Incidents of vehicle spiking are back on the rise in South Africa as holidaymakers return home.
Spiking refers to when criminals lay objects on the road such as homemade spike strips, rocks, or any paraphernalia that can do serious damage to a vehicle.
The goal is to incapacitate the car and rob its occupants of their belongings. In extreme cases, victims have also been assaulted and kidnapped.
While vehicle spiking has been an issue in South Africa for many years, it is only recently that we have seen a sharp increase in the type of crime as the exorbitant cost of living and equally high unemployment figures in the country force citizens to look elsewhere to make ends meet.
The Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) labelled vehicle spiking as a crime driven by desperation.
There is a big market for stolen goods in South Africa and spiking crimes are relatively easy to replicate, so the more people 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 Misa.
It seems these individuals are now taking advantage of the chaos as the festive season draws to a close and cars filled to the brim with valuables clog up the roads.
Vehicle spiking hotspots
Speaking to eNCA, CrimeWatch’s Yusuf Abramjee noted that the hotspots for vehicle spiking include the N4 between Donkerhoek and Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng.
The day before New Year’s Eve under cover of darkness, a gang of criminals threw rocks into the road at oncoming vehicles. Fortunately, the victims managed to get away before they could be harmed.
The R104 is another prime location for these incidents. Over the festive season there were several spiking cases on this route, said Ambrajee.
On the N1, particularly between Maraisburg and the Soweto off-ramp, as many as 11 vehicles fell victim in just one evening during December.
A further three attacks were carried out on the R80 in just the past week, he said. The N17 is also counted as a hotspot, seeing several spiking incidents over the holiday season.
While the police have committed to increasing patrols in these areas in a bid to curb the crime, Abramjee urged motorists to take responsibility for themselves if they want to avoid becoming victims of spiking attacks.
Practical tips for staying safe on the identified roads include:
- Avoid driving at night
- 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 these preventative tactics fail and you hit a carefully placed spike, vehicle telematics company Cartrack warns that you should avoid braking and pulling over at all costs.
Instead, drive slowly and as far as possible to put distance between yourself and the perpetrators who are likely to be on foot.
When your car eventually comes to a standstill, do not stay seated. Get out and run to the opposite side of the road to find a hiding spot while you call for help.
“Staying in the vehicle is what the thieves are hoping for because they want all your valuables, including your cell phone and bank card, so they can empty your bank account,” said Cartrack.
“This will also help you avoid getting kidnapped.”
Furthermore, share your live location with a friend or family member as this will help them locate you faster, and should the thieves or any other potentially dangerous individual get to you, someone will be able to trace you using your last known position.
If you were unable to get away from your aggressors, the only thing left to do is to comply.
Lift both your hands up when the thieves approach to show you are not calling for help or trying to take out a weapon.
Follow all commands and do not try to fight back as this could motivate the attackers to become violent.
Remain as calm as possible and don’t make sudden, unexpected movements that might intimidate the thieves and escalate the situation.
Finally, take note of the little details of the perpetrators without drawing too much attention to yourself as this will give the police solid leads when you report the crime after the fact.
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