Do Driveway Gates Deter Burglaries?

Keeping our homes and our families safe is always on the forefront of our minds. We all want to feel safe in our homes, and have peace of mind that when we are not home- our property and our things are safe and secure. 

How do we accomplish this? By making our homes as unattractive and they can be to potential criminals.  

This article examines some burglary statistics and examines the role having a security gate plays in deterring burglaries.

The Statistics

Before we look at whether or not a driveway gate effectively deters burglaries- let’s take a look at some real data on burglaries from 2015 (click to enlarge)

Science Daily posted a fabulous article about a study done by Joseph b kuhns at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in which  422 incarcerated burglars were asked about their crimes and why they chose the homes they chose, and what their goals were when committing a robbery. The study revealed the following to be the biggest deterrent to potential burglars:

1. Alarms or Signs indicating and alarm 

2. Signs indicating, or visual evidence of a dog on the property (the louder the dog, the more of a deterrent: A yappy  puppy is more of a deterrent than a german shepard)

3. The escape route into or out of the house being difficult to navigate

4. Tall Fences with difficult to climb over tops such as iron fencing with pointed tips etc (this slows down the escape route and is suspicious to passers by to see someone climbing over a fence)

5. Motion lights/ bright lights

6. Close proximity to neighbors

How do driveway gates deter potential burglars?

1. They create an obstacle that means it takes longer to get into the property and out of the property. 

2. It is conspicuous to be seen climbing over a tall fence

3. A fence generally indicates that there are likely other security features

4. They pose a physical and psychological barrier- the more difficult it seems to get in and out of a house quickly, the less attractive it is to potential burglars.

The Opposition

Some other studies have indicated that privacy fences can actually be welcoming to potential burglars because they provide places to hide, and provide cover so that nosey neighbors or passersby won’t be able to detect the crime while it is happening. Another argument that should be noted is that in the event of an emergency, fences can block police or ems from gaining entrance to your property- and any delay in response time can be disastrous.

The Verdict

The effectiveness of gates and fencing as a way to deter burglars depends on the nature of the property and the management controls in place. The overall consensus seems to be that driveway gates do, in fact deter burglaries, but can’t not claim to prevent all burglaries. Driveway gates will make your house far less attractive as a target to potential burglars- but should be just one part of your home security system. A house with a sturdy fence, stickers indicating an alarm system, and motion sensor lights is 300% less likely to be targeted than a house without these features- a figure which speaks to the fact that driveway gates deter burglaries- they just can’t claim to be the end-all solution to prevent home invasions.