Vehicle jamming still a major issue in South Africa

Hannes Smith, Head of Personal Lines Sales & Operations at Old Mutual Insure.

For any South African, becoming a statistic in the country’s rising vehicle jamming figures is a very real danger. Over the past three years, the country has experienced a significant amount of vehicle jamming incidents, also known as remote blocking.

Vehicle jamming or remote blocking happens when criminals block a vehicle’s remote signal by simply pressing down on a gate remote while the vehicle owner presses down on their immobiliser to activate the vehicle alarm and the central locking.

“Most vehicle and gate remotes operate on the same frequency, making it easier to interfere with the signals. Thus, a driver will be under the impression they’ve locked their vehicle while they haven’t,” explains Hannes Smith, Head of Personal Lines Sales & Operations at Old Mutual Insure.

Old Mutual Insure urges all South Africans to be vigilant when exiting their vehicles and to make sure it is properly locked.

“Don’t just press your vehicle alarm and walk away. Always make sure by testing to see if you can open your vehicle door after activating the alarm. If your door opens, get in and drive away. Chances are that the criminals are watching you from nearby,” says Smith. Not only can it be traumatic to fall victim to vehicle jamming, but it could also be very costly.

Due to the increase in incidents of remote blocking, Old Mutual Insure policies cover items stolen from unoccupied motor vehicles, even if there are no visible signs of forced entry, provided some conditions are met. Previously, these policies only compensated customers for items stolen from unattended vehicles only if there were visible signs of forced entry. Due to the increased prevalence of remote blocking incidents and customer feedback, Old Mutual Insure has changed its stance and we do compensate losses even if there are no visible signs of forced entry. However, this is subject to certain terms and conditions.

Don’t be a victim of remote blocking, follow these easy steps:

• Do not leave any valuable items in your vehicle. If there are any, do not leave it in a place where it is easily visible, such as the front seat. Rather make sure any valuables are locked in the boot or a hidden compartment.
• Do not rely on sound only and assume that your vehicle is locked. Watch the vehicle lock whilst listening to hear for the distinctive “bleep”.
• Before walking away, press the immobiliser and check the door handle to make sure the vehicle is locked.
• Park as close to the entrance of the shopping centre as possible as there are always a lot of people and movement in this area
• Be aware of suspicious individuals lingering around the parking area.