay in the car with the doors and window shut until the police arrive to sort things out.

If the worst comes to the worst and strangers do confront you in a threatening way, don't try to fight back. It's far better to give the car jackers what they want – your wallet or purse or even your car – than it is to risk life and limb in a senseless, physical argument.

Even having to think like this is a sad reflection of the way we live today. But it is better to keep your wits about you – and probably keep your car – than it is to lose your head and possibly risk losing much more.