Personal safety while driving
Be mindful of your surroundings is a cornerstone of our crime prevention messaging. This includes the time we spend in our vehicles.
Carjacking's can and do happen in an instant.
Carjacking is a crime of opportunity-a thief will search for the most vulnerable prey and use force to steal their vehicle. Criminals do not target one specific demographic group. Most carjackers are armed when they commit these crimes, and that makes it particularly dangerous.
Carjacking's can happen anywhere, but thee are the most likely locations:
- High crime areas.
- Lesser-travelled roads, including those in rural areas.
- Intersections that require you to stop.
- Isolated areas in parking lots.
- Residential driveways and gates.
- Traffic jams or congested areas.
TakeAction and lessen the risks
- Stay alert at all times and be aware of your surroundings.
- Avoid driving alone, especially at night.
- Drive in well-lit areas and on main roads at night.
- Keep all doors locked and windows up when driving.
- Keep valuables out of site.
- When making deliveries, shut the car off and lock the doors. Don’t get out of vehicle unless you have to.
- When stopped at traffic light, leave enough space between vehicles to allow you to maneuver around vehicles.
- If you are meeting someone new through a social networking, dating or a buy-and-sell site, make a point of meeting them in a public place where other people are around. You leave yourself and your property at risk, meeting someone new in your vehicle.
If it happens to you
If you are threatened by a carjacker no matter the weapon, don’t put yourself in danger. Your life is worth more than a vehicle. Get away as fast as you can and call 911. Try and remember what the carjacker looked like.
We all have a role to play in crime prevention.