During the past week, the Arrive Alive website received several requests for information on so-called hijacking and smash-and-grab “hotspots”. Since we do not collect this data ourselves we approached some of our colleagues from the vehicle tracking and security companies.
This also resulted in a rather interesting discussion with one of these companies willing to share some data.
Data on Vehicle Theft in Gauteng from one such tracking company included the following:
The comment that sparked the discussion was the following:
“Recently we have seen some “different” hijacking points…….and we are wondering if our stats impact on this….in other words, do these thugs learn from our stats…what do you think….??
I know, better warning public….but still…??”
We are fully aware that sharing this data should never be done to merely create a post that will attract eyeballs and traffic to a website. These crimes are however also a very real threat to many South Africans and we firmly believe that an informed road user is a safer road user! There are also several comments from the public to the effect that there should never be a sign of a crime “hotspot” as it would indicate that enforcement officials are simply not doing their job!
The benefits of sharing data on these “Hotspots” are
- More public awareness of specific high-risk areas.
- Increased enforcement activities in those areas.
It may also not be such a bad idea to find that these “Hotspots” have moved. It could be that these criminals may:
- Have been informed that the area is regarded as a high-risk area.
- Could be expecting increased enforcement in the area once such an area is identified as a “hotspot”.
- Observed motorists to be more vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
The best safety advice remains to treat every stop as a high- risk area and to remain alert and vigilant at all times!
We will remain committed to making our road users more informed and sharing information on how to be more defensive and protect ourselves on the roads!
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