Each year, 87,000 carjackings occur in the U.S. To avoid this
mishap read the following..
Steps
- Keep your car tuned up and full of gas (E-does not stand for
E-nough to get me where I need to go) and check your tires
before you take a trip. A stranded, helpless driver makes
an easy target.
- Lock your doors when you get into your car. Make it part of
your driving ritual.
- Travel the most direct route to your destination. Search
Mapquest, Google Maps, Yahoo Maps or TripTik before you depart on
your trip, even if it's just across town. Asking for directions can
tip off a would-be carjacker that you are lost and/or not paying
attention to your surroundings.
- Don't tail-gate. This enables you to get around the car in
front of you if it stalls or if someone suspicious approaches your
car.
- Stay in your car, even if someone bumps into you at a traffic
light or stop sign. What you've just encountered is the "Bump and
Rob." The scheme works like this: When you get out of your car
(with the engine still running) another person in the car behind
you will get in your car and both vehicles drive away.
- If someone does manage to get into your car and demands that
you "do what I say and you won't get hurt," do not
believe them. In over 90% of abductions, the victim (if female) is
either raped or sexually assaulted. Instead, run your car into the
first immobile object you can find (such as a fire hydrant, stop
sign, or, as a last resort, the car in front of you). This will
draw attention to your plight and someone will dial 911. Try not to
injure yourself.
- Get out of the vehicle as quickly as possible and run towards a
well populated area.
- Install an old fashion dimmer switch on the floorboard by your
left foot and connect it so that it switches between the fuel pump
and the car alarm siren. If somebody wants the car give it to them,
if they want to take you with them simply depress the dimmer switch
with your left foot killing the car and blowing the siren (if you
want to blow the horn you should run the wire to a 12 volt relay
since the current draw on the horn may exceed the fuel pump that
you're switching over from..
- Be careful in areas of poverty or enormous wealth. Car crime is
most likely to occur if you seem susceptible, which will promote
criminal opportunists in run down areas, and professionals in areas
of great wealth.
Tips
- Be especially careful in Los Angeles and St. Louis, the top two
carjacking capitals of the US.
- If you get pulled over by a suspicious "police officer" in an
unmarked car, dial 911 and tell the operator that you are being
pulled over by an unmarked car between exits X and Y on highway b
and would like to inform the officer that you would like to pull
over in a safer area such as a gas station. If the operator
confirms that you are indeed being pulled over by a police officer
then pull over ASAP and make sure there is plenty of room for the
officer to avoid highway traffic.
- Some cars lock the doors for you when you reach a certain
speed. Make sure that feature is enabled.
