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AS HOMEOWNERS HIT THE ROAD FOR VACATION, SELECTIVE INSURANCE STUDY FINDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL HOME SECURITY PRECAUTIONS
BRANCHVILLE, N.J., July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventy-seven percent of U.S. homeowners plan to take at least one vacation between July and December 2022,
About this update from Selective Insurance Group, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"BRANCHVILLE, N.J., July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventy-seven percent of U.S. homeowners plan to take at least one vacation between July and December 2022, according to a new study commissioned by Selective Insurance, with 44% planning to travel for a week or longer. While 59% of U.S. homeowners have a home security system or device, less than half (49%) use one to protect their unoccupied home when they are on vacation. These findings are part of an online survey of more than 1,400 U.S. homeowners The Harris Poll conducted for Selective. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n\"Taking sensible home safety preparations before leaving is as important as packing the right items in your suitcase.\"Locking all their windows (68%) is the most common home security measure vacationing U.S. homeowners use to protect their vacant homes. Additional safety precautions include having someone check their home (61%), setting lights on a timer (39%), shutting off water (21%), and hiring a house sitter (13%).\n\"Vacations are a great time to create new memories, but they are quickly forgotten if you return to a damaged or burglarized home. Taking sensible home safety preparations before leaving is as important as packing the right items in your suitcase,\" said Allen Anderson, Senior Vice President of Personal Lines at Selective Insurance. \"Our research shows that home security systems and devices are widely under-used across the country, but they are powerful mitigation defenses against unoccupied home theft, fire, and water leaks.\"\nThe study also revealed that younger U.S. homeowners, aged 18-34 (60%) and 35-44 (64%), are more likely to use a security system or device to keep their home safe while vacationing compared to those aged 55-64 (41%) and 65+ (34%). In addition, significantly more U.S. homeowners residing in urban areas (63%) use a security system or device when vacationing than those in suburban (49%) or rural (31%) communities. \nRegional Insights Selective's study found geographic differences in U.S. homeowners' vacation plans and use of security systems or devices while away: \nHalf of Northeast homeowners (50%) plan to take a week or longer vacation between July and December compared to just 38% of Midwest homeowners.Homeowners in the South (51%) and West (58%) are more likely to use a security system or device when they are away on vac...