With the economy showing signs of strengthening and a rebounding housing market in the works, the newly released ADT 2013 Safety Data Index was of particular importance, as homeowners still show an overall lack of knowledge about the importance and relevance of in terms of residential safety. The 2013 index was the first of its kind conducted by ADT, and the goal was to take a closer look at the lifestyle and safety habits of the typical American.
ADT, a leader in home security and alarm systems, released the highly anticipated results of its safety survey, which included responses from over 2,000 U.S.-based consumers. According to the results of the survey more than 2/3 of the people polled, or 68% survey respondents said a home security or does have the potential to increase the value of a home, butdespite this widely held belief, the same respondents reported that they were more likely to own a paper shredder within their home than a home automation system. In fact, 65 percent of respondents said they owned a paper shredder, whereas only 29 percent said they had a home automation or home security system at their residence.
“We’ve made it our business to understand the modern homeowner,” said Tony Wells, chief marketing officer at ADT. “This survey in particular helped us recognize behaviors and perceptions about safety, thereby influencing how we can tailor solutions to fit into customer’s everyday lives.”
The survey also had startling results regarding the use of home security and automation systems. For example despite the fact that the majority of people included in the survey place a high value on security, only 30 percent of the people surveyed with an in their home turn it on at all times, and only 6 out of every 10 people involved in the data survey had a carbon monoxide monitor.
The individuals polled rated their home safety an average of 85 out of 100, showing that the typical American feels safe, but in actuality, does very little to raise their level of home safety and security .As opposed to installing a , two-thirds of the people surveyed by ADT said they would prefer to entrust the safety of their home to a neighbor, and door locks are not regularly used.
Additionally, the Americans included in the results of the survey were shown to have a very low knowledge of facts and information about safety and security. The respondents were asked a series of questions regarding these topics, and the results showed that on average, Americans scored a 1.6 out of 5.
The ADT Safety Data Index was conducted by Edelman Berland among 2,032 general population consumers representative of the U.S. population; 5,119 residents of the top 10 Designated Market Areas in the US; and 497 Small Business Owners. The survey was fielded online from February 8-18, 2013.
Tim Eveler
Author & Public Relations – Tim has been working in sales for the home security system industry over twelve years. He’s held positions at large home security companies and in charge of working with the team to create our security system reviews.