52% of Women and 41% of Men Would Avoid Retail Parking Lots After Dark Due to Safety Concerns

AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As millions of Americans prepare for the back-to-school shopping and campus move-in season, a stark safety gap has emerged: many actively avoid daily destinations out of fear. According to new data released today by LVT (LiveView Technologies, Inc.), more than half of American women (52%) and 41% of men would avoid large, open-air retail parking lots after dark due to personal safety concerns.

Newly released data from the LVT/Harris Poll of 2,089 U.S. Adults – part of the 2026 Public Safety & Privacy Benchmark – examines generational, gender, and geographic differences in safety concerns surrounding large open-air retail parking lots and school or university campuses. The data is intended to help campus safety leaders and retail security teams better understand and address perceived safety gaps as Americans prepare for the new academic year.

“The back-to-school season is an exciting yet stressful time for parents and guardians. As we prepare our family for academic success, we also face the reality of potential safety and wellbeing risks,” said Matt Kelley, SVP of Business and Market Development at LVT. “These findings provide communities with hard data to ground their conversations and consider new measures to instill peace of mind, both on campus and in retail settings.”

33% of Americans Say Large, Open-Air Retail Parking Lots Need Increased Security 
Men and women expressed near equal levels of agreement that large, open-air retail parking lots need increased security at any time of day (34% and 33%, respectively). 

Daytime safety concerns vary across demographics:

• Overall, 21% of Americans would feel unsafe in large, open-air parking lots during the day, including one in four women (25%) and 17% of men.
• Potential daytime parking lot safety concerns are higher among women aged 18-34 (34%) than those aged 35+ (22%) and men of the same age (19%).
• 30% of Gen Z (ages 18-29) and 19% of all other generations would feel very or somewhat unsafe in large open-air retail parking lots during the day.
• Potential daytime safety concerns for retail parking lots by region: South (24%), West (22%), Midwest (21%), and Northeast (15%).

Safety concerns increase greatly after dark. More than half of women (52%) and 41% of men would avoid large, ope-air retail parking lots after dark specifically due to concerns about personal safety.

• Women aged 65+ (63%) are more likely than those aged 18-64 (48%) and men aged 65+ (47%) to say they’d avoid large, open-air retail parking lots after dark specifically due to concerns about personal safety.
• Nighttime avoidance by generation is: 49% of Gen Z, 40% of Millennials (ages 30-45), 44% of Gen X (ages 46-61), and 53% of Baby Boomers (ages 62-80). 
• Nighttime avoidance is higher among those living in the Midwest (52%) compared to those in the Northeast (43%) and West (42%). 47% of Americans living in the South shared potential nighttime avoidance.
  

Regarding potential security solutions used in this location, 77% of Americans agreed they are more likely to be mindful of their own actions and behave responsibly if they notice security cameras are present in a public space such as a shopping center or parking lot. 

“Men and women alike are concerned about their safety in parking lots, especially after dark, which could impact overall store foot traffic and sales. Retailers can better secure parking lots and increase the sense of safety by ensuring optimal lighting, establishing visibility with human guards or through video security solutions, and offering assistance to customers who may appreciate a store associate accompanying them to their vehicle. Proactive communication around a store’s safety efforts can help alleviate shopper fears around safety at all hours,” said Matt Kelley.

43% of Americans Say School or University Campuses Need Increased Security 
24% of women aged 18-34 and 16% of men aged 18-34 say they would feel unsafe on school or university campuses during the daytime, reflecting the primary student age demographic. 47% of women and 38% of men in this group also say they believe there is a need for increased security on school or university campuses.

Generational breakdowns reveal Gen Z leads daytime campus safety concerns at 24%—significantly higher than Millennials (11%) and Gen Xers (15%).

Americans in the West (19%) and South (18%) were more likely to have school or university campus daytime safety concerns than those in the Northeast (11%). 16% of Americans in the Midwest said they have daytime safety concerns on a school or university campus.

Safety concerns amplify after dark, with 35% of women and 23% of men stating they would avoid visiting school or university campuses after dark specifically due to concerns about their personal safety. 30% of Gen Z, 24% of Millennials, 29% of Gen X, and 35% of Baby Boomers say they would avoid visiting school or university campuses after dark. 

Americans shared the following when asked about security cameras deployed in a public place like a city park, business, school, or hospital, which could guide campus safety leaders in optimizing their security strategy:

• 54% believe cameras should be highly visible and clearly announced to maximize public awareness.
• 84% say the presence of a highly visible security camera would increase their sense of safety when visiting a public place at night they would otherwise avoid.

Additional Findings on American Safety and Technology Acceptance
Report findings shared in June 2026 examine how AI-powered security technologies can address safety concerns and the guardrails Americans expect to preserve privacy. 
Access the full 2026 Public Safety & Privacy Benchmark at lvt.com/public-safety-privacy-report.

Survey Methodology 
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of LVT from March 23–25, 2026, among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 2,035 are citizens of the U.S. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. The sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

About LVT
LiveView Technologies, Inc. (LVT) delivers safety, security, and active intelligence for the physical world by collecting, interpreting, and acting on real-time information. Headquartered in American Fork, Utah, LVT’s enterprise SaaS and HaaS solutions are used by retailers, critical infrastructure, and municipalities. LVT products are proudly made in the USA. For more information, visit www.lvt.com.

Media Contact:
Matthew Deighton
LVT 
[email protected]  

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