04 Sep Car jamming
A part of our lives
Incidents of remote jamming or car jamming have been on the increase for some time now and have implications on insurance claims. The absence of evident forcible entry into the vehicle resulting in the theft of contents is often a cause for dispute when it comes to a claim.
Hugo van Zyl, CEO: Insurance Crime Bureau, says that crimes such as theft out of motor vehicles, theft of a motor vehicle, hijacking of vehicles/trucks and cargo, house and business robberies are all committed by using remote jamming.
Santam’s position on remote or car jamming
Santam will investigate all incidents of alleged remote jamming on a claim by claim basis. For a vehicle theft claim to be paid, the insurer only requires that the vehicle is locked. Santam assesses each remote jamming incident on its own merits and claims are handled accordingly.
The fact that a vehicle was not broken into (or where there was no physical or visible damage to a vehicle) is not proof that it was never locked. When a policyholder states that the vehicle was locked at the time of the incident, the onus of proving that the vehicle was not locked becomes the responsibility of the insurer. Only in instances where the insurer is able to prove that a vehicle was not locked, will the insurer reject a claim.
Some tips from Santam
- Double check that your vehicle is locked by testing the doors after pressing the immobiliser button.
- Test all immobiliser devices and security systems at regular intervals.
- Make sure that personal items such as sunglasses, cell phones and even groceries are stored in a locked boot
- Wherever possible always take expensive electronics with you when you leave your vehicle.
- Park your car in a secure car park where there are other vehicles and security personnel.
- Report suspicious-looking people to security or move your car to a safer place.
Hugo explains that many major shopping malls, as well as petrol station stops on South Africa’s national roads, have installed anti-jamming systems, which prevent thousands of jamming incidents daily.
“Despite measures such as some major shopping malls installing anti-jamming systems, this phenomenon remains a part of our daily lives and vigilance is the golden rule,” warns Hugo.
*Extracts from content sourced and reproduced from Santam’s Integrity magazine.