ACCORDING to recent crime stats, there’s been a decrease in car theft.
But on average, 44 cars were stolen every day.
This means parasites still want to live off the hard work of others.
As such, the tracking and telematics industry is growing significantly and helping car owners from falling prey to such thugs.
Nhlanhla was hijackedin Diepkloof, Soweto, and forced into the car to make sure he didn’t call the cops.
“They asked me to lie on the floor while they looked for the tracker.”
They kept asking him where the tracker was.
“They drove with me to the west of Joburg, “After struggling to find it, they dropped me off in a veld and told me to go home.
“As soon as I got away from them I phoned the tracking company, which soon located my car.”
Itumeleng Matshego, managing director at Legratron Electronics, said a lot of technology and development had gone into combating car theft.
Successful recoveries don’t only depend on drivers informing tracking companies.
“Instead, monitoring of your normal driving behaviour can send alerts when the system determines that a potential hijacking has occurred.
“If the system detects a change in your driving style, an alert is sounded,” he said.
“We also use geofence technology to determine when a car enters a high-risk area or when it moves outside of pre-defined areas.”
He said insurance companies have acknowledged the potential of tracking units to reduce the loss of cars on the economy and the individual.
“Many make it mandatory to have a tracking system installed as a result. Legratron works with numerous insurers who provide various benefits, including premium reductions, to individuals who have tracking units.”
Drivers are encouraged to always be on alert and avoid risky areas, where possible.
“The important thing is that you know what to do and how to respond. “There are various anti-hijack courses on the market that could be life-changing should you encounter this traumatic scenario,” he said.
