Car spiking is on the rise in South Africa, with instances of this crime being reported around the nation on an alarming basis.
Car spiking refers to when criminals lay sharp objects on the road with the intention of damaging the wheels of cars passing by to force motorists to pull over. Once they come to a stop to assess the damages, the criminals jump out of their hiding spots and rob, assault, or kidnap the victims.
In extreme cases, they may even follow the damaged car in their own until it can drive no more, and then perform these heinous acts.
The crime used to be a relatively rare occurrence and mostly happened on main roads leading into and out of Gauteng, however, recent reports have seen vehicle spiking incidents starting to take place in provinces such as North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal, too.
There is no organised syndicate or mastermind behind the rise in vehicle-spiking incidents, instead, it is a crime driven by desperation, said Motor Industry Staff Association’s Sonja Carstens.
There is a big market for stolen goods in South Africa and car spikings are relatively easy to replicate, thus, the more individuals become aware of these incidents, the more try copying them in hopes of scrapping together enough money to get them through another day.
“The more incidents we report on, the more criminals we’ve got trying this. Making spikes at home and actually trying this, so that’s why we’re seeing the increase,” said Carstens.
These perpetrators also choose main routes as they know the police are sluggish to respond on interprovincial roads.
The police tend to think that incidents will only happen on quieter routes so they leave the main routes to the National Roads Agency (Sanral), said Carstens.
However, Sanral is unable to effectively patrol the vast road networks for spiking incidents as it is mainly focused on crashes and potholes, hence, there is little protection for motorists against these criminals.
Apart from spiking incidents, tyre blowouts can happen for numerous reasons.
You may hit a pothole at the wrong angle, something could fly off the vehicle ahead and penetrate the rubber, or an old wheel may just decide it has had enough and try to take you out with it.
Handling a tyre blowout at high speeds
The first and most vital piece of advice the experts at MotorHappy provide to motorists to keep themselves safe during a tyre blowout is to avoid sudden braking.
“As soon as we are unsure of what is happening around us or to us, our adrenaline kicks in,” said MotorHappy.
“And, while we have all heard about emergency braking when driving too close to someone, it’s the last thing you should do here.”
This is because abrupt braking rapidly shifts the weight of the vehicle forward, exacerbating the chances of losing control, and potentially spinning or overturning.
Secondly, it’s important to keep to the speed limit at all times, not just as a matter of law but also safety.
Speed restrictions were devised with driver safety in mind, hence, if something goes wrong, such as a tyre blowout, you’ll have more control if you’re not breaking the legal limit.
Overcorrecting the steering wheel is another no-no.
Overcorrecting refers to when you quickly pull the steering wheel too far in the opposite direction, overcompensating for the situation at hand.
“Maintain control of your vehicle to avoid colliding with other vehicles,” said MotorHappy.
“Avoid sudden or sharp steering inputs, and try and keep the wheel as straight as possible.”
Once you are confident with the car and how it behaves with a blown-out tyre, and that no one is following you, it’s time to come to a gradual standstill.
Look for a safe spot to which you can slowly coast to a stop without slamming on the brakes. Make sure your hazards are on, and pull into the emergency lane if possible to change the blown tyre or wait for help.
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