| SAFE-GUARD YOURSELF AGAINST IT | | | | to rob your vehicle at gun point while you are at a |
| Vehicle crime is a highly planned and unlawful activity | | | | roadway intersection. |
| distressing the entire world. In a few cases a link has | | | | Preferred locations for the Vehicle crime: |
| been established between Vehicle crime and terrorism. | | | | -- parking lots |
| The vehicles are stolen to possess them and also | | | | -- shopping centers |
| used as a funding source for numerous other graver | | | | -- gas stations |
| crimes. | | | | -- car washes |
| Vehicle crime is a very widespread malice in the | | | | -- convenience stores |
| society, and accounts for almost 13% of all crimes | | | | -- ATMs |
| registered in England & Wales. The year 2007- 08, | | | | -- hotels |
| witnessed around 1.5 million cases of vehicle crime and | | | | -- valet parking |
| thefts related to vehicle security, and were around 11% | | | | -- fast-food drive-thru and |
| lesser than 2006-07. The peak of the vehicle crimes | | | | -- outside of retail stores |
| were in 1995 in England, but the matters have | | | | -- Roadway junctions with a stoplight. |
| improved quite a lot since then with the present | | | | Safe-guarding measures for Citizens and Vehicle |
| situation showing almost 66% reduction in the incidents. | | | | security |
| The statistics in USA also follow a comparable pattern | | | | As citizens or the general public, we all need to |
| with the maximum number of vehicle crimes being | | | | safe-guard ourselves against such incidents and in |
| conducted between 1998 and 2005. Though the latest | | | | order to do that we ought to recognize the various |
| incidence of these vehicle crimes are yet around 3,633 | | | | measures to boost our vehicle security. |
| per 100,000 of population, the only heartening feature is | | | | - Try to park your vehicle in properly illuminated areas, |
| that the rates of incidence have fallen considerably | | | | especially if you expect to travel after dark. |
| and are on a constant decline | | | | - Under no circumstances, should you leave your |
| How are the vehicles stolen? | | | | vehicle parked in isolated spots, or places with a wall |
| - The prevalence of the high tech burglar alarms, | | | | or perhaps thick foliage adjacent to them. |
| engine cut-off devices and steering locking systems to | | | | - Try to make use of valet parking or garages with |
| boost vehicle security have given birth to a more | | | | people attending to your vehicle, especially if you are a |
| dangerous vehicle crime called as carjacking. | | | | woman driver. |
| - Carjacking is a term used to describe the event in | | | | - Always be alert and check for people with |
| which criminals use violent force to steal the cars, and | | | | suspicious looks, loitering around, while getting back to |
| may end up injuring or even killing the owners in the | | | | your car. |
| process. | | | | - Request a security escort to accompany you to the |
| - Carjacking can usually take place in a busy area, like | | | | parking lot, when you are alone at a shopping mall. |
| a commercial locale, and the carjacker can target the | | | | - Try and develop a habit of getting in and out of your |
| victim while he / she is either getting in to or out of the | | | | vehicle with the minimum possible delay, and teach |
| car. | | | | your kids also to do the same. |
| - This is because the carjacker prefers to have the | | | | - Never turn your back and let your defenses down, |
| keys accessible and also to find the doors open, | | | | while loading stuff in to your vehicle |
| enabling him to escape with the stolen car in a split | | | | - It is better to practice driving your vehicle with the |
| second. | | | | windows all rolled up and all doors kept locked. |
| - Majority of these vehicle crimes or carjacking | | | | - Your gut instinct will never lie and if it warns you of |
| attempts have been reported to take place within 5 | | | | impending danger in a particular situation, never ignore it. |
| miles of the car owner's residence. | | | | - Your life and wellbeing is more important than the |
| - The amazing fact is that the daytime vehicle crimes | | | | vehicle security. In case you ever get threatened to |
| or attempts at vehicle theft were twice more likely to | | | | give up your vehicle keys or your wallet, do so |
| be successful as compared to the night time attempts. | | | | immediately without any hint of resistance. |
| Techniques used in vehicle crime: | | | | - If the criminal has managed to force you to drive the |
| - The criminals may use a variety of different | | | | car after carjacking, try and ram your car in to a busy |
| techniques to attain success in a vehicle crime, and | | | | junction somewhere along the way, so that you can |
| they have no concern whatsoever, for your life or | | | | attempt to grab public/ police attention |
| your safety. | | | | - Finally prevention of vehicle crime can be done by |
| - The usual technique used is to slam in to your car | | | | making use of vehicle security devices like the |
| from behind and as soon as you get out of your car | | | | Immobilization devices, Identification markers and VIN |
| to inspect the damage and exchange words with the | | | | etching etc. |
| person in the car behind you, an accomplice gets in to | | | | Simple but timely efforts as listed above can go a long |
| your vehicle and rives away with it | | | | way in improving your vehicle security and safe guard |
| . | | | | you against any possible vehicle crime. |
| - The next popular technique used by these criminals is | | | | |