Car jamming is a reality
Those car-jamming warning messages have been flooding our inboxes and phones, and most of us assumed it was a hoax. But the nightmare is a reality. Car jamming incidences have been increasing in recent months and show no signs of slowing down.
But what exactly is car jamming? Basically, criminals who spot a driver walking away from their parked car quickly interfere with the remote’s automatic locking button by using household remotes to block the vehicle remote sensor from reaching and locking the car. Through causing interruptions in the signal by the criminal’s household remote, the driver’s car is prevented from being locked, unbeknown to the driver. The criminals now have full and easy access to valuables in the vehicle, as well as the chance to steal your vehicle. With the frequency of car jamming occurring at shopping centres, open car parks and schools, no driver is safe.
Momentum Short-term Insurance’s focus strongly revolves around the message of safety, for motorists and the public at large. Head of Claims and Claims Support, Vickey Swanevelder advises, “The only way to protect yourselves from car jamming is to make sure that you personally check and double check your vehicle, to make sure that it is, in fact, properly locked and to remove valuables from your vehicle”.
When it comes to claims, car-jamming theft can be quite controversial. Momentum Short-term Insurance, however, works to treat all clients fairly and each claim in this instance will be looked at on a case-to-case basis.
Swanevelder has offered some tips to protect you from this criminal activity:
• Remove valuables from your vehicle.
• If there are valuables in your vehicle, keep them out of sight.
• Make sure you park in a busy area with security nearby.
• Have a working car alarm.
• Don’t keep your vehicle registration papers in it.
• Remove all house keys and access cards.
“Car jamming is a scary truth and it can happen to anyone. Be vigilant and make sure you are aware of your surroundings and your vehicle,” concludes Swanevelder.
