Tips to avoid being hijacked or robbed

Hijackings aren’t new news. They have been taking place across South Africa for years. But every year, highjackers are finding new ways of targeting motorists. The latest ploy in Cape Town is to place rubble like bricks and blocks of concrete into the middle of a lane on the highway lane.

These incidents are happening late at night when visibility is low and there is less traffic on the roads. As most people won’t see that there is something in the road, they’ll either hit the blocks, try to swerve at the last minute or stop altogether. This gives the highjackers the perfect opportunity to ambush motorists and rob them.

Another new tactic, taking place in Gauteng, is the placement of spikes on highways. These strategically placed spikes have resulted in many accidents and some people even losing their lives as they lose control of their cars.

Over and above this, hard objects are also being thrown from overhead bridges onto passing cars. This violent strategy has resulted in people having unnecessary accidents and then being robbed on top of it.

The following routes are hotspots for this type of activity:

• The N4 Mpumalanga to Pretoria between Solomon Mahlangu and Watermeyer Offramp.
• The N4 Pretoria to Mpumalanga between Bronkhorstspruit and Balmoral off-ramp.
• The N1 Polokwane N4 Mpumalanga interchange in Pretoria.
• The N4 to Rustenburg between R80 Mabopane Freeway and Brits plaza tollgate.
• Golden Highway.
• R21 Freeway from OR Tambo International Airport to Pretoria.

So while you're out there doing your thing, make sure that you stay alert and drive safely. Keep your eyes open for any suspicious activity or objects in the middle of the road. Never stop on the side of the road after dark. If you do hit something in the road, don’t stop. Keep driving while you call for help. Don’t forget that with Dialdirect’s Insurance App, you can get emergency assistance 24/7 at your fingertips.