Pretoria - With the holidays fast approaching, South Africans have been warned not to kick back when it comes to their security.
Instead, extra security measures have been advised to ensure homes are safe while people are holidaying and that every precaution is taken while on the country's roads.
The following tips from the South African Police Service and Business Against Crime are suggested to keep your home safe while you are away:
* Check that your alarm system is working properly before you go on holiday
* Close and lock all windows and doors and ensure all windows have burglar guards
* Fit suitable locks and bolts to all sliding doors as a means to prevent burglars from lifting the glass off its tracks - the most common method for break-ins
* Do not leave an out-of-town message on your answering machine, door or post box
* Ask some one to clear your post box every few days while you are away or alternatively get a house sitter
* Cancel newspaper deliveries for the period you are away
* Do not leave keys on the inside of doors or hidden under doormats, in flowerpots, etc
* Never leave tools in your garden or an unlocked garden shed that would help intruders break into your home.
If you are staying home this festive season make provision for good outside lighting, but switch the lights off during the day. Outside lights that are on during the day are signs that no one is home.
Never open the door automatically whenever the bell rings or if someone knocks. Make completely sure the person wanting to enter is expected.
A watchdog is a good early warning system. Keep it visible as a deterrent but beyond the reach of strangers. The unexplainable death of a watchdog is a warning sign of a possible burglary. If your house alarm goes off; you hear strange noises; or the dogs bark switch on the outside lights.
When approaching your house entrance by foot or by car ensure that it is safe to enter and that you have not been followed. Be aware of persons loitering at the entrance. If you buy luxury goods, cut up the boxes and dispose of these in tied black bags - a branded box is a telltale sign of what thieves could find in your house.
The police have also urged holiday-makers not to drink and drive and adhere to the rules of the road.
