Some 7000 interviews were conducted in seven European countries: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands. Overall, people in Sweden feel safest, with only 20% expressing any concern at all. Feeling least secure are the French, of whom nearly 80% express their concern, with the British not far behind.
Overall, a large majority have a strong belief that health centres are the safest places, followed by schools. A total of 66% of Europeans consider hospitals and health centres to be sufficiently equipped for a quick and safe evacuation in case of emergency.
Underground and multi-storey car parks score worst, with only 29% considering them to be sufficiently equipped. They are closely followed by department stores and underground and train stations.
The general opinion regarding the safety, security and evacuation equipment in public places is that they are not replaced regularly, but age with the rest of the building. In general, 40% of respondents claim to have encountered blocked emergency exits at some time.