This is the third in our series on the four rules for maximizing your chances of surviving a violent encounter. We have already learned that the first rule is to react immediately and the second rule is to resist. We now go on to the third rule:

This is the rule that requires the most explanation, but once we have looked at it for a few minutes, you will see that it is really just common sense. With many violent crimes, there are two crime scenes. The first crime scene is where you initially encounter your attacker. The second crime scene is where your attacker takes you. When an attacker takes you to a second crime scene, he is taking you somewhere where he is less likely to be seen. He is also taking you where you are less likely to be able to escape and where the likelihood of intervention by a third party is reduced. The second crime scene is a horrible place to be. Second crime scenes are usually places of rape, murder, sadism and/or torture.

You may think you don’t have options, but that is rarely true when you understand the serious nature of crime scene number two. According to San Diego District Attorney Paul Pfingst: “Murder is one thing, but torture, mayhem, and savagery-it takes more time for these crimes. Every torture case I have prosecuted involved a victim isolated and completely controlled”. Robbery and crime involving the mere taking of property do not require victims to be moved. When a criminal wants to move you, he has much more in mind. You want to risk everything at crime scene number one so that you never make it to crime scene number two. Risk being hurt. Risk being stabbed or cut. Risk being shot. Lousy options at crime scene number one are much better than no options at crime scene number two. Crime scene number one is as good as it’s going to get, so that is the place to act.

You have to decide that crime scene number one is where this ordeal is going to end. You are not going to crime scene number two, no matter what that means. What if your attacker is much stronger than you and he is trying to drag you to a more isolated location? You need to act now! Every ounce of energy you have should be used at that very instant to make it more difficult for your attacker. In additions to the things mentioned in the previous article (gouging the eyes, biting, striking to the throat, striking or stabbing with anything you can get your hands on and screaming), you want to make it difficult for anyone to move you. Go into dead weight or grab onto something stationary and hold on for dear life. Decide that no matter what happens, you are no going to be taken anywhere by your attacker.

Because of increased security features in automobiles, stealing cars is much more difficult than it once was. This has caused an increase in carjacking and related crimes. Carjackers will usually want you out of the car, so what do you do it they jump in and tell you to drive? Ideally, you could just jump out and escape. However, what if you have other family members in the car with you. The main problem is there is no way for you to know what type of criminal you are dealing with. If might be a car thief, but it could be a child molester, rapist or murderer. You can’t take a chance of going to crime scene number two. So, what do you do? The answer is whatever it takes. The one thing that will work almost 100 percent of the time is to crash the car. The sooner the better. Crashing a car at 10 mph or less is very unlikely to cause an injury, but it will do several things in your favor. First, it draws a lot of attention...the one thing your attacker doesn’t want. Second, people come running when a car crashes. Third, it will surprise your attacker. The same concept applies if you are being taken somewhere by an attacker in a vehicle. You want to attack the driver with everything you’ve got. Grab the steering wheel or emergency brake. Whatever it takes, crash it!