WATCH: Akon's hijacking ordeal and tips to stay safe
Since there has been an increase in hijackings since the beginning of 2021, it's important to be prepared on how to handle this situation if it ever happens to you.
Do you remember South Africa's best transporter, Leo Prinsloo? He was the one who was caught on camera evading criminals after they were trying to hijack the cash-in-transit vehicle he was driving.
Well, he's been interviewed and shared some important facts about what he went through and how he handled it so well. We think it will benefit all of us to know how to handle such a situation, considering we live in a world that is crime ridden.
LISTEN to Akon's 911 call when his car got stolen on Wednesday (courtesy of YouTube):
Prinsloo told News24: "There is nothing that can really prepare you 100% for a situation like that." We have got to say that watching him handle it in such a confident manner sure makes us feel like we could do with some tips.
Nerves of steel, could be one of them? In most crime scenarios, we are told that we should remain calm, but actually staying calm after being in that type of hype, can be challenging.
Prinsloo reveals in an interview with eNCA that pre-visualising what he would do in such a situation helped him respond to the circumstances in the way he did.
Watch the video below (courtesy of YouTube) of the interview with Prinsloo:
Prinsloo does the CIT driving job as a sideline source of income and runs his own firearm training academy. He was part of the Police Special Task Force, but left them in 2004.
After all the hype surrounding Prinsloo's calm throughout the chaos, a Wheels24 reader shared some tips on how to handle a potential hijacking. He went through an attempted hijacking recently and wanted to share his experience with others on how to best approach this situation.
He spoke about timing - it's most likely that if someone is going to hijack you, they are timing you and following so that they can find a pattern, so be aware and wary of your surroundings.
Then distance, very often we go far too close to the cars in front of us, even when stopping at a traffic light. He advises that we leave a gap from all sides as well as not getting too close to cars in front of you when driving, as they could potentially block you in.
The goal for hijackers is generally to acquire your vehicle, so if you drive a high-risk vehicle, be aware and also learn how to defend your vehicle. He spoke about attending defensive driving or anti-hijacking courses that could be on offer in your area.
The reality is that it may not always be possible to be prepared for such a stressful situation, but staying aware and preparing yourself into following certain habits can help you in the long run. So practice being prepared, it will become habitual, be vigilant and remember to let them take what they want, your life is priceless.
Image Courtesy of YouTube