Gardai and the AA have issued a warning to female drivers travelling alone to be cautious in the wake of a series of roadside robberies.
There have been a number of incidents in recent weeks, whereby an item is thrown at a car, and female drivers assaulted and robbed when they pull in to check what happened.
In one incident, a woman is "still coming to terms" with a shocking incident that left her "traumatised" and injured.
The woman was travelling on a quiet country road between Waterford city and Tramore in Co. Waterford on her early morning commute when something hit her car with a bang.
When she jumped out to inspect, she was taken by surprise and held against her bonnet by a man with an "Eastern European accent".
A shoulder bag was stolen and the woman managed to drive to a nearby residence and alert the Gardaí.
In a separate incident, a woman was travelling 20km North of Cork City when she was held at knifepoint before her car was stolen.
Director of Consumer Affairs for AA Ireland, Conor Faughnan, has expressed concern for the "nasty pattern" emerging across the country:
He said: "There is a nasty trend emerging here and the best advice that we can give is to keep your doors locked at all times."
