According to a Nationwide Insurance study, 25% of people always leave the front door unlocked, and many lock the door only at night. But most burglaries happen between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., right when most of us are at work, out running errands, or picking up the kids from school.
Most burglaries, however, happen between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., so make sure your door is always locked. Another common mistake is leaving your garage unlocked. In about one out of every 10 home burglaries, the thieves get in through the garage.
To stay as safe as possible during a fire emergency, firefighters and fire experts recommend always sleeping with your bedroom door closed to create a barrier between you and the fire.
Always keep all your doors and windows locked when you are not home. Install surveillance cameras, especially those that alert you if motion is detected. Never leave items of obvious value in view of the public. Don't leave bags or items of value in your vehicle when it is parked in the driveway and lock your car!
Burglary Prevention Basics
Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors. Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day. Keep your garage door closed and locked.
Leaving your door unlocked overnight can potentially give access to those wishing to do more than steal things. So, it's very important that you not only make sure your door is locked at night, but also adding some extra security to your door, such as a door chain.
It may seem unnatural at first, but opening the door even a little bit could help you to sleep better, and keep your bedroom environment more hygienic according to sleep experts. It is certainly one of the simplest ways to improve sleep that we have come across.
By limiting a fire's ability to spread, closing your bedroom door at night also gives you more time to react when the smoke alarm goes off. And these days, every second counts. Because of the plastics in most modern furniture, house fires are more toxic and spread faster than ever before.
Burglars may try a number of methods to try and gain access to your home, including picking your lock.
Home and garage doors should always be locked. Almost 50% of burglars enter homes and property through unlocked doors and windows. Use your locks. Never leave keys outdoors.
Nearly 1 in 5 people don't lock their doors when they're at home. That's almost 20 percent of the U.S. population sitting at home with unlocked doors.
Consider Always Locking Your Door When You Pass Through It
It doesn't matter if you're entering or leaving. It doesn't matter if someone else is home or not. If you always lock your door when you walk through it, you're much less likely to ever forget. It's also not a bad safety practice.
The history of the door lock goes back to over six thousand years ago in ancient Egypt where a simple wooden pin lock was created. This lock featured a wooden bar attached to the door and a bolt that slotted into it. The bolt contained several wooden pins that could be lifted with a specially made large wooden key.
Only 72% of white Americans lock their doors when they are at home, compared to 97% of black Americans and 91% of Hispanic Americans.
' Sammy Margo, sleep expert at Dreams adds, 'Keeping your bedroom door open can promote better airflow within your living space; this can be particularly beneficial if your room tends to get stuffy or lacks proper ventilation. ' 'Better air circulation can contribute to a more comfortable and restful sleep environment.
If you do nothing else, try NOT to have the bed directly facing the bedroom door. Feng shui experts say you should be facing the door but not be directly in line with it. Placing your bed on the same wall as your door is thought to feel threatening, like someone may wake you in the night.
Ryan says the photo shows a kitchen door closed, and advises householders to get into the routine of closing theirs at night, as it could save lives in the event of a house fire.
Locking the door is quite an easy task, our brain doesn't feel like putting in a lot of energy to accomplish it. So again our brain fails to register a unique pattern of locking the door to remember it later.
“The main reason why we forget small things, like if we locked the door, switched off the oven or the lights in the kitchen, is primarily because these are tasks that we complete on auto-pilot,” explains Idriz Zogaj, Co-Founder at personal development and mental wellbeing app Remente.
Doors and Security
According to one study, 70% of people have left their houses without remembering whether or not they locked the door. Another 60% of respondents reported that they have come home to find an unlocked door. Locking your exterior doors is critical when it comes to security.
Homes in high-visibility places, like on corner lots, are far less likely to be broken into. There are simply too many potential ways to be seen. But townhomes, houses in the middle of the block, or houses in a cul-de-sac are much better targets.
According to an analysis by Vivint Smart Home, 50.3% of burglaries occur at night between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. while the other half (49.7%) happen in daylight hours.
These are the most common points of entry for home break-ins: Front door: 34% of burglars twist the doorknob and walk right in. First-floor windows: 23% use a first-floor open window to break into your home. Back door: 22% come in through the back door.