Don't be a hijacking victim

According to the National Hijacking Prevention Academy (NHPA), anti-theft technology is making it harder for criminals to steal locked vehicles, resulting in an increase in hijackings. “Vehicle hijacking is an organised business, run according to business principles…Specific vehicles with specific characteristics are ordered beforehand and efforts have to be made to meet the requirements of such orders,” the NHPA said. A hijacker is focused on doing a job, namely taking the vehicle, and one should not get in the way of that: don’t resist, argue or fight as this can result in injury or even death. Your life, and the lives of your loved ones, cannot be replaced. How do you avoid becoming the next victim? These are the hijackers’ latest tactics to watch out for, according to the SAPS, along with their tips on how to stay safe from this threat.

The latest hijacking hot-spots

Vehicle tracking and recovery provider Tracker has released its statistics for July 2018 to June 2019, showing significant trends in vehicle hijacking and theft. The data, sourced from Tracker’s 1.1 million installations, indicates that most activations for hijackings occur on Fridays between 11:00 and 13:00, followed by 20:00 to 23:00. Theft alarms are activated mainly on Saturdays between 12:00 and 14:00 (‘activated’ means that Tracker initiated recovery action). The majority of Tracker activations are in Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The South African Cities Network (SACN) found that the theft of vehicles and motorcycles is largely an urban crime; most cities have stayed above the national rate over the past 13 years, with Johannesburg, eThekwini and Ekurhuleni consistently being the top three cities for hijacking.

Congratulations to the Safire Baynesfield Classic winners!

The 2019 Safire Baynesfield Classic MTB & Trail took place on Sunday 15 September 2019, with lots of enthusiasm for the punishing new 15km hilly trail run and the new stretch of single track that was added to the 20km MTB route. Hardcore runners and riders alike pushed themselves to the limit, while the ‘we just wanna have fun’ folk made the most of the popular outing in the scenic countryside of the Baynesfield Estate, south of Pietermaritzburg. Congratulations are in order for the winners of the various events: 

Overall winners and first home for the 65km race were:

Men:   

1. Stuart Marais/King of the Mountain            

2. Andrew Hill             

3. Tyronne White

Ladies:

1. Christie-Leigh Hearder/Queen of the Mountain

2. Andrea de Boer

3. Nadine Nunes

Christie-Leigh Hearder had this to say: "The single track was awesome, I really enjoyed it. I tried to go as hard as I could...it's been an awesome day."

Where there's a will...

National Wills Week takes place between 16 and 20 September 2019, to highlight why it is vital to draw up and maintain a valid will. This ensures that your property and possessions are distributed according to your specific wishes. Failure to do so may cause distress and conflict between dependants and will not offer protection for those you love. A prime example is when a couple is not married but lives together in a steady relationship resembling a marriage. Should one partner die intestate (without leaving a valid will), his/her surviving partner will not be recognised as a spouse and will not be able to inherit from the deceased’s estate under intestate law. Updating a will is equally important, to include new partners in the case of a second marriage or a newly-born child, for example.

Enjoy the Safire Baynesfield Classic action all over again

Whether you were there or not, we know you'll love to see all of the Safire
Baynesfield fun!

That's Life

Spring has sprung! Happy gardening, everybody! 

Economic tidbits

The Insurer newsletter and the content of any article published herein, should not be construed as forming part of any insurance contract or policy nor as constituting any form of advice. It is aimed at providing an informal and informative read to the readers thereof. Whilst every effort is taken to attempt to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information contained herein, Safire Insurance Company Limited does not give any assurance regarding such accuracy or correctness and accordingly does not accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising from any reliance placed in the information contained herein.