auto insurance

August 9, 2012

Distracted Driving

Happy Halloween. What’s the scariest thing you might see on the highway today? Zombies, vampires, the devil, Angry Birds? Not for me. The most terrifying thing for me is actually distracted driving – it plays a big part in a number of auto accidents on the road today. 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA). Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). (NHTSA) In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES) The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA) Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times […]

August 9, 2012

Uninsured Motorists

The Insurance Research Council estimates that one in seven drivers on the road today could be uninsured. During difficult economic conditions many people simply cannot afford to pay for car insurance. So what can you do to protect yourself? Here are a few things you may not know about your automobile insurance policy and uninsured motorists: What are Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance? Uninsured motorist insurance provides coverage to a policy holder when the at-fault party does not have auto insurance. Who does it cover? It provides coverage not only to the occupants of your vehicle but also to any family member residing in you home when they are injured in a motor vehicle accident. Even if they are a passenger in someone else’s vehicle, a bicyclist, pedestrian or in the event of a hit and run accident. What losses are covered? Uninsured motorist insurance is intended to compensate for your financial losses such as medical expenses and loss of […]

August 9, 2012

Late Payments and Coverage

Bills. We’ve all got them to pay each month but one of the most important bills to pay on time is your insurance premiums. It is critical to make your insurance payments on time to avoid a potential lapse in coverage. If you let your policy lapse it can have big, long-term consequences. Missed payments and a lapse in coverage can lower your credit rating significantly, making it more expensive to get car insurance in the future. What’s the worst case scenario? Driving without insurance is also against the law and you will be personally liable if you have an accident. You can lose your home and your future earnings could be effected. I recommend having your insurance taken out each month by automatic draft. This way you never have to worry if you are late or forget to pay.