What Non-Firearm Item is in Your Vehicle for Self Defense?

[duke762]

You know...to repel boarders, smash and grabs at stop lights, that type of thing. Yeah man, I've got some mace but a blunt instrument would be quicker at hand. Or maybe a sharp instrument? Yup, I've had a concealed carry permit for over 30 years, but I can get a big wrench, pipe or hatchet, working from between the seats way before I could ever draw my weapon from concealment while being strapped in my vehicle.

 

[ColtRevolver]

6 D cell Maglite

 

[HazMat Shaver]

Tire Thumper made from iron pipe.

 

[Big_T]

Pepper spray.

 

[rbscebu]

Must be the different societies we live in. I have never even thought of requiring self defence while in my vehicle (or home). That includes when I was in the Philippines where gun ownership is quite high.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Must be the different societies we live in. I have never even thought of requiring self defence while in my vehicle (or home). That includes when I was in the Philippines where gun ownership is quite high.

I am actually quite surprised that you have never considered this. I like in a very safe area of the US, but still consider the "what ifs." However, part of that may be due to the military training.

 

[luvmysuper]

Feeling the need is a separate issue from what crimes are actually committed.
Carjackings are common in large cities, but I don't think of carrying anything in my vehicle for deterrence either.
Metro Manila in the Philippines has about 50 cases a year.
Australia has about 300 cases a year.
By comparison, the city of Chicago alone had 1800 cases last year.
Carjackings are not limited to people using firearms. Many carjackings are done with no weapons at all, where the individuals doing the carjacking simply overwhelm the individual and drag them from their car.

 

[luvmysuper]

Also complicating the issue is that many locations do not specifically identify carjackings as an individual crime, rather lumping them together with either auto thefts, or with common robberies.

Here's some statistics on auto thefts by country. No differentiation between an empty car or a full one being stolen.

Car theft rate by country 2018 | Statista

In 2020, New Zealand had the highest car theft rate worldwide, with 1,172 occurences per 100,000 inhabitants.

www.statista.com

 

[rbscebu]

I am actually quite surprised that you have never considered this. I like in a very safe area of the US, but still consider the "what ifs." However, part of that may be due to the military training.

You probably had more military training than I did. My military experience was only 9 months as a front-line army grunt and a further 3 years in the navy.

 

[taffy]

Never even thought about it if honest, can't even think that I have heard it happening where I live.

 

[lasta]

Many years ago, I was in a situation of being threatened by a knife wielding person of unstable disposition. My ego took a hit, but that situation was resolved without red paint.

Thinking about it afterwards, if I had my Fallkniven on my belt, that WOULD have nudged me to handle the situation differently. I would have been cut that or done something I that I will regret for the rest of my life.

Nowadays, apart from the errant thought of "Wolverine key claws", no tactical instrument is to be found on my person. That or the Opinel in my picnic box.

 

[musicman1951]

I live in a city of 100,000 and it's never been a problem for me. I suppose having 335 horses under the hood provides me with some security.

 

[luvmysuper]

Being observant and allowing spacing for a vehicle escape path while you're on the road is probably your best bet.
No matter what blunt or pointy thing you think might be effective in deterring a problem, the arms race means someone trying to attack you in your vehicle is always likely to be one up on the scale from you.
And the cops aren't dumb. They know what a piece of pipe or a broom stick in a vehicle is for.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

I always have either/both the full size Monadnock or concealable ASP expandable batons with me in my vehicle.

 

[RayClem]

Feeling the need is a separate issue from what crimes are actually committed.
Carjackings are common in large cities, but I don't think of carrying anything in my vehicle for deterrence either.
Metro Manila in the Philippines has about 50 cases a year.
Australia has about 300 cases a year.
By comparison, the city of Chicago alone had 1800 cases last year.
Carjackings are not limited to people using firearms. Many carjackings are done with no weapons at all, where the individuals doing the carjacking simply overwhelm the individual and drag them from their car.

I live about 45 miles outside Chicago. I used to go downtown a couple of times a year for visiting museums, shopping and dining. It has been several years since I even considered making the trip. Even the once safe "Magnificent Mile" shopping district on North Michigan Avenue is no longer free from violent crime.

In Chicago, any attempt to protect your property from theft, carjackings, etc. is likely to get you killed. Even if you successfully defend yourself, you are likely to find yourself in jail charged with felony assault or worse. Property can be replaced; your life cannot, so you are better off letting the attackers have what they want and live another day.

Laws vary in various localities. Fourty-six states have some type of "stand your ground" statutes, sometimes called the "castle doctrine". Illinois has no such provision. Here there is a duty to avoid conflict if at all possible. Only after you have retreated to the safest position available, if an attack to your person or loved one is still imminent, can you use deadly force. Protection of property is not a valid defense. Deadly force does not always involve the use of a firearm. Other items such as a kitchen knife, axe, garden tool, baseball bat, tire iron, metal pipe, etc. could be considered deadly weapons if employed in that manner.

Since I do not want to spend the rest of my life in an Illinois prison, I do not carry anything that might be used as a weapon in my vehicle.

@ HoosierTrooper, if you drive across the state line into Illinois, be sure to leave your collapsible baton at home. They are considered illegal weapons in Illinois. The law specifically prohibits: a dagger, dirk, billy, dangerous knife, razor, stiletto, broken bottle or another piece of glass, stun gun or taser or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument of like character; The collapsible baton would be considered to be a billy club under the ordinance.

I do use straight razors and kitchen knives at home that could be considered deadly weapons if carried outside the home.

 

[ylekot]

@RayClem Isn't it amazing that banks and corporations can protect their assets with deadly force but individual citizens cannot? If you steal something from me I take it very personal. I don't look at the object, I look at how much time it took me to pay for that object. The thief is stealing a piece of my time, a piece of my life! Yeah I will fight if at all possible.

In a carjack situation you are in control of one of the most dangerous machines you will ever operate. When your life is in danger use the best tools available, and have multiple options. The absolute BEST thing you can do is be aware of your surroundings.

 

[RayClem]

@RayClem Isn't it amazing that banks and corporations can protect their assets with deadly force but individual citizens cannot? If you steal something from me I take it very personal. I don't look at the object, I look at how much time it took me to pay for that object. The thief is stealing a piece of my time, a piece of my life! Yeah I will fight if at all possible.

In a carjack situation you are in control of one of the most dangerous machines you will ever operate. When your life is in danger use the best tools available, and have multiple options. The absolute BEST thing you can do is be aware of your surroundings.

Banks have armed guards as deterrents to bank robbers. If they fire their weapons inappropriately, they can be held accountable, just as police are. There are numerous former police officers in prison for murder because their judgement was deemed faulty in such situations.

Florida has a "stand your ground" statute. When George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in February 2012, he was charged with second degree murder, although he claimed self-defense. Ultimately, Zimmerman was acquitted by a jury in July 2013, but his live was impacted severely during the investigation and the subsequent trial. The incident will affect his life as long as he lives. If Zimmerman had been a resident of Illinois where there is no stand your ground provision and where judges and juries might have been more sympathetic toward the deceased, Zimmerman might well have ended up in prison for up to 20 years.

Apparently, George Zimmerman's experience was so traumatic that he filed a lawsuit against the family of Trayvon Martin, the investigators, prosecutors and others for 100 million dollars in damages. That lawsuit was finally dismissed in 2022, another few years of disruption to Zimmerman's life.

I would never want to go through Zimmerman's experience unless I felt it was absolutely necessary to protect my life or that of my spouse.I have some things I would rather not lose, but there is no material property I own that would be worth that experience.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I was considering a Ukrainian cat. This is not one I would trifle with.

 

[OkieStubble]

Being observant and allowing spacing for a vehicle escape path while you're on the road is probably your best bet.
No matter what blunt or pointy thing you think might be effective in deterring a problem, the arms race means someone trying to attack you in your vehicle is always likely to be one up on the scale from you.
And the cops aren't dumb. They know what a piece of pipe or a broom stick in a vehicle is for.

I now have this image in my mind of a police officer on a traffic stop in sunny Florida and he see’s a blanket, a candle, a bag of kitty litter and a jar of peanut butter in the back floor board and asks the driver what’s all that stuff for?

And the driver says, “for an emergency?”

 

[Dobric]

This is all I need