In the past if someone wanted to steal your car for a joy ride or use to commit a crime, they did so at night while you slept.
Or for that matter, they would steal your unattended car from a mall parking lot, while you shopped inside.
Things have changed! People are now being seriously injured and sometimes killed by carjackers.
In the blink of an eye, it could happen in your own driveway. Most carjackings happen in as little as 15 seconds. That 15 second timeframe is from start to finish.
The FBI has recently released some interesting facts about carjackers.
About 35,000 carjackings occur annually.
The carjacker is usually armed (77% percent of the time). Handguns were the most commonly used weapon in the completed offenses but not in the attempts.
Most carjackings occur between 8:00pm and 11:00pm, and nearly half of all carjackings happen on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Parking lots are the favorite areas for carjackers, followed by city streets, residential driveways, car dealerships, and gas stations.
How do they usually do it?
There are several different carjacking scenarios.
Carjackers can attack a motorist at a traffic light, gas station, parking lot, or any other area where a driver stops or exits their vehicle, even fast food drive-thrus.
Carjacking gangs often employ the old “bump and run” techniques in which the thieves in one car pull up behind an unsuspecting driver and bump their car.
When the driver gets out to inspect the damage, the thieves forcibly take control of the situation and the car.
Let me give you a quick profile of the kind of scum that’s usually doing this.
Another statistic worth noting is that the typical carjacking offender’s age was between 21 and 29.
About half (54%) of all completed or attempted carjackings were committed by groups of two or more offenders, so you have a pretty good chance of facing more than one offender should an attempt be made to carjack your vehicle!
A prepared and aware motorist might be able to defend himself from a lone unarmed carjacker, but the odds are against you if there are multiple carjackers who are armed.
What can you do to defend yourself against carjacking?
1. Keep all your doors locked in your vehicle, even if you’re only driving down the street to the local 7-Eleven.
2. When you’re at the gas station, turn off your car, no matter what, whether you pay at the pump or pay inside.
3. Always be aware of your surroundings. (Remember to exercise mental awareness.) As you approach your vehicle, glance underneath it to check for danger. Also, before you open your car door check the back seat for anyone who might have gotten in and be “hiding.”
4. Install an anti-theft device that has a “panic” button that you can activate if you sense trouble.
5. Drive in the center lane (if possible) when on highways; this reduces your chances of becoming a “bump and run” theft victim.
6. Seek out a good, unarmed self-defense instructor, and take your training seriously.
7. If you’re confronted with a carjacker(s) who is armed and intent on using deadly force against you, use your legally-concealed handgun to fend off the attack.