Car jamming in school parking lots on the rise
Car jamming is certainly on the increase. Even our editor, Juliet McGuire, fell victim to it last week and the footage of Juliet being car jammed went viral.
Alexander Forbes Insurance sent out a press release alerting the public to the increase of car jamming incidence at school car parks especially in the Johannesburg and Midrand areas.
South Africans are cautioned to be vigilant and aware when dropping off and collecting their children from school.
This is how easy it is to be car jammed
Car jamming occurs when criminals block a car’s remote by using an appliance that operates on the same frequency. “It is official, the signal from an electronic gate controller could interfere with your remote vehicle locking system,” says Gari Dombo, MD of Alexander Forbes Insurance.
Most manufacturers of car and gate remotes use a fixed frequency of 433MHz. If two remote controls operating on the same frequency are activated simultaneously and within range of each other, the signals they are transmitting can interfere with each other with the result that the vehicle may not lock when you expect it to.
Dombo encourages policy holders to read the fine print of their policies as most policies will not cover property stolen from your vehicle where there has not been forced entry. Other policies only cover property that is locked in the boot.
Dombo recommends that drivers take the following precautions when parking their car:
- Don’t walk away from your car unless you have actually heard the car lock – or seen the light flicker confirming that the car is locked.
- Physically check that your doors and boot are locked.
- Lock away all your valuables so that they are not visible to thieves.
Adding visible security accessories, like a gear or steering wheel lock may deter thieves from stealing the vehicle.
However, until we find a solution to car jamming, we recommend that you follow the precautions outlined above, suggests Dombo.