Survey Shows Safety Fears Drive Nighttime Retail Avoidance
New data reveals more than half of women and 41% of men avoid open-air parking lots after dark due to safety concerns.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Aug 14, 2026
Perceived security risks are prompting many Americans to avoid daily destinations as the back-to-school shopping and campus move-in season begins, according to recent survey data.
Findings from a survey of 2,089 U.S. adults conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of security firm LVT show that 52% of women and 41% of men actively avoid large, open-air retail parking lots after dark specifically due to concerns over personal safety.
Overall, roughly one-third of respondents (34% of men and 33% of women) stated that large open-air retail parking lots require increased security measures regardless of the time of day. Daytime safety concerns were also notable, with 21% of Americans reporting they feel unsafe in parking lots during daylight hours.
Avoidance rates after dark varied across demographic groups:
- By Gender and Age: Women aged 65 and older reported the highest rate of nighttime avoidance at 63%, compared to 48% of women under 64 and 47% of men in the same age bracket.
- By Generation: Baby Boomers (53%) and Gen Z (49%) reported higher rates of nighttime parking lot avoidance than Gen X (44%) and Millennials (40%).
- By Region: Nighttime avoidance was highest in the Midwest (52%), followed by the South (47%), the Northeast (43%) and the West (42%).
Campus safety concerns were also pronounced among college-aged demographics. Among adults aged 18 to 34, 24% of women and 16% of men reported feeling unsafe on school or university campuses during the day. In the same age group, 47% of women and 38% of men called for increased campus security measures.
Overall, 35% of women and 23% of men reported avoiding educational campuses after dark due to safety risks.
The findings highlight a strong public acceptance of visible surveillance tools to deter risk. Among all respondents, 77% reported they are more likely to behave responsibly when security cameras are present in public spaces. Additionally, 84% noted that visible camera installations increase their overall sense of safety when visiting public locations at night.