Vehicle Safety and Security

Cars are an absolute necessity in every day life. We use them to get from A to B efficiently, we spend inordinate amounts of time in them and they are beyond useful; but they can also be a source of great stress due to the fact that they are highly desirable to criminals. Owning a car comes with the likelihood of attempted theft or damage.

With this in mind, Servest Security suggests practising defensive mindsets when opening your car, driving it, and locking it up:

Safety and security on approach

When setting out to drive, try and focus on the task of getting into your car – as opposed to where you are going. Have your car key in your hand, be observant, look around and act purposefully, particularly at night or in deserted areas.

With reference to the ‘smash-and-grab’ culture that has manifested in South Africa, do not put laptops, handbags or anything that looks valuable on the front or backseats of the car. Take the time to put them in the boot, as many insurers will not pay out for items stolen from the interior of a vehicle.

Safety and security during driving

While you may think that locking your doors and obeying the traffic rules is enough to get home safely, hijackers think differently. Criminals watch for patterns in peoples’ driving habits, which is why a great number of hijackings occur close to homes or places of work. Vary your route as often as possible, and try to be aware of who is around you when idling at red lights.

Key security measures for driving:

* Keep your car in good running order

* Always have enough petrol to get to your destination

* Be aware of the route you are travelling

* Know that hijackers sometimes create minor accidents to force you to stop, if it feels sketchy, drive on and find a policeman to go to the scene and help them.

Safety and security for parking

Using sensible logic, don’t park in dark unlit areas and try and park within the range of a security guard. Once you have parked somewhere safely, don’t unlock the doors until you have put all the internal security measures in place. Put the steering lock on, click the gear lock in place and do a mental check of all valuables that are visible. Always take the radio face out, remove GPS units, and never leave cell phones or wallets on display.

A distinct point to note, particularly with office and mall parking, is to always take your parking ticket or access disk/card out of your car. Criminals can literally drive out of secure parking areas with your vehicle if they find these.

At Servest Security we highly recommend adopting a defensive approach in all aspects of operating a vehicle. Being aware of potential safety and security threats - and acting on minimising these threats is a crucial part of being a responsible driver.