Carjacking |  | "It
changed everything... the innocence of my children."
Gail Simpson | Carjacking
reconstruction |
Carjacking Cars are now more
secure than they've ever been - and vehicle thefts have fallen by about 11 per
cent in the last few years. Factory fitted alarms, immobilisers and deadlocks
mean cars are now much harder to steal. But there's still one weak spot
- carjacking. Hijacking is on the increase according to every motoring organisation.
Thieves now understand that compared to the time and risk involved in hot
wiring a car, getting the key is much simpler. And the easiest target is
the driver... Victims of carjacking Matt
Smith is a 16 stone, six foot three tall flanker with Sedgely Park Rugby Club
and he's used to physical aggression. But he wasn't prepared for what happened
on the night he stopped outside a friend's house in his brand new car.  | | Risk
of attack - carjacking can happen to anybody |
He was the victim
of carjackers who attacked him so they could steal his vehicle. Matt needed
22 stitches to his wounds - but no one has ever been arrested. There was
nothing Gail Simpson could do either when her car was taken - with her children
still inside.
As they returned home from a swimming gala, her daughters
- aged 10 and 13 - stayed in the car as Gail went to open her garage. Gail
and her daughters escaped with a few cuts and bruises - the car jacker has never
been caught. But the mental scars of that evening remain with them. World
wide problem
Car jacking is a world wide problem - and measures
to tackle the issue are now being developed. Inside Out visited a remote
Ministry of Defence air base where one company is using hostile environment training
to teach government agency drivers how to deal with it. ArmorGroup uses
former Special Forces personnel, including the SAS, to show drivers how to recognise
threats - and how to respond to them.  | | Top
advice - learning how to deal with the carjackers |
Inside Out
went on the course to learn some evasive driving tips. The ex-Special Forces
trainers explain how you should keep your windows and doors closed if you're suspicious. But
it's still all too easy to lose your vehicle, especially if you let down your
guard.
Technology could be one solution to dealing with car jackers. A
will soon be launching
a device which will disable a car's engine if it doesn't stay within a few feet
of a small transmitter, like a keyfob, which the owner holds. If the car's
taken without the transmitter, the car will start to slow, acting as a disincentive
to potential carjackers. As well as technology, the best piece of advice
is to be extra vigilant when driving - lock the doors, close windows and be alert. Links
relating to this story:The 成人快手 is not responsible for the
content of external websites | 
听听Inside
Out - North West: Friday February 2, 2007
