tiguan on the highway

How to Best Protect Yourself against Vehicle Hijackings 

07/16/2026

July 2026

  • An average of 48 cars were reported hijacked in South Africa per day in 2025
  • Always remain vigilant, avoiding distractions, while behind the wheel
  • Plan your routes to avoid congestion and known trouble areas
  • Let others know your movements, including when to expect you
  • Favour well-lit parking areas and traffic intersections 

An unfortunate blight on South African society is the prevalence of vehicle hijackings, focused, though not confined to, densely populated cities. Though reduced in recent years due to the emergence of preventive measures, including focused policing, in 2025, an average of 48 vehicles were reported to be involved in a hijacking each day in this country.

With this statistic in mind, here are the best ways to protect yourself against potential vehicle hijacking in South Africa. 

Vigilance

While many associate an advanced driving course with learning to control a vehicle in high-performance scenarios or better handle adverse weather or road conditions, a key takeaway from such courses, including Volkswagen Advance Driving Academy’s innovative Night school and Defensive driving and Hi-jack prevention is extra vigilance and situational awareness when behind the wheel. This encourages drivers to anticipate scenarios, including traffic conditions, what other vehicles are in their immediate vicinity, and where something potentially doesn’t feel right, like being followed.

This vigilance extends to approaching and exiting your vehicle in a public setting, including shops and gyms, to note who might be watching or encroaching on your immediate surroundings. 

Planning

Route planning will help mitigate unwanted congestion, where your movements are restricted by slow-moving traffic, avoid known high-crime areas, or so-called hotspots, as well as the potential of getting lost in unfamiliar settings.

It’s generally best practice to place all valuables, including laptop backpacks and handbags, as well as electronic devices, out of sight while driving, to avoid drawing attention to your vehicle as a potential target for criminals, including smash-and-grab and hijacking scenarios. 

Communication

While modern tracking technology, including dedicated smartphone Apps and satellite-based devices linked to a vehicle, helps to let others know your whereabouts, where possible, it’s best to let people know your movements, including when you are scheduled to rendezvous with friends or relatives at a specific time and venue. This can also extend to sharing a journey, instead of travelling on your own, where you might be more vulnerable.

Keep pertinent telephone numbers, including relatives and relevant authorities, at hand while travelling, making it as easy as possible to call for assistance.

Lighting

Including a programmed delay on your vehicle’s headlamps after parking, a feature on most modern Volkswagens, and installing focused external lighting in your driveway or garage, manoeuvring your vehicle within a well-lit environment will generally discourage criminal elements from engaging, for fear of being identified or confronted by authorities.

This same principle applies while driving. As such, it’s best practice to remain on routes featuring well-maintained roadside lighting.

What to do in the event of a hijacking

Should you find yourself at the mercy of criminals, you must comply as best as possible, including surrendering anything that can ultimately be replaced. Instead, focus on getting yourself and all loved ones out of the vehicle timeously without aggravating an already highly volatile scenario.

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