Car jackings are on the rise as criminals see value in selling used vehicles, or need their own wheels as pre-owned vehicles are hard to come by and expensive. And as usual these days they are emboldened by the fact the police won’t ever get around to chasing or prosecuting them. Here’s an example of a brazen car jack under a security camera in a Philadelphia gas station, right at the pump – so it’s gassed-up and ready to go.
Remember to check your car’s insurance. If you’ve been cutting costs and reduced your insurance coverage to liability only you will not receive anything back for your car.
Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/7ABmbFTKjh
— Marina Medvin ?? (@MarinaMedvin) June 17, 2022
CARJACKING PREVENTION TIPS
Keep these tips in mind to avoid becoming a carjacking statistic:
- Be alert to your surroundings and — to young males, who most closely fit the carjacker mold — as you approach your vehicle.
- Always park in well-lit areas.
- Use valet parking or an attended garage, particularly if you’re a woman driving alone.
- Ask for a security escort to your car if you’re alone at a shopping center.
- As you approach your vehicle, look under, around and inside your car. If it’s safe, open the door to your car, enter quickly and lock the doors.
- Don’t stop at isolated pay phones, ATMs or newspaper machines.
- If another car bumps you car, stay inside with the windows shut and door locked, then drive to the nearest police or fire station.
- Don’t fight with or resist a carjacker – it’s a car and not worth your life no matter how attached you are.
- If you are forced to drive, consider crashing your car near a busy intersection to attract attention so bystanders can come to your aid and call police.