Car theft remains a concern in South Africa, particularly in urban areas where crowded streets and busy intersections provide a haven for criminals. That’s why we as South Africans tend to be more vigilant than most when it comes to our own safety, as well as that of our belongings.
For instance, most of us know better than to simply click our remotes as we walk away from our cars. We know that there’s a chance that just out of sight, there could be a criminal watching so that they can click their own device and block our cars’ central locking system, keeping it open and available for the taking.
Fortunately, there are several countermeasures you can take to safeguard your car and prevent car jamming.
Vigilance and awareness
While car jamming is a subtle process, it’s still possible to notice when something is amiss. Always be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour or individuals lurking around.
Take 2 seconds to double check
Don’t click and walk away. This sounds obvious, but really, the simplest way to prevent remote jamming is to try the door and boot to make sure that they’re both locked, and then walk away.
Rather make it a habit to always double-check that your car is locked before walking away from it.
Move your car
Let’s say that your car isn’t locking when you click the remote. It’s possible that your remote battery is dead or dying, but it’s also possible that someone nearby is trying their luck with a jamming device. In this situation, we suggest that you get back into your car, move to a different spot, and try your remote again. You might even want to go somewhere else entirely for your own safety, but before you leave, alert security about the incident.
Report suspicious behaviour
If you’ve noticed any suspicious behaviour or individuals, or you’ve had to move your car to check that there’s no remote jamming interfering with your locking system, please go to the police, nearby security, or centre management and report this to them.
Get a remote jamming detector
Remote jamming detectors can be a bit pricey, but compared to the cost of a car, it’s not that bad. And having your own remote jamming detector means that you’ll be alerted to any jamming activity happening close to your car.
Consider physical locks plus immobilisers
It’s a good idea to invest in physical locks and immobilisers, which can provide an additional layer of protection against car theft. Steering wheel locks and gear locks, for example, can prevent thieves from driving off with what might be your biggest financial asset.
Go extra with anti-theft devices
Consider installing anti-theft devices such as GPS trackers and car alarms to deter thieves and make it easier to track down your car in the event of theft.
Remove the eye candy
In addition to these measures, it’s also a good idea to be mindful of your personal belongings when driving. Don’t leave valuables in plain sight, because sometimes the trigger for thieves is seeing all the extras they could make off with in addition to your car.
In fact, as an added precaution you could take out a portable possessions insurance policy, like this 1 right here, to cover things like cellphones, laptops, handbags, and other expensive goodies that go out and about with you.
Consider a back-up plan
Ultimately, if your car is stolen you can easily recover your losses by claiming from your car insurance policy. Depending on your budget, you may be in the market for cheap third party, fire and theft car insurance, which literally only covers the cost of replacing your car if it’s stolen and not found, the cost of another person’s repairs if you get into an accident with them and, of course, the cost of repairing or replacing the car if there’s a fire.
Alternatively, you could get comprehensive car insurance which covers all that and heaps more, like this option here.
Posted in partnership with King Price Insurance
