Press release -
THE HOME ALONE MOVIE IS 25 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR – WILL YOU BE A FORGETFUL McCALLISTER THIS CHRISTMAS?
Research carried out by Allianz Insurance found that, just like the McCallister family in Home Alone, one third of homeowners are planning to be away from home overnight during the Christmas period.
The McCallisters inadvertently left their eight year old son Kevin at home while the rest of the family went on their Christmas vacation. An extreme example of forgetfulness perhaps, but there is no doubt that people can be very absent minded at this stressful time of year.
Allianz found that 48% of the homeowners who have been away from home overnight have forgotten to either:
- lock the front, back or side door
- close an accessible window
- lock the garage doors
Andy Miller, Allianz’s risk control manager, is delighted the movie will be shown just ahead of Christmas. He said: “The screening of Home Alone is a great reminder for people to make sure their home is as secure as it can be while they spend time away this Christmas.”
One third of people who said they would be out overnight during Christmas said it would be for one night only. But, more than 1 in 5 people said they would be away from home for between three and four nights.
49% of people said being away from home overnight made them concerned about the security of their home. But, Andy Miller strongly disagrees with the 61% of people who said a burglar would get into a property if they wanted to and it was just pot luck which homes get broken into and which ones do not.
Andy said: “Burglars like to get in quickly and with the minimum of noise so leaving doors or windows unlocked, or even open, makes it very easy for a thief to get inside. The bare minimum is for people to make sure all accessible doors and windows are locked if they are going out. If you have good locks, security lights and a burglar alarm you stand much less chance of being broken into.”
Again like Home Alone, where neighbour Old Man Marley comes to Kevin’s rescue when he is finally caught by would be burglars, Marv and Harry, many people rely on their neighbours to help keep their homes secure.
More than half of the people surveyed said they asked their neighbour to keep an eye on their home while they are away.
Ends.
Topics
Regions
Allianz Insurance is one of the largest general insurers in the UK and part of the Allianz SE Group, the largest property and casualty insurer worldwide.
Around 85 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz's knowledge, global reach, capital strength and solidity to help them make the most of financial opportunities and to avoid and safeguard themselves against risks. In 2014, over 147,000 employees in more than 70 countries achieved total revenues of approximately 122.3bn euros.
Media Notes:
- The research also found that 76% of people said they have watched Home Alone and more than 1 in 4 people said they planned to watch the movie this Christmas.
- The research was carried out by the market researchers, One Poll, who canvassed 2,000 homeowners during the period 11 and 12 December 2015.
