New consumer research has revealed that most people (79% ) living in Ireland feel somewhat safe in their homes, while 36% claim that they feel completely safe and secure in their homes.
The research, conducted by iReach Insights on behalf of Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC (Aviva ) of 1,000 adults throughout the country, sought to understand how secure people felt in their homes and why. Worryingly, 21% of respondents claimed that they don’t always feel safe at home.
Looking to the specific reasons why people feel safe and secure, having good neighbours came out on top with 31%, followed by 26% who attribute feeling safe to the fact that they live in a quiet area. Having the security of an alarm system in the house was cited by 25% as the reason for feeling secure.
Of the 21% of respondents who claimed that they don’t always feel safe in their homes, 16% of them said that it is only some of the time that they don’t feel safe while, 6% claimed that they did not really feel safe.
“It is important for our sense of security and wellbeing that we all feel safe in our homes and there are undoubtedly many factors that contribute to this. It is no surprise to learn that having good neighbours tops the list of reasons why people feel safe. Having a good relationship with our neighbours increases our sense of community and provides us with an extra blanket of security, safe in the knowledge that someone is looking out for us and our property. Neighbours watching out for each other can help prevent crimes such as burglaries.
“Research referenced by An Garda Siochana in late September indicated that there can be a surge of up to 20% in burglaries during the winter months, when daylight hours are at the lowest level. The statistics show that home thefts are most likely to take place between 5pm and 9pm on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday during the winter months.
“Having a house alarm is a good deterrent and an effective way to keep your home safe from burglars. If a potential intruder sees an alarm system on a house, it will likely deter them from trying to break in and, if not, hearing a triggered alarm will most definitely send them running. Leaving a light or a number of lights on if there is no one in the house for the evening is also a good idea. It is important to ensure that all doors and windows are locked and that keys, either house or car keys are not easily accessible,” Billy Shannon, Aviva, said.
The Aviva survey found that:
Men were more likely to feel completely safe in their homes at 39% than women at 33%
Having good neighbours was cited more frequently as the reason they felt safe in their homes by 39% of men, with only 25% of women claiming this
The highest percentage of people who cited that living in a quiet area (32% ) and having an alarm (33% ) as the reasons that they felt safe in their homes were in the 55+ age cohort
More women (20% ) than men at 12% claimed that they don’t always feel safe in their homes, while 7% of men claimed to not feel safe (3% of women )
“Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their own home. While practical solutions like a house alarm, locking doors and windows are recommended and should certainly help, building a rapport with neighbours is likely to add significantly to peoples’ sense of security in their homes,” Mr Shannon concluded.
