MOST U.S. RESIDENTS DECK THE HALLS WITH FIRE HAZARDS, SELECTIVE INSURANCE STUDY REVEALS

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Dec 08, 2022, 14:30 ET

BRANCHVILLE, N.J., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Make sure it's only the yule log burning before you decorate this holiday season, urges Selective Insurance, a leading business, home, auto, and flood insurance company. A recent survey commissioned by Selective Insurance and conducted online by The Harris Poll among more than 2,000 U.S. adults found that 97% of those who decorate inside their homes for the holidays do so with at least one fire hazard.

Selective Insurance survey examines commonly overlooked holiday hazards in the household during the holiday season.

Some of these fire hazards include natural Christmas Trees (28%), real candles (24%), and tinsel (28%). Many holiday decorators (31%) use two or more extension cords plugged into each other to provide electricity to their decorations. Although the National Fire Safety Association recommends watering natural Christmas trees daily, a majority of Americans who have had a real Christmas tree (67%) say they typically water them three times per week or less. Fewer than 1 in 5 U.S. residents who have had a real Christmas tree (17%) typically water it daily or more often.

"I'm not trying to be Scrooge, but our research shows that most U.S. residents need to better understand and practice smart fire safety precautions to help ensure a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season," said Allen Anderson, Senior Vice President, Personal Lines at Selective Insurance.

The study also found that of the 90% of U.S. residents who keep their homes merry and bright during the holiday season with indoor lights such as string lights, Hanukah lights, or candles, 66% have left their lights on in an unoccupied home, raising fire risks. Additionally, roughly 1 in 4 U.S. residents (23%) are unsure how many sets of indoor string lights can be safely connected, even though the U.S. Fire Administration advises against connecting more than three strands of holiday lights. The same proportion (23%) believe connecting four or more sets of indoor string lights is safe, and one in ten (10%) think connecting five or more sets of indoor string lights is safe.

Click here to view additional findings from Selective's Holiday Hazards Study and ways to keep homes calm and bright.

Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Selective Insurance from November 9-11, 2022, among 2,069 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Harris online polls' sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Katelyn Leondi.

About Selective Insurance
Selective Insurance Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGI) is a holding company for 10 property and casualty insurance companies rated "A+" (Superior) by AM Best. Through independent agents, the insurance companies offer standard and specialty insurance for commercial and personal risks and flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program's Write Your Own Program. Selective has been honored and awarded for its unique position as a leading insurance group and employer of choice, including listing in the Fortune 1000 and three consecutive years as a certified Great Place to Work^®. For more information about Selective, visit www.Selective.com.

SOURCE Selective Insurance Group, Inc.