Holiday Travelers Could be at Risk for Burglars

Millions of Americans will soon be traveling for the holidays, which could make them tempting targets for burglars and other criminals.

With that in mind, the Georgia Insurance Information Service (GIIS) announced recently that property losses in the past year due to burglaries and home invasions have reached $4.6 billion nationwide. The GIIS noted that the economy has played a considerable role in this trend.

The average dollar loss per burglary was said to be $2,079. The group also noted that of the 1.2 million burglaries that take place each year nationwide, up to 90 percent may be preventable with help from home security investments.

For example, the group notes that people can get up to 5 percent discounted from their home insurance policies if they have deadbolt locks, while discounts of up to 20 percent are possible for a sophisticated alarm system.

Other strategies to deter burglars include keeping homes well-lit and keeping shrubs from growing too high.

For those who do fall victim to thieves, home insurance policies typically cover losses, although the GIIS warns that people with particularly valuable items may need to inquire about getting additional coverage.

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