With thugs pretending to be police and police often acting like thugs, the public often is uneasy when they get pulled over, especially at night.
While it is a serious offence not to pull over, Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) now have formalised a guideline to deal with the situation should a motorist feel unsafe in such a situation.
This protocol is released as is – in the public interest and neither JPSA nor the RTMC can accept any liability whatsoever for any deviation from it by any person, the two organisations state in their disclaimer.
• When indicating to the occupant/s of the vehicle following you that you wish to have them follow you to a place of safety, slow down and turn on your hazard lights and extend your right arm out of the window and with an outspread hand extended into the air with your forearm at 90 degrees from your shoulder; gesture for them to follow you by moving your forearm forward and back to the upright, and repeat this action several times.
• Drive at no more than 40km/h and proceed directly to the closest police station or public place with CCTV cameras.
• Do not drive to your own or a friend’s home as this may endanger you and your loved ones if those following you are not genuine police.
• If you have a cellphone with you, call 10111 and tell them that you are being followed and are proceeding to the closest police station or public place. If you are not sure where the closest police station is, you can ask the 10111 operator.
• If possible, provide the registration number of the vehicle that is following you so it may be established if it is a legitimate police vehicle or not.
• If you go to a police station, when you get there and if there are no police personnel in sight outside, hoot for as long as it takes for someone to come out.
• Remain in your vehicle with the engine running, in gear and your windows wound up until such time as police from the station come out to you.
• Cooperate fully with police personnel from that police station and the officers from the vehicle that followed you and explain immediately that you felt intimidated and therefore proceeded directly to the police station.
• If you go to a service station, drive onto the forecourt (centre of the service station) where the pumps or the convenience shop are so you will be in full view of the cameras.
• Cooperate fully with the officers from the vehicle that followed you and explain immediately that you felt intimidated and therefore proceeded directly to the service station.
• No matter what, if you are shouted at, do not respond by shouting back. Also be careful not to respond to any potentially violent acts by resisting in any way or becoming violent yourself. Remain calm and respectful and explain.
For a more elaborate version visit www.jp-sa.org.
