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Before getting into the car, glance at inside
to look for any intruder hiding there, specially the foot space for the
rear passengers. |
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Keep the car doors locked from inside
throughout the journey even when the window shutters are down.
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If the car is idling or stopped at an
intersection or in a jam etc. roll up the shutters specially if it happens
to be dark or secluded area. |
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If someone signals you to stop, do not oblige,
specially if it is a dark or secluded area or there are women in the car. |
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If you feel that it is necessary to talk to
the person signaling to stop your car, do so but keep the engine running,
lower the window shutter just enough to talk. Remember: while there may be
a genuine situation requiring your help, it can also turn to be a rouse to
deprive you of your valuables or the car or both. |
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If you feel you have flat tyre and you are in
lonely or a dark place, then do not stop to take a look or replace, drive
on till you are in safer area or at least reasonably away from the place
where you first noticed the problem. In such situation do try to see if
you are being followed. The puncture might have been caused by miscreants
to force you to stop, with intention of robbing. The normal modus-operandi
is to stretch a barbed wire across the road in a not so visible spot. |
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Stop to inspect the roadside accident scene or
to intervene in a quarrel, if you have to. Inform the police of the
incident and its location if you have a mobile or car phone. If not,
inform a policeman as soon as you spot one. Sometimes, you can do bigger
service by informing the police and not intervening yourself. |
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Do not shout or jeer at a defaulting driver of
another car and simply mind your own driving. Your shouting can only draw
an adverse reaction. Erring drivers only learn the hard way. |
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If your car meets with an accident, it is your
statutory duty to stop and see if any injured person is required to be
taken for medical aid. However if you think your own safety will be in
danger if you were to stop, then and only then drive on and inform the
police at the earliest opportunity. If you stop at the scene of accident,
do not enter into arguments with the other party. Simply leave your
details and take the same from the other party if you want to make a
counter claim. Leave it to your insurance company to settle the claim.
This is what your car insurance is meant for. Normally, you are required
to inform the nearest Police station within 24 hours of being involved in
an accident. |
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Patience, Patience and Patience, without
getting into arguments can save many accidents turning into brawls. |
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In hit-and-run cases do not try to be follow
the vehicle. It is better to note down the number and inform Police
immediately. They are better equipped to chase and stop such vehicles. |
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Be very careful while reversing. Many
accidents take place when you least expect it. If children are playing
around your car & you have to reverse it, then only fool-proof method
to ensure that no children are hiding under the car is by counting the
children before getting in the car & then counting them from inside
the car before reversing. If you cannot locate all the children then there
is a chance that one of them is under or behind your car. This may sound
cumbersome but then this is the only safe way. |
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Do not leave valuable and attractive items
like mobile phone camera computer note book hand bag etc. in your car in a
manner that these can be easily seen from outside. Even if it is an empty
bag or an empty camera box, you may find that your car window has been
smashed or door forced open. |
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Visible expensive items are a source of
attraction to tricksters at traffic intersections. Avoid display of
mobile-phone etc. on the car dash board. |
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Keep the valuables hidden even if someone is
sitting in the car. There are tricksters in the car parks who are experts
in diverting your attention by pointing to something fallen on the ground
or telling you that you have a flat tyre. While you make a check on this,
your belongings in the vehicle would have vanished. Apart from a sense of
loss, you would feel foolish. Be wary of such tricksters. |
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In some of the cars the fuel pipe from tank to
the engine is easily accessible from the outside. At Red Lights the tricksters
cut this fuel supply - it takes just a few seconds. The car would stop
after going for a 100 meters or so for want of fuel. The tricksters will
then have you at their mercy. In a real case, in such situation, the
trickster offered to repair the vehicle. He asked the owner to look at the
engine while he tries to start the car. The car did start and vanished
with the trickster leaving the owner wonder stuck. |
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Another red-light trick is to block the
exhaust of the car with a wooden piece or just with a 'bhutta'. In such
case the car will stop almost immediately making the owner vulnerable. |
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One of the car-part trick is to loosen the
tyre bolts. When the car is driven, it further loosens the nuts and
eventually could even lead to loss of tyre. Normally, the loose tyre shall
make enough noise to stop the owner and this gives opportunity to the
tricksters. |
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If you have to leave your vehicle very
briefly, do not leave the car keys in the ignition switch even if there is
someone sitting in the car. Take the keys with you even if you are not
inclined to lock the car. In an actual case in Delhi, a person went to buy
fruits at a roadside stall along with his driver leaving his wife reading
a book in the back seat. The car was open and the car keys were left in
the ignition switch. Four criminals entered the car, two held the lady at
the back seat at a dagger point and two sat in front and drove off in the
car. The whole operation was so swift that the husband and the driver
noticed it only when the car was speeding away from the scene. |
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In another case, in a 5 star hotel parking,
the driver, with keys in ignition a driver was happily sleeping. Upon
awakening he noticed that the
keys were not there. After brief searching, he went to inform the owner in
the hotel. Upon returning the car was also gone!! |
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Keep changing the route between your house and
work place or other places frequently visited by you or your family
members. This should be done randomly even if it means a longer route.
This is particularly relevant to persons vulnerable to or under threat of
kidnapping. Also see "ARE YOU BEING SHADOWED"
(15).
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If your car develops a problem, avoid stopping
at a secluded or otherwise unsafe place if you can. If the car stops due
to breakdown, call up help on your mobile phone, if possible. If not, you
have two options. Raise the hood of your car, switch on emergency lights
and wait for help from a passing car. If you are a woman, better wait for
help inside the car after locking it up especially at night. The other
option is to lock up the car and walk up to the nearest telephone booth or
the nearest inhabited place to call up help. |
lift in a passing vehicle you might get into a new and more serious
problem without having solved the earlier one. It may even be better to
let go the fist vehicle that offers lift as this may be part of the plan
of the tricksters. See what is more probable and decide.
You would appreciate that having a mobile or
car phone while traveling has its own advantages.
