Late night visits reveal true Kumbalgodu safety

Since January I've been shortlisting flats and found a good tip for checking neighbourhood safety around Kumbalgodu. Instead of just relying on online reviews, I started visiting the area late at night, around 9-10 PM, to see how lit up it is and if there are many people around. Honestly, it helped me rule out a few spots. Anyone else do this? Or have better ways to gauge safety for families?