Civil rights organisation AfriForum has noted a resurgence in spiking incidents and attacks on motorists in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the North West provinces.
Criminals lay metal spikes and harmful objects in the road covered with leaves and plastic bags hoping to catch unsuspecting drivers off guard and rob them of their valuables when they stop to assess the damages
In extreme cases, motorists who drove over spikes but refused to stop were shot at. Another was fatally stabbed after he stopped to check for damages, AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk told Netwerk24.
Most of these incidents happened between the hours of 20h00 and 04h00 on main roads leading into and out of Gauteng.
AfriForum as well as the provincial police have deployed highway patrol units to monitor these high-risk routes at night in an effort to catch the perpetrators red-handed.
The Gauteng police recently arrested eight suspects who have been connected with as many as 25 spiking incidents.
The below graph, compiled by Netwerk24 with data collated from AfriForum and the South African Police, shows spiking hotspots on the main arterial routes in Gauteng:
Avoiding spike traps
Spiking incidents and rock-throwing attacks generally occur in low-visibility conditions such as during the evenings and at high speeds, making it quite difficult to completely safeguard oneself from these criminals.
However, there are a number of precautions motorists can take to reduce their risk on the roads and increase their chances of avoiding the horrific situation, said MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert.
These include:
- Avoid driving over anything on the road including plastic bags
- When passing under a bridge, change lanes just before you pass
- Reduce your speed to increase your chances of seeing obstacles on the road
- Concrete lintels are being used as well. If you cannot avoid them any other way, slow down and carefully drive over them
- If the circumstances allow, travel straddling two lanes as it may help you miss spikes being placed in the lane
- If there is another vehicle present, drive six seconds or more behind so their driving can alert you if anything is amiss
- If the highway is quiet enough and safety allows for it, drive across the island (if it is possible) and travel in the opposite direction
- If you spot an obstacle before you reach it, move into the emergency lane or onto the grass if that section of the highway allows for it
If the unfortunate happens and you do hit a spike, it is vital to keep moving and not pull over next to the side of the road. Reduce your speed to approximately 30-40km/h and continue driving to the nearest place of safety instead.
“If you do not make it to a place of safety but do obtain some distance between yourself and the criminals, get out of your car and safely find a place to conceal yourself and call for help,” said Herbert.
Never attempt to engage with the attackers as this can put your life in harm’s way.
If you managed to safely move past the spikes, contact authorities immediately to prevent any other motorists from falling victim to the criminals.
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