''Latchkey Kids'' May Be Headed out the Door; Chamberlain(R) GarageTrends Survey(TM) Reveals a New Generation of ''Keypad Kids'' Choose Codes Over Keys.

ELMHURST, Ill. -- The term "latchkey kids" has been around for decades, but today many of the estimated 14.3 million children(a) who come home to an empty house are no longer using a key to let themselves in. In today's technologically-driven society, like the typewriter and the rotary phone, the good old-fashioned key may be headed out the door.

According to the Chamberlain(R) GarageTrends Survey(TM), 33 percent of parents whose homes have external keypads report that the keypad is the number one way their kids enter the home. In fact, just 22 percent of these children still use a traditional key to get into the house. Other entry methods include having the kids carry a remote control that opens the garage door (8 percent) and leaving a door unlocked (14 percent).

Safety, Security, Convenience

Overall, almost three-quarters of parents (72 percent) say they feel safer having their kids use an external keypad to get into the house. Other top advantages of having a key pad include: It's easier for kids (44 percent); and not having to worry about kids losing the keys or remote (23 percent).

The New Front Door

The survey revealed that the garage door has replaced the front, side or back door as the most frequently used entry, with 58 percent of those surveyed entering their home through the garage using either a remote control or external keypad. As technology improves and the wireless revolution gains steam, that number is expected to grow. The majority of people (54 percent) who have purchased an automatic garage door opener or specified one for a new home within the past 10 years have opted for an external keypad as their entry method of choice. In contrast, just 22 percent of homeowners whose garage doors are more than 10 years old have keypads.

The Chamberlain GarageTrends Survey, conducted in November 2005 by research firm Greenfield Online, is the nation's most comprehensive look at today's garage and its role in home access, safety and security. One thousand garage door opener owners in the U.S. were surveyed. The sample was balanced demographically to represent households across the U.S. and has a maximum margin of error of +/-3.1 percent.

The Chamberlain Group, Inc., headquartered in Elmhurst, Ill., is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of residential garage door openers, commercial door operators, gate operators and access control systems. Chamberlain's brands include the LiftMaster(R) professional line of garage door openers and accessories, the LiftMaster Elite Series line of residential and commercial gate operators and access control systems, and the Sentex(R) line of access control systems which are all supported by a nationwide network of trained and authorized dealers. Chamberlain's do-it-yourself brands of products are available at authorized home centers, hardware stores, and select retail outlets. For more information on Chamberlain products or dealers, visit www.chamberlain.com or call 1-800-323-2276.

(a) The 2003 Afterschool Alliance Survey