Stay safe during World Cup excitement
June sees the beginning of the World Cup – one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.
With millions watching the matches at home, new research from AA Home Membership reveals that almost a quarter (23%) have had a household accident while watching a sporting event on TV.
More than a quarter of men admitted to this (27%) compared to just 17% of women.
The most common accident was spilling wine on the carpet, which 71% of those who’d had a mishap admitted to. A fifth (22%) of them had fallen over and one in eight (12%) had a cooking accident. The same number broke an appliance while 8% damaged a piece of furniture.
With the World Cup here, the AA expects a rise in the number of household accidents.
Helen Brooker, Head of AA Home Membership said: “When you think about it, it’s not surprising that people get a bit careless during what hopefully will be a pretty exciting event. A few beers and an England goal could be quite a dramatic combination.
“Judging by the number of people who’ve spilled wine on the carpet, it’s certainly likely that alcohol plays a part in such accidents, too.”
She also noted that research during a previous World Cup suggested that a popular TV match-watching pastime was to eat a takeaway – curry and pizzas being top of the list. And upsetting a Jalfrezi on to the carpet was most likely to result in a permanent stain – and a claim for accidental damage!
Barbecue mishaps
The AA’s research also reveals that house fires tend to occur during periods of good weather – and that’s most likely due to careless use of barbecues.
AA data shows that the most house fires in 2010 and 2011 occurred in June, then July in 2013 – months which coincided with good weather. In 2012 they increased in August, likely due to an increase in social events during the Olympics, as well as good weather.
Mrs Brooker said: “Our data shows there’s a strong correlation between warm weather and an increase in fire damage. The most probable cause is barbecues; because they’re not used very often there tends to be a hasty ‘we’d better use it while the sun shines’ opportunism, which is especially true during big events like the World Cup.
We’re perhaps not as familiar with using them as those who live in parts of the world where the sunshine is a bit more reliable.
She continues: “If it starts to rain before you fire up the barbecue don’t be tempted to take it inside - not even in a garage or conservatory with the door open. If it’s a gas one some people think it’s OK to do so. But it doesn’t just pose a fire-risk; like any fossil-fuel burning appliance, barbecues do create carbon monoxide. It’s known as ‘the silent killer’ because it’s odourless, can’t be seen and can kill quickly.”