Summer Holidays: The High-Risk Season for Lost Keys
Summer is the season when everyone is outside doing something, whether you’re on holiday or at the beach everyone has something going on. But while people are making the most of the warmer weather, there’s a trend that often goes unnoticed, you’re more likely to lose your keys.
Our latest locksmith data found that May (9.9%) and June (9.7%) have the highest rates of lost key incidents, compared to the colder months, when reports are at their lowest. It seems that ‘summer amnesia’ isn’t about becoming more forgetful, it’s about changing our routines.
Why are keys lost more often in summer?
One of the biggest reasons why we lose our keys in summer could be what we wear.
In winter we wear big coats with large, zipped pockets that keep our keys secure. During summer we swap all our layers for shorts, dresses, and lighter clothing that has smaller pockets or most of the time none at all. This means keys are more likely to fall out of pockets unnoticed or just end up loose in a beach bag.
Summer also means spending more time away from home, whether you’re just visiting more family or traveling aboard you’re moving between locations and carrying extra belonging and the more places that you visit, the more opportunities there are to accidentally leave your keys behind.
Holidays can make things even more challenging. Between packing luggage, organising travel documents and settling into unfamiliar accommodation, it’s easy to put your keys down somewhere and forget where they were left.
How to reduce the risk of losing your keys
Fortunately, introducing a few simple habits to your routine can help keep your keys safe this summer.
- Make sure your key is always kept in the same pocket or compartment of a bag every time you leave the house.
- Choose bags with zipped pockets rather than loose.
- Consider attaching a Bluetooth device to your keys, so that they can easily be located if misplaced.
- Before leaving every location do a quick check to make sure you have all your belongings.
- Make sure that a trusted family member or friend has a spare key, in case your key cannot be found.
Adding these small changed to your routine can save you the inconvenience and expense of being locked out.
Lost your keys? Don’t forget about home security
If you’ve lost your keys, getting back into your home is only part of the problem.
If your keys have been lost in a public place or stolen and were attached to anything that could identify your address, it’s worth considering having your locks changed. Even if someone doesn’t know where you live immediately, there’s always a risk your keys could end up in the wrong hands.
Replacing your locks gives you peace of mind that only you and the people you trust have access to your property.
Key takeaways
While warmer weather and busier schedules naturally increase the chances of misplacing them, a few simple precautions can go a long way. And if the worst does happen, acting quickly and considering a lock replacement can help keep your home secure, so you can get back to enjoying your summer with confidence.
Becki Hooper
Becki is a seasoned home security specialist and the Marketing Manager at Keytek, one of the UK’s leading locksmith companies. With over a decade of hands-on experience in the locksmith and security industry, she offers trusted guidance on everything from upgrading to high-security locks to selecting the best home protection systems.
A graduate of Winchester University, Becki blends academic insight with practical expertise to empower homeowners with reliable, up-to-date security advice.
