Let us begin with an outline of typical scenarios, so that you can learn to recognise the signs as they ap­pear:-

• You stop on a busy street, due to traffic, men appear either side of your vehicle and approach simultaneously. One may be carrying a map and appearing to be about to ask you for directions, or they may well pretend to know each other so that they can gain proximity before showing their true aim . One may then use a centre-punch to shatter a side window quickly and then let them both into your car, laughing and pretending that all is well and so disarming any passers by.
• As you enter your vehicle in a car park, you are pushed from behind across to the passenger seat while your hijackers climb in alongside and behind you. They then drive you out of the car park. Alternatively, as you open your central locking and enter the vehicle, they do the same before you realise that they are there, and so force you to drive out of the car park.
• You stop at a queue of traffic , suddenly there is a thump as the vehicle behind hits your car - despite appearing to be driven normally. Nobody takes any notice and as you get out to survey the damage, the remaining traffic is moving and going around your vehicles. Nobody notices when you suddenly find yourself in their car and someone else returns to yours and drives off.
• You innocently stop for petrol, returning to your vehicle and driving out of the forecourt be­ fore you realise that in the back of the car is an armed man on the floor - who suddenly  pops up and makes you drive to where his colleagues are waiting.
• While driving down a country lane, you come across an accident scene. There may be more than one vehicle involved, one may be rolled onto it's side and there could be "injured" par­ ties at the scene who are beckoning for help. This is a difficult one to ignore as your com­ passion is so strong. However, as soon as you exit your vehicle you are suddenly aware that they are uninjured and are brandishing weapons.

These are just some basic examples of actual hijackings from recent years and are by no means the  only methods, but they do show a common theme. That is to find a way of making the vehicle stop or to take advantage of it already being stopped for whatever reason. The vulnerability that you should feel in traffic in terms of suffer ing a rear-end collision or other accident should be multiplied if there is a risk of anybody wishing to hijack you. It is no "accident " if you are suddenly made to stop against your will in  the most extreme circumstances or at a surprisingly remote location. Often the only salvation is that the roads are becoming increasingly busy and the opportunities for such isolation are becoming increasingly rare. This is why so many hijacks are now performed in broad daylight in a crowded urban street - with­out witnesses!