Every 40 seconds, a car or truck is stolen
in the United States.
That's almost 800,000 stolen
vehicles every year.
Instead of stealing parked
or unoccupied vehicles, criminals take
running cars from drivers,
usually by force and at gunpoint.
Carjackings are becoming more common
these days because the security
in cars is more sophisticated.
Thieves can no longer just break in
and hotwire your car.
The engine has to be running.
So, if you want to survive a carjacking,
follow these steps.
These next few steps will help prevent you
from being carjacked in the first place.
Carjacking is a crime of opportunity.
Most carjackers prefer to work at night.
And dark areas like parking lots
and intersections with poor lighting
are their favorite spots.
Pay attention to your surroundings
at all times.
Look for things that might be
out of the ordinary.
You may assume that carjackings happen
in high-crime areas.
But more than ever, carjackings are
happening in the wealthier,
so-called safer places.
This is not surprising since vehicles in
these areas are more expensive, and they
tend to have costly objects in them.
You'll also need a plan for emergencies.
Park your car in well-lit
and well-populated areas.
Avoid parking next to big vans or other
objects that will obscure a witness's view.
The goal is to park in a place where many
people can see you.
Park close to parking garage exits,
and back into parking spaces.
Backing in will make it easier for you to
drive away in case of an emergency.
About 92% of carjackings happen when
the victim is alone in the car.
So, get in and out of your car
with purpose.
When you're walking to your vehicle,
keep looking around.
Before you get in the car, look inside.
Scan both the front and back seats.
As soon as you climb in the driver's seat,
lock the doors, and get moving.
Don't fiddle with your phone or the radio.
The same goes for when you're getting
out of the car.
As soon as you stop, get out, lock the door,
and get moving to your destination.
Try to limit your phone usage, especially
when you're walking to your car and while
you're sitting in your car.
Your phone distracts you from paying
attention to your surroundings,
which increases your chances
of being carjacked.
If you're pulling into a drive-through,
do not put your car in park.
Keep it in drive with your
foot on the brake.
When stopped at a stoplight, be sure you
can see the tires of the car in front of you.
This will put enough space between you
and the vehicle ahead of you that you can
steer and drive away if some bad dude
tries to take your car.
This is very difficult for many people to
do, but no car is worth your life.
About 90% of carjackings involved
the use of a weapon, typically a firearm.
Try not to panic and keep breathing.
Remember that the carjacker is not
looking for trouble and only
wants your vehicle.
So it's best to give them what they want.
College sophomore Bobby Christman was
sitting in his friend Jenn's parked car near
a nightclub in downtown St. Louis.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
An attacker forced open the back door
to grab Jenn's purse.
When Christman, who was sitting in the
front passenger seat, tried to intervene,
the carjacker shot Bobby in the head.
He died at the hospital.
If you have a child in the car, make that
very clear to the carjacker.
Remember that a child means more
trouble for the thief, so they do not want
to take the car with a child sitting in it.
If your child can walk, tell them to get out
of the vehicle carefully and stay as far
away as possible.
If they can't get out by themselves, try to
reach the back seat and get them out.
Do not leave children in the car.
The bumper tap is a trick that some
carjackers use to create an opportunity
to get you out of the vehicle.
If you are all alone in this scenario,
just drive to the nearest police station.
Sometimes, criminals will place a $20 bill
on your windshield.
Don't fall for this trick.
Stay in your car.
They are trying to get you out of the car
so that they can get in.
If this happens, do not try
and block the vehicle.
You could get run over.
If you are being carjacked and there's
nothing you can do about it,
get out of the car.
If your carjacker tells you to move over
and stay in the car, don't.
Do whatever you can to get out.
Try to control whatever weapon your
attacker is using and fight back.
Keep pepper spray in your glove
compartment as your first line of defense.
Gouge their eyes, stomp on their feet,
knee their groin.
You'll need to fight like your life depends
on it because your carjacking is about to
escalate to a kidnapping.
In some cases, a carjacker may take you
back to your house, where they can use
your keys to gain entry to your home
and take whatever they want.
Lie to them about where you live.
Tell them you live in a large housing
compound or a gated community that has
multiple security guards.
You want to dissuade them from invading
your home and, more importantly,
kidnapping you.
But if you get kidnapped, don't worry.
We've got the perfect video for you.
To be prepared and stay alive,
keep watching How to Survive.