Personal Safety when travelling and avoiding car-jacking

Lone female being approached in her car

Car Safety

Fact – we are now much safer in our homes. Modern alarms and double-glazing make breaking into your home far more difficult for would-be burglars. The same is true of cars – modern vehicles are harder to steal.

So what do criminals need to get into your house or car…?

Answer: Your  keys, which is one reason why street crime has recently increased. To avoid falling victim we need to be more aware of our surroundings when we are out and about.

The following message is an example of one person’s bad experience that they wanted to share with others.
“If you’re anything like me, your usual driving practice is to get straight into the car, lock it and start the engine ready to drive off. You then use your rear view mirror to check the coast is clear before you reverse out of your parking space. It’s at this moment that you spot the piece of paper under the rear windscreen wiper.

WHATEVER YOU DO – DON’T GET OUT OF YOUR CAR TO CHECK WHAT IT IS!

Someone just behind you or in the next car or hidden nearby is just waiting for the moment you get out of your car to check the note they left.
And once you do that…..
It only takes a second for the car thief to jump in and steal your car – and where are your mobile phone and purse? In your handbag on the passenger seat, so they’ve been stolen too. Take my advice – just ignore the piece of paper – drive away and when you’re in a safe location, then stop and get out to see what it is.”

Lone female returning to a vehicle
But it could be worse than car jacking – supposing its you rather than the car the assailant wants.
Do you advertise the fact that you are a woman driver? Or worse still that you are a single woman driver? Do you advertise to a would-be assailant what time you will be collecting your car? – No? Well how many of us leave our driving shoes in the passenger foot well when we go for a night out in town? Or put a parking ticket in the windscreen showing what time we have to be back by, or have the parcel shelf packed full of cuddly toys?
It’s a fact that we feel comfortable and cocooned in our cars and so we personalise them. Think about the evidence you leave in your car which might make you vulnerable to being identified. Then think about what you might leave in your car which would throw an attacker off the scent such as a motorbike magazine, a construction worker’s hat on the parcel shelf – or just leaving your car devoid of anything.
And supposing someone did get in to your passenger seat, what would you do?

Well the obvious answer is to get out if you can, but this may not be possible, e.g. you have your child strapped in the back of the car or the potential attacker prevents you by placing his hand over the seat belt release, or the environment is a potentially dangerous one anyway.

In situations such as this remember nothing is too much trouble for your personal safety, all you need to do at the first possible opportunity is have a minor accident. All you need to do is to drive into the car in front. Try to do this when you are in slow or a near stationary traffic queue so the person in front has to get out to see what has happened. Now you will be going home to your family rather than driving yourself to a crime scene. Don’t go mad here just 3-4 miles an hour will do just to get the attention of the other driver. Do you think your potential attacker is going to hang around whilst you exchange insurance details?

Please help us get the message out by forwarding this information to your friends and relatives now

Brooks Jordan often give high impact talks and after dinner presentations to women’s groups on this and other Personal Safety/Conflict Resolution issues.
If you have had a bad experience or a lucky escape and would like to share your experience with others, then please email us at Julie@brooksjordan.co.uk
Want more information then visit our web site www.brooksjordan.co.uk
If you would like an entertaining talk for your organization on the subject of personal safety, travel or any other personal safety/conflict management specific issues then please contact us at chris@brooksjordan.co.uk or just give us a call on 01623 407793