99% of drivers would not investigate a car alarm
The survey found that the constant beep-beep-beep of a vehicle alarm tops the list of late-night annoyances in suburban living, usually because they are almost always false alarms which disturb sleep and waste time.
Flexed.co.uk asked 3000 people whether they would investigate a car alarm at certain times and locations. The results showed a huge apathy toward the unrelenting horns, whistles and sirens:
• In a public car park: 98% said 'no'
• In their street at night: 99% said 'no'
• In their work car park: only 5% said 'yes'
• At home, and they knew it was their own car: Only 26% said they'd go and look
"Most people now consider the sound of a vehicle alarm to be a false alarm," commented Mark Hall, a spokesperson for Flexed.co.uk. “And even most owners say their most likely reaction would be to reset the device using the remote control and go back to bed."
Hall puts this lack of reaction down to the simple fact that car technology has moved on in recent years. Most cars now have immobilisers, which mean alarms are only set off by vandalism or break-ins. "Or, as some cynics might suggest, a leaf falling off a tree two streets away," he said.
Katie Beck
Katie joined Fleet World in 2012 as an editorial intern, following the completion of an English and American Literature BA from the University of East Anglia. She accepted a full-time position as an editorial assistant at the end of the internship period, and was promoted to the role of features editor in 2014. She works across the magazine and website portfolio, and administrates the social media channels.
