Between April 2007 and March 2008 there were 14 201 hijackings in South Africa. That's 39 per day. With odds like those — i.e. not good — knowledge is the answer.

For example, did you know that for every Mercedes C Class hijacked, five Nissan 1400 bakkies are taken? Or that more than half of hijackings happen in front of homes.

So, here's what you need to know — even if you don't want to.

SA's Top 10 hijacked cars

• Toyota Hiace
• Nissan 1400
• Toyota Hilux
• Toyota Venture
• Isuzu KB
• Toyota Corolla
• BMW 3 Series
• Nissan Hardbody
• VW Citi Golf
• Mercedes C Class
• VW Polo

Top 10 most vulnerable situations

• In front of private residences: 51 percent of hijackings
• Sitting in a parked car: 10 percent
• At traffic lights: 7 percent
• At a stop street or yield sign: 6 percent
• At business premises: 5 percent
• Forced off the road by decoys: 4 percent
• While taxis are loading or offloading passengers: 4 percent
• At shops, post offices, telephone booths, etc: 3 percent
• Parking: 2 percent
• While loading and offloading goods: 2 percent

But before you develop agoraphobia and never leave your house again, there are ways to reduce your chances of becoming another statistic. Essentially it amounts to staying alert and using common sense, says Inspector Riaan Steenkamp of Elsburg SAPS.

» On page 2: How to avoid a hijacking and what to do if you're a victim