RAC’s 2023 Home Security Survey

21 May 2024

Although more than one-third of RAC members say they have experienced a home burglary at some time, 58 per cent say they did nothing to improve their home security following the break-in, RAC’s 2023 Security Survey has found.

While many victims reported feeling violated and angry following a burglary, only 42 per cent took any further action to secure their home.

The survey also found that, of those members with a home alarm, only 52 per cent say they activate it if they are only leaving the home for a short period of time.

When asked about their burglary experiences, many members reported having only been away from their home for a short time when they experienced a break-in.

RELATED: What makes a home more burglary prone? »

On the question of what would deter burglars from targeting their home, the top three responses were CCTV cameras, the presence of a home alarm system and a barking dog.

Overall, members were more likely to feel that the rate of burglaries in their local area was lower than other areas. They also perceived that their chance of being burgled was lower than other homes in their local area.

Have you or anyone you know well ever experienced a home burglary?

Were any of these security measures taken (installed, obtained etc) as a result of your most recent burglary experience?

How did burglars enter a home?

By far the most common way burglars gained access to a home was through doors and windows that had been left open or unlocked. Forced entry through windows and doors was also very common.

Many members reported glass sliding doors to the rear of their homes being smashed. In one attempted break-in, a burglar was disturbed by a neighbour as they were removing roof tiles to gain access to the home through the ceiling.

Some members also reported a scam that involved a person knocking on their door in apparent distress, asking for water for themselves or a child. When the householder went to fetch some water, the intruder entered the home, as this member recounted for us:

“A woman came to my door with an empty bottle, begging for 'water for the children'. I assumed that she had a car. I did not lock the door in her face, although I did not invite her in. I got a bottle of cold water and a tin of biscuits for the children, but when I returned to the door, she was inside my house and had taken my car keys.

“I asked her if she had them and she said no, of course not, and went outside. I had to check that the keys were not in the house, but by the time I got outside, she obviously had my keys in her hand, and pushed her bike at me when I requested them, hurting me. Then she was driving my car out of the garage, nearly hitting me in the process.”

Do you have any of the following home security measures at your home?

How often, if at all, would you do the following when leaving your home unattended for a short period of time, for example, going grocery shopping, picking kids up from school?

What items are high on the burglary hit list?

The most common items stolen were handbags and wallets, keys and jewellery.

Small portable items of high value, such as mobile phones and tablets, are always high on the list of the most stolen items, however, this isn’t always the case, as some members have experienced.

Many reported large and heavy items being stolen from sheds and garages, including garden maintenance equipment. Power tools were also commonly stolen from sheds and garages. Items found in sheds were in some cases also used to aid in break-ins, either to force entry, or in some instances, ladders were used to gain access to higher windows or to get over walls and fences.

Less common items reported as stolen were alcohol, food, clothing and in one instance, a roll of artificial lawn that was due to be laid.