Deer Crossing

It’s much less funny than Tommy Boy makes it out to be.

According to Car-Accidents.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there are approximately 1.5 million car crashes each year as a result of deer. Deer are especially active during fall, which coincides with their mating season. Although we cannot stop deer from entering roadways at inopportune times, there are steps we can take to diminish the chance of having an accident if a deer crosses our path while driving.

1. Be vigilant while driving in wooded areas. Although deer can be found almost anywhere, city or suburb, it is important to be extra cautious when driving through heavily wooded areas. Look for the reflection of their eyes in your headlights on the side of the road.

2. Use high beams whenever possible. Using high beams can help better illuminate deer and also make it easier to see the reflection in their eyes as discussed in tip #1. Be cautious with high beams though. If a deer does cross your path it may freeze in your headlights. Be sure to turn them off quickly and beep your horn to help scare the deer away.

3. Watch for deer crossing signs. When you see a deer crossing sign be sure to pay even more attention to your surroundings. These signs are placed at well-known deer crossing paths and increase the likelihood of coming across a deer in a posted area.

4. Drive in the center lane whenever possible. If you are travelling down a multi-lane road, be sure to stay in the center lane whenever possible. This will give you just a little more reaction time if a deer does dart in front of your vehicle. If on a single lane road, then stay as close to the center line as is safely possible.

5. Do not swerve. If a deer does come out at you from the side of the road, be sure to hit the brakes and avoid swerving. Deer will typically move and if you swerve you may put yourself back into the path of the deer. Also, sharp turns can increase the likelihood of losing control of the vehicle and causing an accident with another vehicle, tree, etc.

6. Watch for relatives. If you see one deer, rest assured there are more nearby. If a deer does jump in front of you, be aware of more deer possibly crossing your path as well. Deer do not travel alone. This is another reason swerving is a bad idea. Swerving to avoid one deer may put you in the path of another.

7. Don’t touch it! A frightened or wounded deer can cause serious bodily injury. Remain in your car, make sure you and your passengers are safe, and call the police to obtain a crash report for your insurance company. You should report this as you would any other crash.

Deer are one of the most dangerous animals to man due to their contributions to auto accidents. Taking simple precautions can be the difference between having an accident with a deer and almost having an accident with a deer. There are products out there such as deer whistles, which when attached to your car emit a high-pitched whistle that notify deer of your oncoming vehicle. There are conflicting reports as to their effectiveness, so be sure to take all necessary precautions when driving, especially at dawn or dusk when deer traffic is highest.

Are there any other precautions you can add to my list?  Let me know how you’ve avoided a close call with a deer.

How to File an Auto Insurance Claim After a Disaster

After a disaster there are a number of critical concerns you may have before considering your car and possessions. If you or anyone you know is injured, immediately call 911. After you have confirmed the safety of your loved ones, survey your home and property. If your car has been damaged after a disaster, would you know how to file an auto insurance claim?

To help mitigate your stress during this process, below is a list of steps as to how to file your auto insurance claim.

Report your claim

If your vehicle has been damaged, report your claim online. Phone lines may be busy preventing you from speaking and/or reaching your car insurance company’s claims department. Filing a claim online is as effective as speaking with a claims representative. However, if you prefer to call in and report your claim you may do so as well. Please note that during catastrophic events, callers can experience delays and wait times because of unpredictable spikes in call volumes.

Update your contact information

A disaster can leave you displaced. If you are staying at a different location when reporting your auto insurance claim, make sure to provide the representative with your updated contact information. If you have an email address, it is recommend you provide that as an alternative means of communication during the auto insurance claims process. This will allow your car insurance company to keep you informed of the progress of your claim and repairs.

What’s next?

Once your auto insurance claim is reported your car insurance company will assign you a claims associate. Your representative should contact you within 24 hours after you report your claim. This associate will guide you through the claims process, cover your next steps, and explain your repair options. During catastrophic events repair, towing, and rental car facilities may also be affected by the disaster. This may delay the time it takes to repair your vehicle. Your claims associate should set time-bound expectations to help you anticipate when your claim will be resolved.

Make a claim

What to do if you have an accident

Take a few minutes to read through this handy checklist. If you're ever involved in an accident, this list will help you when you come to make your claim.

Don't drive away

• You must stop if any other person or animal has been hurt or if there is any other damage.
• Make a note of where you are.

  
Ask for contact details

• Get names, addresses and phone numbers of any drivers, passengers in your or the third party’s car, or pedestrians involved, and any witnesses.

  
Ask for insurance details

• Ask the other drivers involved for their insurance company and policy numbers. They are obliged to supply these under the Road Traffic Act.

   
Check other people invloved

• Check how many people are in the other vehicles involved and are there any injuries.

 
Call the police

• Call the police if anyone is hurt or the other driver leaves without giving their details. Make a note of any crime reference number if relevant.

  
Make a diagram of the accident scene

• Note the position of the vehicles involved before and after the accident.
• Note speeds, distances, road layout, road signs and any obstructions to drivers' views.
• Note where witnesses were standing.
• Make a note if the vehicle is drivable.

  
Have your Certificate of Car Insurance ready

• The police may ask for this if there is any damage.

  
Never admit blame or liability

• Never offer to make a payment for any damage.
• Tell us if other people involved accept liability.

  
Report the accident

• Even if you do not plan to make a claim, please call our claim line on 0800 210 0247 as we are here to help you.
• We can usually get all the information we need in one phone call, but sometimes we may ask you to fill in a claim form.

High Risk Auto Insurance

Auto insurance is expensive enough when you’ve been accident and ticket free, let alone when you need high risk coverage. But fear not, if it’s high risk auto insurance you need, then we’re going to walk you through the process of shopping, buying, and keeping your rates as low as possible.

Mitigating Expense

The first step is to do everything we can to keep your rates as low as possible. If you have outstanding tickets, pay them. This will not only give you a chance to put them behind you, but will save you from further fines and penalties. This will also keep you from getting additional tickets, which can further increase your rates.

Next, if you have a luxury car or sports car, then ditch it. Getting a nice budget priced used vehicle will save you a ton of cash when you buy high risk auto insurance.

Lastly, find yourself a driver safety course approved by your state of residence, and take it. Doing this can sometimes remove points from your record, and can also entitle you for a policy discount.

Look at Alternatives

Do you really need to own a car? Is public transportation available? What about a service like Zipcar, do you have those in your area? If you can get away from owning an automobile, you might be able to save cash by instead borrowing a vehicle and getting an insurance bond, rather than maintaining high risk auto insurance.

This isn’t always ideal, but it might be something to look at until your record improves.

Shopping for High Risk Insurance

The best place to start is online, by checking rates of every auto insurer you can think of. Here is a list to get you started:

• Geico
• USAA
• Progressive
• esurance
• State Farm
• Nationwide
• Allstate
• Safe Auto

You might find that a few of these will be much more expensive, and some might not offer insurance to you at all, which is fine. The goal here is to get rates to compare, and see where you stand.

Once you have a few rates that look better than the rest, call those companies and ask them what you can do to reduce rates. Ask them about driver discounts, and see if you qualify for any. If you don’t, find out if you can in the future. The goal here is to see a) if someone will give you a trick or two to lowering your rates, and b) to see if someone might help you out and give you a discount in advance. You’d be surprised what can happen when you are polite and show a bit of humility.

Buying High Risk Auto Insurance

Once you get to this point, you should have an idea of what you’ll pay now, and what you’ll pay in the future, based on initial quotes and talks with insurance agents. When buying high risk insurance, take the best rate you can, and then consistently check every 4-6 months to see if you can find better rates. Take as many safety classes as you can, qualify for as many discounts as you can, and continue to drive safe and pay your bill on time. Eventually, you’ll get out of the hole and finally qualify for standard coverage.

How To Choose a Vehicle Insurance Company

Upon choosing a company for your vehicle insurance, you have to make a very important choice. There are a number of factors which you need to take into account in order to make the best deal. And this takes a lot of research. You want to be sure that should any problems occur, you will be supported and not mislead by the insurance company, right?

If you need to purchase an insurance for your car, motorcycle, van, truck or other road vehicle, you need to invest some time researching. Here are some pieces of advice to consider when picking up a company for your auto insurance.

First of all, before you get your insurance, make some research what different companies offer at the insurance market price wise and conditions wise. Apart from the basics such as coverages which the company offers, policy pricing and so on, try to find information on its history, customer opinion on the company, and last but not least – company reserves. This will somewhat guarantee that should any collisions occur you will receive the expected service and payments.

Just as equal, look for the best price-value relation, that is that you get your money’s worth for the coverage you get. Sometimes even a slightly more expensive policy can cover serious risks. Seek information on the possible additional coverages. You can also contract additional conditions applying in certain cases such as free repairs, service abroad and so on.

Ask for loyalty discounts. When you speak to an insurance agent, ask if there are any special extras for good drivers with excellent history. You can get a lot of bonuses for people who drive responsibly and have never been involved in accidents on the road.

This should make your choice of a car insurance company somewhat easier. Before you continue with purchasing your auto insurance, make sure that you don’t take anything for granted and that you have read well terms and conditions applying. If needs be, get the advice of a lawyer or an insurance agent.

What Determines My Car Insurance Rates?

[Infographic] Car Insurance Rates and Average Price of Car Insurance

Infographic provided by http://www.car-insurance.com/infographic-average-car-insurance-price-what-determines-rates.html. This infographic has the average price of car insurance and average rates you may see. Make sure you're protected, get automobile insurance today! 

How To File Insurance Claims

How To File Insurance Claims

Visit our friends for plenty of good information on how to file insurance claims. Their website is MyClaimSource.com and they have information on filing claims online like some here in this post. 

Got a question about how to file a claim?

If you’ve never done it, filing an insurance claim and be intimidating and complicated. Even if you have, filing a claim is instantly associated with mountains of paperwork and frustrating hours on the phone. Insurance agents who were happy to help you set up a policy and take your premiums can become mysteriously reticent when you’re looking to collect on damages. Suddenly, there’s an ocean of fine print to swim through. But you can’t let that discourage you!

It doesn’t have to be torture to file an insurance claim. If you have the right information, you can get directly to someone who can help you, and ask them the right questions. Whether you’re looking to file a car insurance, health insurance, or workers comp claim, you need to come to the table as an educated consumer. Don’t let insurance companies intimidate you. Of course, you both wish you weren’t filing a claim, but that’s what insurance is for.

Visit them to find out info on how to file a claim with the major insurance companies like Nationwide, State Farm, Progressive and many more! They help you file claims in auto, life, health, medicare, travel and workers comp insurance. Check out their site today!