Nothing is worse than a car break down when it’s jaw-chattering cold outside. Just thinking about it makes me shiver! Taking steps now to prepare your car for the winter can save your car (and your teeth).
One big step in preparing your car for the cold is to have your tire pressure checked. Since tire pressure drops when temperatures cool down, your tires could be dangerously low on air and could jeopardize your car’s handling, which could lead to more road accidents. In fact, tire pressure is so important to your safety, that as of 2008, tire pressure monitors are required on all new vehicles. (Older cars don’t have them, so you’ll need to check the pressure manually.)
A word of caution, though: over-inflating your tires won’t do you any good either. Not having your tires at their recommended pressure will negatively affect not only your tire’s wear, but more importantly your vehicle performance and your ability to drive safely.
Showing posts with label car insurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car insurance. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Commercial Drivers Texting Ban
If you had been watching news programming last summer, you probably saw a clip of a bus driver in Texas who caused an accident by paying more attention to his phone than to the road in front of him. If you didn’t catch the clip, check out the incredible video that shows it all caught on tape at: www.oneillinsurance.com/texting.html.
Texting while driving is a major distraction and risks lives. Data compiled last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 out of every six seconds. This means that at 55 mph a texting driver travels the length of a football field without looking at the road.
And, that’s exactly why the U.S. Department of Transportation has put in place a ban on texting for all commercial truck and bus drivers. Your company and your employees driving your commercial vehicles can be held liable for violating this ban and can be subject to stiff penalties and fines on top of any damages and injuries he/she may cause in the process.
Our best advice is to make sure that your employees are aware of the new regulations and the dangers of texting while driving. Make it known that texting won’t be tolerated while they are operating your company vehicles.
Texting while driving is a major distraction and risks lives. Data compiled last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 out of every six seconds. This means that at 55 mph a texting driver travels the length of a football field without looking at the road.
And, that’s exactly why the U.S. Department of Transportation has put in place a ban on texting for all commercial truck and bus drivers. Your company and your employees driving your commercial vehicles can be held liable for violating this ban and can be subject to stiff penalties and fines on top of any damages and injuries he/she may cause in the process.
Our best advice is to make sure that your employees are aware of the new regulations and the dangers of texting while driving. Make it known that texting won’t be tolerated while they are operating your company vehicles.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
National Teen Driver Safety Week; Education for Parents and Teens
We all remember the feeling we had when we received our first drivers license. While our parents worried, we delighted in our new-found freedom. Our parents’ anxiety wasn’t unjustified; teens are often involved in (or the cause of) accidents. In fact:
• Car crashes are still the leading killer of people age 15 to 20.
• Young drivers are three times as likely to die in a crash as those aged 25 to 64
• The younger the driver, the more accidents. The crash rate for 16 year olds per
million miles driven is nearly three times as high as for 19 year olds, and nearly six times as high as drivers aged 20 to 24.
The O’Neill Group supports National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW) which is scheduled annually in October. NTDSW is designed to spotlight the risks and hazards associated with teen driving as well as provide education. Part of NTDSW stresses the creation of a contract between parents and teen drivers.
We have developed such a contract for families with teen drivers as part of our total protection initiative because we believe it is an important step in preventing devastating teen accidents. The contract contains such items as the number of friends allowed in a vehicle at one time, and other rules teens should abide by.
Your teen is probably becoming more independent, too. Even if your teen isn’t driving quite yet, they are often passengers. It is important to start the conversation early with your teen about their new-found independence and driving responsibilities, as well as about riding with their friends who might be newly licensed.
To find even more helpful advice on the subject as well as discussion tips, we highly recommend visiting www.teendriverinsurance.com/Oneill. We also urge you to request a free copy of the parent-teen contract by calling our office at 330-334-1561 and speaking with your Personal Protection Specialist. Please help us make our streets safer, and keep your teen safe, by reminding them that with their independence comes great responsibility, too.
• Car crashes are still the leading killer of people age 15 to 20.
• Young drivers are three times as likely to die in a crash as those aged 25 to 64
• The younger the driver, the more accidents. The crash rate for 16 year olds per
million miles driven is nearly three times as high as for 19 year olds, and nearly six times as high as drivers aged 20 to 24.
The O’Neill Group supports National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW) which is scheduled annually in October. NTDSW is designed to spotlight the risks and hazards associated with teen driving as well as provide education. Part of NTDSW stresses the creation of a contract between parents and teen drivers.
We have developed such a contract for families with teen drivers as part of our total protection initiative because we believe it is an important step in preventing devastating teen accidents. The contract contains such items as the number of friends allowed in a vehicle at one time, and other rules teens should abide by.
Your teen is probably becoming more independent, too. Even if your teen isn’t driving quite yet, they are often passengers. It is important to start the conversation early with your teen about their new-found independence and driving responsibilities, as well as about riding with their friends who might be newly licensed.
To find even more helpful advice on the subject as well as discussion tips, we highly recommend visiting www.teendriverinsurance.com/Oneill. We also urge you to request a free copy of the parent-teen contract by calling our office at 330-334-1561 and speaking with your Personal Protection Specialist. Please help us make our streets safer, and keep your teen safe, by reminding them that with their independence comes great responsibility, too.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Big Wrestler--- Little Protection
I was shocked to hear that Hulk Hogan, a retired professional wrestling star and entertainer, is in deep financial trouble after his son’s car accident. After all, Hogan is worth millions of dollars, and can surely afford appropriate insurance coverage to protect himself, right?
So what was the problem you ask? He did not have an umbrella. Hogan was worth an estimated $30 million in August 2007 when his son Nick crashed Hogan’s car and left his passenger with a serious brain injury. Hogan was way underinsured and will have to pay out of his pocket anything over the $250,000 limit he carried.
Now most of us don’t have quite that much wealth to protect, but imagine if it were you in a similar situation. Could you afford to pay a claim against you out-of-pocket… even if you’re underinsured by only an extra hundred thousand or two? It’s very unlikely that most of us could.
These situations are exactly why we always recommend at least $1 million umbrella liability protection. The low premium of just a few dollars a week is a very small price to pay when it could protect you and your family’s financial future in the event of a serious accident and subsequent lawsuit. Contact us today to find out how little it would cost you to invest in an umbrella policy.
So what was the problem you ask? He did not have an umbrella. Hogan was worth an estimated $30 million in August 2007 when his son Nick crashed Hogan’s car and left his passenger with a serious brain injury. Hogan was way underinsured and will have to pay out of his pocket anything over the $250,000 limit he carried.
Now most of us don’t have quite that much wealth to protect, but imagine if it were you in a similar situation. Could you afford to pay a claim against you out-of-pocket… even if you’re underinsured by only an extra hundred thousand or two? It’s very unlikely that most of us could.
These situations are exactly why we always recommend at least $1 million umbrella liability protection. The low premium of just a few dollars a week is a very small price to pay when it could protect you and your family’s financial future in the event of a serious accident and subsequent lawsuit. Contact us today to find out how little it would cost you to invest in an umbrella policy.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Non-Owned Auto Coverage
So, What Is Non-owned Auto Coverage?
Have you ever thought about the risks involved in sending out one of your employees on an errand using their own car? It could be as simple as getting into a fender bender while going to pick up the office lunch or while making a run to the post office. Unfortunately, your business could possibly be responsible for that employee’s accident.
Non-owned auto coverage protects your company in the event that an employee has an accident using their own car on company time. This coverage can be included in your commercial insurance policy for a relatively small amount compared to the damages you may have to pay should an employee be involved in an auto accident while carrying out business functions. If you would like to know if your business is covered for these types of accidents, please call our office, so we may assess your current policy.
Have you ever thought about the risks involved in sending out one of your employees on an errand using their own car? It could be as simple as getting into a fender bender while going to pick up the office lunch or while making a run to the post office. Unfortunately, your business could possibly be responsible for that employee’s accident.
Non-owned auto coverage protects your company in the event that an employee has an accident using their own car on company time. This coverage can be included in your commercial insurance policy for a relatively small amount compared to the damages you may have to pay should an employee be involved in an auto accident while carrying out business functions. If you would like to know if your business is covered for these types of accidents, please call our office, so we may assess your current policy.
Friday, August 20, 2010
What To Do After An Accident
Auto accidents are not something you "plan" on getting into. That's why they are called an accident! Knowing what to do after the accident happens will lessen the stress and the possible problems that may come up long after you leave the accident scene which could make the situation even worse.
While any accident is a hassle to some degree, you can ensure that is less stressful by being prepared. Here are four easy things you can do make your auto insurance claims less stressful after an accident occurs:
1. CALL: Call the police and report the accident no matter how minor and no matter whose fault it was.
2. GATHER INFORMATION: Get as much information from the other driver(s) as possible, including their name, address, phone numbers, description of the car, and their insurance company.
3. REPORT: Call your insurance company or agent as soon as possible. A delay in reporting the claim could get in the way of your company's efforts to defend you.
4. KEEP RECORDS: Maintain a file with any expenses you incur, including medical and hospital costs, lost wages, etc. Keep copies of any paperwork that result from the accident.
While any accident is a hassle to some degree, you can ensure that is less stressful by being prepared. Here are four easy things you can do make your auto insurance claims less stressful after an accident occurs:
1. CALL: Call the police and report the accident no matter how minor and no matter whose fault it was.
2. GATHER INFORMATION: Get as much information from the other driver(s) as possible, including their name, address, phone numbers, description of the car, and their insurance company.
3. REPORT: Call your insurance company or agent as soon as possible. A delay in reporting the claim could get in the way of your company's efforts to defend you.
4. KEEP RECORDS: Maintain a file with any expenses you incur, including medical and hospital costs, lost wages, etc. Keep copies of any paperwork that result from the accident.
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