Following the overview of how hijackers work, here a practical guide (Contributed by Ctrack and published in Issue 17 of our Malaysia Version) on how to avoid hijacking and how to handle actual successful hijackings.

In our first part of this two part feature on vehicle hijacking we looked at how hijacking syndicates work and what motivates hijackers. In this second, and longer, part, we are giving you practical advice on how to deal with potential and actual hijacking situations.

Approaching and entering your driveway:
• 2km from your house strategy: Be extra alert. Switch off the radio and concentrate on your surroundings.
• Remember to stop your vehicle just on the inside of the gate and select reverse whilst waiting for the gate to close. This creates confusion and may buy you a few seconds for the gate to close completely behind you.
• Check your driveway and street before you leave or enter your premises.
• Make sure your driveway is well lit and clear from shrubbery where perpetrators can hide.
• Be aware of unknown pedestrians close to your residential address – do not turn into your driveway – pass and go back later.
• Liaise with your neighbours – know them.
• Be aware of vehicles parked close to your address with occupants inside. It might be perpetrators observing the area.
• Be alert if your animals do not greet you at the gate as usual. It might be that the perpetrators over-powered them.
• Phone your yard and ask for someone to make sure your driveway is safe and to open and close the gate for you.
• When returning to the yard after dark, ensure that an outside light is on, or have someone meet you at the gate. Check with your armed response company if they are rendering rendezvous services.
• If at any time you have to open the gate yourself, make sure nobody suspicious around and the road is clear. Stop right in front of your gate. Do not switch off the vehicle, leave the key in the ignition, get out and close the door (not creating temptation). Then open the gate. Drive in and close the gate immediately behind

Vehicle tracking systems that can help
Besides allowing you to manage your fleet better, tracking systems, such as the "Ctrack Secure" offer a wide array of features. It doesn't matter how small your business is as a stolen vehicle may harm your damage in more ways than just the lost goods. Ctrack Secure includes features such as an automatically updated logbook, area alerts and an optional remote panic button.

Far more than mere vehicle recovery, Ctrack Vehicle Tracking offers a host of tracking and monitoring capabilities designed to ensure peace of mind for you, and security for your vehicle and family or business.
Ctrack uses the very latest GPS and GSM/GPRS location technology, to ensure that your vehicle is always visible and always operational. Unlike many other vehicle tracking systems, Ctrack continually monitors that your unit is fully functional, removing the inconvenience of having to perform self tests yourself.
See more at: http://www.arrivealive.co.za/Hijacking-Guidelines#sthash.BVvwj6FG.dpuf