Motorists urged to lock up while driving after spate of carjackings

A grandmother robbed of her car by knifepoint, a young man stabbed by an offender and other alarming carjackings across Queensland have sparked advice on how motorists to protect themselves.

Motorists are being urged by police to lock their car doors while driving, even on short trips down the road in the wake of violent carjackings across Queensland.

Terrifying incidents of drivers being held at knifepoint and stabbed by car thieves have sparked calls for vehicle doors to be locked when in use.

Two weeks ago a 65-year-old grandmother was followed in her car by a masked trio to her south Brisbane home and held her at knifepoint during a violent broad daylight driveway carjacking.

“I opened my garage and stopped my car, and they came straight away into my car door,” she said after the attack.

She said the group ran from across the road and into her garage before assaulting her and taking off with her black BMW.

Brisbane grandmother claims she was followed home by three people before a violent carjacking

Queensland Police advice for motorists is that door locking is one of several personal safety precautions to prevent car theft.

The advice comes as RACQ reported a spike in insurance claims for vehicle theft that topped $39 million in the previous financial year.

RACQ Chief Executive Insurance Trent Sayers said it was alarming to see a substantial year-on-year increase in claims.

“The best way to protect yourself is to always treat your keys like cash, never leave them lying around on a table or in plain sight at the beach,” he said.

“We continue to see car thefts occurring simply because people leave their keys in the car, so never leave your keys unattended in your vehicle or store spare keys inside.

“It’s equally important to keep your keys out of sight when you’re at home and away from entry points, so opportunistic thieves aren’t tempted.”

The biggest increases in car theft occurred in coast areas with a 160 per cent spike at the sunshine coast, year-on-year.

RACQ car claims were up 71 per cent in the Wide Bay, 62 per cent in Gold Coast, 41 per cent in Moreton Bay South and 14 per cent in Central Queensland.

The rest of Queensland experienced a drop in claims.

They were down 39 per cent in Inner City Brisbane, 88 per cent in Western Queensland, 9 per cent in Logan, 27 per cent in Mackay, 60 per cent in Toowoomba, 50 per cent in the Darling Downs and 19 per cent in Moreton Bay North.

Despite the drops, there have been several high-profile carjackings across Queensland in recent months.

Police have released vision of 2 offenders attempting to steal a car from a couple whilst they filled their car with fuel at a service station on Wednesday night in Yeronga, in Brisbane - Photo Supplied QLD Police

A 27-year-old New Beith man attempted to steal a white Ford Courier ute at Park Ridge on Wednesday about 2.20pm, in a bid to evade police.

Police were tracking the man in a stolen Subaru Forester and spiked his tire, so he fled on foot before allegedly attempting to pull the Courier driver from his ute.

In July a 25-year-old man was charged with attempted robbery after he allegedly threatened a couple who were waiting in their car.

It is alleged a fight then ensued between the two men, during which the 25-year-old was stabbed in the leg with his own knife.

He fled but was arrested a short time later.

A 26-year-old Logan man is alleged to have attempted to carjack a woman who was parked at a shopping centre at Woolloongabba on June 12.

The man allegedly demanded the vehicle, and the woman compiled without sustaining any physical injuries.

He fled in the car but crashed it a short time later and was arrested and charged with armed robbery.

Police also advise drivers to park in well-lit areas, keep any valuables out of sight and be wary of people loitering near your vehicle.

If you are being followed, or encounter an aggressive motorist, drive to a populated area, such as a service station, and seek assistance and if a passing motorist indicates that you should stop, continue driving to a populated area before getting out to check your vehicle.

Originally published as Motorists urged to lock up while driving after spate of carjackings