Blog

Will a Traffic Camera Ticket Affect Your Auto Insurance Premiums?

With the sudden presence of traffic violation cameras (red light, speeding, aggressive driving) in states across the country, many Americans feel that their privacy is violated.  Others believe that this is a government ploy for fundraising, or to replace the local police department.  Many people are curious as to the effect a red light camera violation will have on their insurance premium.

Since initiating the program a few short years ago, participating cities have seen very promising results from their investments.  Many have seen a 40% decrease in violations since starting the program.  Fines can be anywhere from $35 to $200, depending on the city in which the violation was issued and the speed over the legal limit at the time of the photograph.

If you are found in violation, the cameras take a picture of your car, with a motion-triggered shutter, which captures an image of you in your vehicle in addition to a zoomed-in image of your license plate.  Some cameras even take a few seconds of video.  Once the data is analyzed, you are issued a ticket through mail.

Some drivers have contested that if the vehicle owner is not the driver at the time of the violation, they should not have to pay the fine.  Most cities allow residents to appeal the citation in this situation.  Other states, however, hold the vehicle owner responsible regardless of who was driving.

There have been a few reports that suggested the cameras increase traffic accidents.  This is both true and false.  As the lights change from green to yellow, drivers begin to panic.  To avoid receiving a traffic violation, they are inclined to stop much more suddenly, which could cause minor rear-end collisions, and fender-benders.  However, more serious side-impact and head-on collisions caused by drivers speeding through red lights have significantly decreased.  As these crashes were much more hazardous, and resulted in far more injuries, the cameras are still viewed as a positive implementation.

Since violations are usually issued as a civil penalty and cannot prove who the driver of the vehicle actually was, in most cases they do not result in changes to your auto insurance premium or points on your license.

But Remember, driving safely, will always result in better and more stable auto insurance rates.

There are many dangers that can contribute to car accidents, but driver fatigue is by far one of the largest.  Falling asleep behind the wheel is a serious problem, causing more than 100,000 accidents per year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For most of these fatigue-based crashes, the culprit is monotony on the road. Interstates and high-speed or long, rural highways, for example, are the most frequent areas where drivers fall asleep. Studies done by the NHTSA have proven that driving with fatigue is equally if not more dangerous than driving intoxicated, with very similar results: impaired reflexes, blurred vision, inability to stay focused, etc.  The NHTSA has estimated that drivers falling asleep at the wheel cost about $12.5 billion annually in auto insurance claims and medical costs.

There are several common-sense tips for staying awake, especially when driving long distances, or at night.

• Make sure you’re well rested, beginning your trip only after having at least seven to eight hours of sleep.
• Avoid driving alone on long-distance trips. Passengers can both share in the driving and providing conversation, which can help you stay awake.
• Be an active driver. Avoiding prolonged use of cruise control. Using it in moderation will help you stay more alert.
• Allow yourself ample time to reach your destination so you can take advisably frequent breaks. Try to stop about every two hours, or every 100 miles. Make a point of getting out of the car and walking at least a short distance.
• Driving for long periods at night makes fatigue much more likely. By avoiding traveling during these hours, you escape the glaring dashboard and road lights. That alone will help decrease your risk of highway hypnosis.
• Finally, if you’re losing the battle against fatigue, stop and sleep at a motel or well-guarded rest stop.

Deciding on the right Umbrella Insurance limits

One million dollars is the minimum amount of coverage for an umbrella insurance policy. However, insurance companies usually umbrella insurance policies in one million dollar increments and often go up to five or ten million. Some insurance companies that target high net worth individuals may offer up to fifty million or more in coverage. Most people who purchase an umbrella insurance policy choose the one million dollar amount, but many choose two million dollars or more. A rough estimate of what it costs for the first million is about $200 to $250 per year, but can be higher if you have more than two cars, young drivers or points on your record. While each incremental amount above the first million is slightly less, increments exceeding ten million can be higher.

The more insurance coverage you have, the more bullet resistant you will be if you become liable for a catastrophic incident. One of the best aspects of this coverage is that it’s very inexpensive. It’s important for those considering umbrella insurance to avoid cutting corners. Shortcuts cannot be afforded when all accumulated assets from an entire lifetime are in question. Some believe that all they need is insurance coverage for whatever their net worth is, but settlements and judgments can go beyond someone’s assets because damages are never limited to someone’s net worth.

And some folks believe that since they do not own a home or have any significant assets, that they do not need an umbrella insurance policy.  But i strongly believe that it’ also important to protect future wages from garnishment.  Your future income could be at risk if you do not have the proper insurance coverage.  Can you afford to lose 30% of you income to a wage garnishment for the rest of your life?  I know I couldn’t.  There are many attorney advertisement telling folks to call them first should an accident happen and they are getting paid to get the most money for their clients.

You don’t have to be liable to someone making hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a million dollar judgement against you.  Think about it, say you are involved in an auto accident that is your fault and you seriously injure or even cause the death of a 30 year old who makes $30,000 per year (which is not uncommon in our area).  ow that person can no longer work and had an expectation of working for another 35 years to reach 65.  Just taking today’s dollars of $30,000 for 35 years, would be a lifetime income loss of $1,050,000.

Although one million may appear to be more than enough coverage, the total cost of liability claims can multiply quickly. In today’s world, a million isn’t much. It’s not unusual to read in the news of settlements over well over five million. Losing the ability to earn an income and facing a lifetime of injuries or medical care can easily total beyond several million dollars over the span of an individual’s lifetime, not to mention situations where multiple people are injured, which would multiply the total damages. It’s important to consider what amount would be acceptable for various conditions. For example, ask yourself how much you would settle for if you were paralyzed and unable to work the rest of your life.

Anyone who has something to lose should have an umbrella insurance policy, but if you really have a lot to lose and don’t want to gamble with your life’s wealth, your option should be a multi-million dollar policy. . The insurance coverage you get should be discussed with your Trusted Choice ® Insurance Agent.

Homeowners Insurance & Social Gatherings

Many homeowners enjoy throwing parties for holidays or special events. If a party is in the near future, be sure that individual homeowners insurance coverage is adequate. Guests who are injured may need to file an injury claim  if they fall down or if a pet bites them.

Research shows that about 75 percent of adult homeowners who plan social gatherings in their homes do not have a personal umbrella insurance policy. This makes them more vulnerable to lawsuits stemming from guests who suffer injuries. The same research study showed that the remainder of the homeowners surveyed did not know what type of insurance coverage they had. This means it is likely that the percentage of homeowners who do not have adequate insurance coverage is more than 75 percent. However, they should have this extra coverage to protect themselves from lawsuits. Although dog bites and falls are common, alcohol is one liability issue that is often overlooked but is very risky.

Alcoholic drinks are viewed as a way to relax and enjoy socializing. However, there is one sobering fact that many homeowners who plan to serve these drinks should know. In 30 states, homeowners may be responsible for damages arising from any auto accidents caused by their intoxicated guests who choose to drive home. In a research survey, more than 50 percent of homeowners said they agreed that party hosts should be responsible for their guests’ safety. However, very few took any steps to obtain adequate insurance coverage. The research study concluded that most people avoid purchasing a personal umbrella insurance policy because they are under the impression that their regular homeowners insurance coverage provides adequate protection for such matters. Since many lawsuits include large awards and medical costs, it is easy for one incident to exceed the homeowners insurance liability limits.

Homeowners must take two steps to ensure they are protected. First, it is imperative for them to contact a Trusted Choice ® Insurance Agency to discuss umbrella insurance policy options. It is also important to take the agent’s advice to avoid facing a costly lawsuit. The second step homeowners must take is to read the following suggestions, which are designed to reduce their risk of lawsuits from intoxicated party guests:

• Ensure that there are filling food options and non-alcoholic beverage choices available.
• To avoid trouble from party-crashing strangers, limit invitations to friends or familiar people.
• For guests who appear drunk, provide transportation or overnight accommodations.
• Avoid serving alcohol to guests who appear intoxicated.
• Plan activities that draw attention away from drinking alcohol.
• If several guests are expected at a home party, consider hiring an off-duty police officer to handle problems and discreetly monitor guests’ alcohol consumption.
• Take away all alcoholic drinks at least one hour before the part is supposed to end.

Taking these small steps could save you from facing huge problems.  After all, you want your holiday gathering to be remembered for the fun and the social interaction, and not remembered for a bad incident that resulted in injury or death.

Stay Safe in your SUV

Considering the increase in fuel costs and environmental awareness, it is surprising that the most popular vehicle in America is still the sport utility vehicle. With a higher rollover occurrence, higher center of gravity, and increased difficulty of handling, driving a SUV can be dangerous.

SUV’s are completely different from lower-bodied sedans. They are much heavier and therefore, they need much more braking distance between themselves and the car in front of them. They also are much more prone to slip, skid, or flip in hazardous road conditions; according to research done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 10,000 people each year die in SUV rollovers..

The statistics also show that most passenger care have about a 10% chance of rollover if involved in a single car accident, while SUV’s have between 14% and 23% chance of rollover in the same scenario.

By following these basic tips, you will be better informed of how to safely maneuver in a SUV.

• Slow down. Driving too fast is dangerous; driving too fast in an SUV is even more so.  The longer you have to react, the less likely you are to cause or be involved in an accident.
• Avoid sudden or sharp steering.  An SUV is not designed to make fast, sharp turns as a smaller, lower, car can.  Allowing yourself more time to react will allow you to make smoother steering transitions.
• Learn to brake in an SUV. While driving your vehicle, you should be considerate of those around you.  Those behind and beside you will not be able to see around you, so the more warning you can give before you brake, the better.
• Check blind spots frequently.  The biggest mistake most SUV drivers make is feeling invincible.  You are in the largest car, but that doesn’t mean you are in the safest.  Many SUV drivers do not use turn signals, or check blind spots, before pulling out or changing lanes, making a collision with a smaller vehicle all the more likely.
• Avoid overloads. Carrying a great deal of cargo (especially on roof racks), or even passengers, can throw off the center of gravity even further, making the car more likely to flip over. This also wears on tires and brakes, overheats tires, and can result in a blowout.

Simple Tips to Prevent Auto Theft

Imagine finishing up a nice dinner at one of your favorite restaurants.  And as you are walking through the parking lot, getting closer to the spot in which you parked your car, you start to get that sick feeling in your stomach when you start realizing that your car is not where you parked it.  What could you have done to deter the auto thieves?

Auto Theft is not an uncommon event in the United States.

About every 44 seconds, a vehicle is stolen in the United States.  That means over  750,000 vehicle owners each year find themselves victims of auto theft.  In the event your car is stolen, contact the police with the following information immediately: make, model, year, color, license plate number, VIN, approximate time of theft, location, and witnesses, if any. You should know this information, or have it available at all times. If you have a smart phone, that is a great place to easily store your vehicle and insurance information.

Then, contact your auto insurance company or local insurance agent to report the claim.  Your representative will be able to help you get through this time of crisis. The will explain your car insurance coverage and guide you through the steps needed to handle your claim.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  40% to 50% of all auto thefts are a result of driver errors. Some other interesting statistics are:

• The top two months for vehicle theft are July and August
• Only 54% of stolen vehicles are recovered
• Using the 2010 statistics, the #1 stolen vehicle was the Dodge Charger
• The annual value of stolen vehicles is in excess of $4.3 BILLION
• Maryland ranks #9 for the top states where cars are stolen (with California ranking #1)

A few simple preventative measures, however, could deter auto thieves and prevent this tragedy from ever happening.

Here are some tips to consider to deter auto thieves:

• Install an anti-theft device.
• Never leave the keys in the vehicle, or the vehicle running, while unattended.
• Keep doors locked at all times, and windows up.
• Never store valuables or packages in plain sight, which will make your vehicle a more attractive target for would a would be auto thief.
• When parking on the street, turn your wheels, use your emergency brake, and park between other cars (making it harder for a thief to tow).
• Avoid parking in long-term lots if at all possible.
• Park in a safe, well-lit, or well-traveled area at night.

Will your Smoke Detector help you when you need it?

In early 2006, a federal jury ruled that the design of ionization smoke alarms was defective in a fire that trapped 56-year-old William Hackert Jr. and his 31-year-old daughter Christine in their house near Albany in 2001. However, even before this ruling, safety experts were already questioning whether this type of smoke alarm is adequate to deal with the threat of fast-burning synthetic materials prevalent in American homes.

Ionization alarms, which use radioactive material to detect smoke, react earlier in fast-burning flaming fires. Photoelectric alarms, which detect changes in light patterns, react earlier in slow smoky fires. Experts agree that both types save lives. However, a problem arises because the time needed to escape has shortened significantly because of fast-burning synthetics used in furniture and carpets. Smoke alarm use standards may need to change to accommodate this phenomenon.

In 2001, Consumer Reports recommended that homeowners install at least one of each type of alarm on every level of a house to provide sufficient warning time for different types of fires. A recent report from the Public/Private Fire Safety Council noted that some test escape times were “tight or insufficient” with either alarm for bedroom or living room flaming fires. The group suggested that Underwriters Laboratories (UL) modify its standard to require faster detection of smoldering fires. Current UL smoke alarm standards require alarms to respond within 4 minutes of a flaming fire and in a smoldering fire before smoke obscures visibility by more than 10 percent per foot.

In today’s homes, the synthetics in furnishings, fabrics and carpeting smolder longer, but burn faster than natural materials like wood and cotton, which char as they burn. Synthetics melt and pool which produces significantly more energy when they burn. This has shortened the time between first flames and combustion of an entire room due to accumulated heat and gases to approximately 2 to 4 minutes. The average time between first flames and complete combustion 30 years ago when the UL standard was developed was 12 to 14 minutes.

In February of 2006, UL began studying the smoke characteristics from 40 materials commonly found in homes in the effort to make alarms more effective. Also under study are the byproducts of today’s smoke, which can be lethal. Results of these studies are expected by the end of the year.

Another reason for UL concern is the increase in U.S. fire fatalities in the past 12 months to a rate of about 3,500 annually. One likely factor is the increasing use of candles as mood lighting. Candles now cause about 18,000 fires a year, triple the number five years ago.

The proper Contractors Insurance can help save your Construction Business.

Construction can be dangerous work. The majority of injuries to workers and members of the public are relatively minor; the injured persons fully recover in short order. However, catastrophic injuries, while rare, can devastate a person’s life, cost enormous amounts of money, attract unwanted media attention, and harm a contractor’s reputation and business.

There is no single definition of catastrophic injury. Organizations may define it in dollar terms, such as an injury that incurs liability of $250,000 or more. Others may define it in terms of the injury’s severity – a broken arm might not be considered catastrophic, but a crushed or severed arm might be. Still others may define it in terms of a change in an individual’s earning capacity – an injury that prevents a person from working or reduces his wages for less than a year might not be considered catastrophic, but one that permanently reduces or eliminates earning capacity might be.

Whatever the definition, there are some things a contractor can do to effectively manage a claim. A few steps the contractor can take before an injury occurs may pay dividends later:

• Plan ahead. Most construction businesses are too small to have their own risk management departments, so form a partnership with a Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent experienced in insuring construction risks and obtain coverage from a company with expertise in handling construction claims.
• Form good relationships. Many companies that insure contractors are willing to have a meeting involving the customer, agent, loss control and claims staff. Take advantage of this and form good working relationships with the people who will respond to a severe claim. If the contractor uses a third party administrator for claim handling, meet in advance with the appropriate staff and get their contact information.

After a loss occurs, the company can do several things to manage the claim:

• Work with your insurance agent, insurance company, and others to evaluate the claim and prepare possible legal defenses.
• In cases, where the contractor’s liability is clear, make quick contact with the claimant and the family. Work with the medical facilities to ensure that the claimant does not receive a bill.
• Be truthful with the claimant, family, investigating authorities, and the media.
• Begin the claim investigation as soon as possible to determine the facts and build a defense strategy.
• In cases where the contractor’s liability is unclear, identify possible legal defenses. These can include contributory negligence on the part of others, no negligence on the contractor’s part, intervening causes, product defects, and others. Use these defenses to get the contractor dismissed from the case.

Good communications are the keys to successfully managing a catastrophic injury case – with the claimant and family, medical providers, insurance adjusters, and other interested parties.

• Be prepared to answer the claimant’s questions or to find the answers. Frequent and meaningful communication with the claimant should assure him that the company cares about his situation. A claimant who feels that someone is paying attention to his needs is less likely to hire a lawyer.
• Working with medical providers will keep the contractor informed as to the claimant’s progress, expected therapies and treatments, and projected length of disability.
• Work with the insurance company and medical providers to minimize and resolve disputes.
• Stay involved with the insurance company’s handling of the claim. The company’s goals might not be the same as the contractor’s.

No contractor wants to see someone harmed because of their construction operations. However, severe injuries can and do occur on job sites. With careful pre planning, proactive involvement after the fact, and prudent claim management, a contractor can do the right thing by the claimant and protect his business at the same time.

Do you know about your Homeowners Insurance Policy?

If you feel in a quandary when you look at your homeowner’s insurance, take heart; you are not alone. In fact, a recent study conducted by Harris Interactive for Travelers Insurance shows that a large number of American homeowners are unsure of their coverage specifics. Many of these homeowners are under insured and the smallest disaster could send them into a financial hardship.

The researchers questioned more than 1,300 homeowners to determine exactly what they knew about their homeowners insurance coverage. They also asked the study participants how often they reviewed their homeowners insurance policy to ensure they maintained appropriate coverage and how they conducted their review.  According to the survey data, more than 44 percent of those surveyed had not examined their home insurance coverage in the past year. Some respondents had not reviewed their home insurance policy in the last 10 years.

The “Travelers In-synch Homeowner’s Insurance Study” also indicated that nearly 27 percent of these homeowners weren’t sure whether their policy would cover the cost of rebuilding their home. Thirty-six percent didn’t know whether their home insurance policy would cover damage caused by a hurricane. Forty-two percent were unsure if they had earthquake insurance coverage. Twenty-six percent didn’t know if they had coverage against flood damage or if they had Flood Insurance, and 37 percent didn’t know whether their home insurance policy would cover a prolonged hotel stay if their home were damaged.

Many items impact the amount of homeowner’s insurance coverage you need. That’s why it is important to review your insurance coverage frequently. Here are some criteria to use in your review:

• Have you recently remodeled your home?
  If you’ve improved your home, chances are you’ve increased its estimated replacement cost.

• Has the inflation rate increased since your home was last appraised?
  Certain conditions, such as severe weather, can increase the demand for labor and materials, which raises costs beyond the normal inflation level. It is important to update your coverage each year to account for changing inflation.

• What factors influence building costs in your area?
  Replacement costs are directly proportionate to factors, such as the availability of labor, the current demand for labor, and the cost of construction materials. Adjusting your coverage regularly can ensure your policy will provide the money you need to rebuild.

To determine whether you have adequate homeowner’s insurance coverage you should know your home’s estimated replacement cost. Keep in mind that your replacement cost could be higher or lower than your home’s market value. You should also consider the building materials used to construct your home. The more difficult the building materials are to find, the higher your replacement cost. Your coverage needs to reflect these increased costs.

The best way to stay ahead of changing costs is to contact your insurance agent annually to discuss your current coverage and your changing needs. They can help you manage risk by updating your coverage so there won’t be any surprises should your home be damaged.