Causes of Increasing
Carjacking
Windows of
Opportunity that Carjackers Look For
Before You
Enter Your Car
Once You Are in
Your Car
Getting Out
If It Happens to
You...
Take Action
Prevention Links for Being Carjacked
How to Prevent
Being Carjacked
Avoid Being
Carjacking
Carjacking
Prevention
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Imagine having someone approach you
while you are sitting in your car at a traffic signal, pointing a gun at
your face and taking your car. Or having your vehicle stolen as your park
(even in your own driveway), or while getting gas.
It can happen anywhere, not just in "high crime"
neighborhoods. It can occur during the daylight as well as after dark.
It is a crime opportunity, a thief searching for the most
vulnerable prey. Sometimes it is part of another crime.
Car thieves find it easier to steal a car while the owner is there,
with the keys in the ignition, than to break into a car, especially if the
car has an alarm.
Cars equipped with sophisticated, builtin alarm systems and
theft-deterrent devices are becoming harder to steal.
Cars, especially luxury models, provide quick cash for drug users and
other criminals
Carjacking may be a rite of passage, an initiation act, or just a
thrill for some.
Intersections controlled by traffic lights or stop signs.
Parking garages, shopping malls and grocery stores.
Self-service gas stations and car washes.
ATMs (automated teller machines).
Residential driveway and streets as people get in and out of their
cars.
Highway exit and entry ramps, or other places where drivers slow down
or stop.
Be alert to any activity near your car. Pay attention to
your surroundings.
When approaching your car, have your key in your hand, and check the
back seat before getting in.
If someone is loitering near your unoccupied car as you approach it,
keep walking until the person leaves.
Be wary of people asking for directions or handing out flyers. Trust
your instincts, if something makes you feel uneasy, get into the car
quickly, lock the doors, and drive away.
Keep your doors and windows locked, no matter how short the
distance or how "safe" the neighborhood.
Avoiding driving alone. Have someone with you whenever possible,
especially at night.
When you are coming to a stop, leave enough space to maneuver around
other cars. If you sense trouble, this will allow you the room needed to
get away.
If a suspicious-looking person approaches your car, drive away
carefully. IN extreme situations, you might even consider going through a
traffic light, as long as you can do so without causing an accident.
Drive in the inside(center) lane to make it more difficult for
would-be carjackers to approach your car.
Do not stop to assist a stranger whose car has broken down. Instead,
help by driving to the nearest phone and calling police to help.
If you are driving home and notice someone you do not recognize, drive
around the block and come back after the person has left.
Park in well-lighted areas, near side-walks or talk-ways.
Avoid parking near dumpsters, woods, large vans or trucks, or anything
else that limits your visibility.
Never leave valuables in plain view, even if the car is locked. Put
them in the trunk or out of sight.
Try to park in a garage with an attendant. Leave only ignition key,
with no personal identification.
Even if you are rushed, look around before you get out and stay alert
to your surroundings.
If a carjacker threatens you with a gun or other weapon,
give up your car. Do not argue. Your life is worth far more than a car.
Get away from the area as quickly as possible.
Notice and remember what the carjacker looked like, sex, race, age,
hair and eye color, special features, clothes and anything specific or
unusual like an accent.
Report the crime immediately to the police.
Work with Neighborhood Watch groups, law enforcement,
automobile clubs, and other concerned groups to get the word out about
carjacking prevention.
Contact school officials to make sure that driver education classes
talk to teens about preventing carjacking.
Ask the local media to air carjacking prevention tips as public
service announcements, perhaps during commuting hours.
Ask your insurance agent or company to provide carjacking and other
auto theft prevention information in notices and bills.
Enlist parking lot owners, shopping mall security, and transit
authorities to print and distributes educational materials with carjacking
prevention tips.
Get permission to place carjacking prevention flyers or brochures in
the waiting rooms of automobile service departments, repair shops, and gas
auto stations.
Ask your state's Motor Vehicle Administration to display carjacking
and auto-theft prevention advice, posters, handouts, etc., in its offices,
and distribute prevention tips in all mailings.
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