Acommon-sense key to security
Home security systems are getting better, smarter and easier to use. The desire to be safe ranks high on the national agenda. So why, then, do so few Americans change their locks?
According to a recent American Security Study conducted by Kwikset, Black & Decker’s residential door hardware division, almost half (47%) of all American homeowners fail to change or re-key the locks to their home when they first move in.
Some people eventually get around to it, but nearly one-third of Americans never have their locks changed or re-keyed after moving in.
The company described the findings as “alarming.”
“Probably the most significant insight from our study is that American homeowners may not even be aware that their home security levels are compromised,” said Brent Flaharty, Kwikset’s VP marketing.
The data from the inaugural security study helps Kwikset promote its Smart Key product that allows homeowners to easily re-key their own locks. Of course, there are dozens of competing security solutions out there that would benefit from the same numbers. The key takeaway: Insecurity breeds opportunity in the door hardware aisle.