Bandit groups and militants in regions like north-central Nigeria and West Africa target both rural and intercity travellers.
These groups use ambushes on isolated roads, exploiting poor infrastructure and lack of patrols..
South Africa reported over 15,000 kidnappings in a recent year, many related to armed robbery and carjacking.
Kidnapping of road users and passengers is recognized as a serious crime in parts of Latin America and conflict areas.
Note: World bodies like the United Nations and travel advisory sources often issue warnings about kidnapping risks for travelers in countries with active insurgencies or organized crime.
Criminals often stop vehicles at gunpoint to steal money and valuables.
Assaults on drivers and passengers can escalate to police reports, threats, and harassment.
Many countries around the world report kidnappings tied to road travel or nearby routes (e.g., by criminal groups in conflict zones).
In countries with high violent crime rates, robbery and armed assaults targeting motorists and buses are documented.
Criminals use tactics like vehicle stop-overs, roadblocks, or ambushes to steal from travellers or abduct them. This can happen during traffic jams, at night, or in isolated areas.
Carjacking (forced vehicle theft with assault or robbery) is a notable component: South Africa historically had one of the world’s higher carjacking rates, which reflects how road travel can be a target for violent crimes.
Some urban and rural roads worldwide — especially in areas with elevated crime — see physical assaults, mugging, and attacks on travellers.
These can occur at stoplights, bus stops, rest points, or remote stretches depending on local crime landscapes.
For example, in parts of the Americas and Africa, road travellers express concern about being targeted for both theft and physical intimidation.
While comprehensive global official crime statistics specific to road travel (like worldwide kidnapping totals per road kilometer) are not uniformly reported, many government travel advisories and safety indexes highlight road-related crime in different regions:
Countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela are often cited for higher crime rates affecting travellers (including armed robbery on highways and kidnapping risks). Crime and violence are major safety concerns in local perception surveys.
Global deaths: ~1.19 million people die each year in road crashes worldwide.
Non-fatal injuries: Between 20 million and 50 million people are injured annually.
Leading cause of death: For children and young adults aged 5–29 years, road crashes are the leading cause of death.
Disproportionate burden: ~92% of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, even though they have ~60% of the world’s vehicles.
Bandit groups and militants in regions like north-central Nigeria and West Africa target both rural and intercity travellers.
These groups use ambushes on isolated roads, exploiting poor infrastructure and lack of patrols..
South Africa reported over 15,000 kidnappings in a recent year, many related to armed robbery and carjacking.
Kidnapping of road users and passengers is recognized as a serious crime in parts of Latin America and conflict areas.
Note: World bodies like the United Nations and travel advisory sources often issue warnings about kidnapping risks for travelers in countries with active insurgencies or organized crime.
Criminals often stop vehicles at gunpoint to steal money and valuables.
Assaults on drivers and passengers can escalate to police reports, threats, and harassment.
Many countries around the world report kidnappings tied to road travel or nearby routes (e.g., by criminal groups in conflict zones).
In countries with high violent crime rates, robbery and armed assaults targeting motorists and buses are documented.
Criminals use tactics like vehicle stop-overs, roadblocks, or ambushes to steal from travellers or abduct them. This can happen during traffic jams, at night, or in isolated areas.
Carjacking (forced vehicle theft with assault or robbery) is a notable component: South Africa historically had one of the world’s higher carjacking rates, which reflects how road travel can be a target for violent crimes.
Some urban and rural roads worldwide — especially in areas with elevated crime — see physical assaults, mugging, and attacks on travellers.
These can occur at stoplights, bus stops, rest points, or remote stretches depending on local crime landscapes.
For example, in parts of the Americas and Africa, road travellers express concern about being targeted for both theft and physical intimidation.
While comprehensive global official crime statistics specific to road travel (like worldwide kidnapping totals per road kilometer) are not uniformly reported, many government travel advisories and safety indexes highlight road-related crime in different regions:
Countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela are often cited for higher crime rates affecting travellers (including armed robbery on highways and kidnapping risks). Crime and violence are major safety concerns in local perception surveys.
Global deaths: ~1.19 million people die each year in road crashes worldwide.
Non-fatal injuries: Between 20 million and 50 million people are injured annually.
Leading cause of death: For children and young adults aged 5–29 years, road crashes are the leading cause of death.
Disproportionate burden: ~92% of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, even though they have ~60% of the world’s vehicles.
• Report Incident
• SOS Emergency
• Community Reports
• Route Planning
• Checkpoint Verification
• Trip Analytics
• Safety Snapshots
• Live Safety Map
• Emergency Contacts
Learn more →