"Homeowners value home safety," explained Elizabeth A. Sprinkel, senior vice president of the IRC, in a statement. "Homeowners support building codes that make their homes safer even when they increase the cost of a home. In addition, they often make safety improvements to their home that are not required by law."

The Malvern, Pa.-based association, which is a division of the American Institute for CPCU and the Insurance Institute of America, said the report shows that support for stricter building codes is especially strong in the South, where hurricane damage is a historic concern.

Four out of five southern homeowners say that stronger building codes are an excellent or a good idea. When increased cost is factored into the question, 68 percent said they would continue to support stronger building codes if it added 6 percent to the cost of a new home.

The survey also found that 95 percent of homeowners carry a homeowners or condominium owners insurance policy. Approximately 22 percent have purchased additional water back-up coverage; 20 percent have flood coverage; and 12 percent carry earthquake coverage.

The figures for purchasing additional insurance rise slightly for homeowners who believe that a natural disaster will damage homes in their area, increasing to 31 percent for flood insurance and 25 percent for earthquake coverage.

The report, entitled "Public Attitude Monitor 2003, Issue 1," found that homeowners are well versed in disaster-preparedness measures.

Almost 88 percent said they know how to turn off the electricity in a disaster, 87 percent said they knew how to turn off the water, and 74 percent knew how to turn off the gas in an emergency. Two-thirds of households reported that they have a disaster-preparedness kit, 57 percent said they have a fire escape plan, and 42 percent said they had prepared an inventory of their household's contents.

The survey also found that a majority of homeowners say their homes have safety features. Ninety-seven percent of homeowners said they have a smoke detector, 85 percent said they have deadbolt locks on exterior doors, 83 percent have fire extinguishers, 68 percent said they have exterior floodlights and/or motion detectors, and 62 percent have ground fault circuit interrupters near sinks and tubs.

The report is based on a telephone survey conducted by RoperASW between Oct. 24 and Nov. 13, 2002.

Information about obtaining copies of the report is available at www.ircweb.org.