Forgetting to lock your car is one thing but having your car signal jammed is another. Many will warn you about car-jamming but only few know how it works.
If you’re one of the few that still lock your car manually by inserting the key and turning it, you probably have less chance of being remote jammed, keep it up!
But for those who do just click the button and walk away, here are 2 points to think about:
1. Accidents happen – What happens if you accidentally clicked the “UNLOCK” button instead of the “LOCK” button? (“oops” isn’t a good answer)
2. Awareness – Do you ever think that there is a sneaky creature lurking in the distance? A potential criminal holding down a button on nothing more easily accessible than a garage remote. While the thief holds down the garage remote button, he prevents your “LOCK” command from reaching your car. (I wouldn’t blame you if you answered no, we don’t always want to have our guard up but in this case, it’s necessary)
After surfacing these thoughts, you probably want to know more about the science behind car-jamming.
How does car-jamming work?
• When you remote lock your car, you are sending a command signal from your remote to your car.
• This command is carried from your remote to the vehicle through a radio frequency.
• Car-jammers purposefully block the radio frequency for your “LOCK” command to not reach your car.
• Drivers who don’t follow the suggested steps would end up leaving their vehicle unlocked, giving criminals free access to do and take what they like during your absence.
Now that you know how easy it is to jam the command signal, find out how easy it is to make sure this doesn’t happen to you with using three of your five senses.
3 quick steps to stop crooks from car-jamming your vehicle:
1. Hear – Listen for the sound that your car gives off when it locks.
2. See – Wait and watch the car lights flash to indicate it is locked.
3. Touch – Physically try to open your door to ensure it doesn’t open.
The keys to vehicle safety are being present and being patient. When we are rushing to get from destination “car” to destination “not by car” this is when we are not fully concentrating on making sure our cars are locked.
Watch this video of a news reporter from Eye Witness News testing how easy it is to car jam shoppers in South Africa.
Sources
Mkhize, V. (2019). The science of car jamming. [online] Ewn.co.za. Available at: https://ewn.co.za/2015/03/24/The-Science-Of-Car-Jamming-Special-Report [Accessed 10 Mar. 2019].
Van der Post, J. (2019). WATCH: Here’s how car-jamming works in SA. [online] Wheels. Available at: https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/Guides_and_Lists/watch-heres-how-car-jamming-works-in-sa-20160307 [Accessed 10 Mar. 2019].
