Brits concerned about personal safety when clocks go back

With the clocks due to go back an hour on the 28th October and evenings getting darker, new research from Abbey General Insurance has found that the early evenings are causing worry across the country, so much so, that 47 per cent prefer not to leave the house during the darker winter evenings.

According to the research 54 percent of adults in the UK (24 million) don’t feel safe travelling home during this time of the year, while 44 per cent of parents are concerned for their children’s safety on the dark journey home from school. A further 22.9 million adults, half of the UK, feel more at risk from burglary of their homes during this time of the year.

The findings support Home Office statistics that show that between October and December 2006, around 76,400 domestic burglaries took place, more than in any other quarter, and 26,600 robberies, eight percent more than the same period in 2005.(2)

People don’t want clocks to go back

Abbey’s research also found that over half the population (52 per cent) believe that clocks should not be put back an hour in the winter so that there would be an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. A similar number of people (49 per cent) believe we should adopt Central European Time, which would allow for two extra hours of daylight in the evenings.

Prasad Shastri, Head of Insurance Marketing at Abbey, said: "The clocks changing causes more problems than just when to get out of bed in the mornings. There is a strong correlation between crime and the evenings getting darker, and there is a lot people can be doing to protect themselves and their homes this winter. We would ask people to stay on their guard, be wary and keep themselves and their loved ones protected at all times.

“Because of the high risk associated with this time of year you should check to make sure that you are covered on your home insurance and that your policy covers you for all your possessions in the event you get burgled”.

Abbey offers unlimited sum insured (Peace of Mind) and specified sum insured (Essentials). This is the third year running that Abbey has been awarded a five star rating by Defaqto, making it one of only five providers to have ever achieved this honour.

Free advice on how to ensure that you have adequate cover for your house and possessions is available at any branch of Abbey, or for more information about Abbey’s home insurance visit abbey.com/insurance.