Survive & Prevent being Carjacked

Carjacking has become one of the top crimes in the country. Learn how experts say you can prevent or survive being carjacked.

Carjacking Facts:

• The Department of Justice reports that there are about 49,000 per year.
• Ninety-three percent occur in cities or the suburbs.
• 92% of carjackings are committed when the victim is alone in their car.
• 90% of carjackings involved the use of a weapon.
• Most happen near the victims home or work.

Approaching your Vehicle
When approaching your vehicle awareness is your best weapon.

• Stay alert – Stay alert to what is going on around you
• Keep your keys ready when walking out to your car.
• Look around in your car before getting in
• Watch out for people who are loitering, asking for direction, looking for money or cigarettes, or handing out fliers.
• Trust you instincts – If something seems out of place go back to where you came from  or quickly get in your vehicle and lock the doors

While Driving
Your best line of defense when you are driving is to make it as hard as possible for criminals to enter your vehicle

• Keep your doors locked, windows up and sun roofs closed.
• When coming to a stop leave enough room between you and the vehicle in front to be able to quickly maneuver around the vehicles if trouble should arise
• Driving in the center lane can make it harder for criminals to box you in, and can give you more avenues to escape.

When reaching your destination:

• Park in a well lit area near the buildings entrance and around other vehicles.
• Avoid parking near wooded areas, large vans and trucks, or anything that hides your visibility.
• Never leave valuables in plain view for anyone to see.
• Look around before you get out of your vehicle. It may also be a good idea to make a loop around the parking lot to check our the situation before parking.

If someone attempts to jack your car:

• Never get in the car with the criminal, it’s better to lose the car than to lose your life.
• If they have a gun… Run. Statistics show that if you run you have somewhere around a 90% chance of being safe. If you get in the vehicle you probably have a 100% chance of something bad happening.
• If you are forced to drive, one option could be to buckle up and consider crashing your car near a busy intersection and hope for the car jacker to fly into the window. Then get out of the car and run like hell.