Child Safety Seats

Child Safety Seats

Safety Seats For Kids:

If you have children it's important to make sure they are secured properly when you drive with them. They are almost always safer when riding in the back, in a car seat that is appropriate to their age and weight.

Using a car seat correctly can prevent injuries, but wrong usage is very common. Even a small mistake in how the seat is used can cause serious injury in a crash.

 

Tips to Ensure You Are Using a Child Car Seat Correctly 

1. Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag.
2. Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level.
3. Keep harness straps snug and fasten the clip at armpit level.
4. Make sure the straps lie flat and are not twisted.
5. Dress your baby in clothes that allow the straps to go between the legs. Adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of your child’s clothes. Do not use bulky clothes that could increase slack in a crash.
6. To keep your newborn from slouching, pad the sides of the seat and between the child’s legs with rolled up up diapers or receiving blankets.
7. Put the car seat carrying handle down when in the car.
8. Infants must ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. This offers the best protection for your infant’s neck.
9. Recline the rear-facing seat at a 45-degree angle. If your child’s head flops forward, the seat may not have reclined enough. Tilt the seat back until it is level by wedging firm padding such as a rolled towel, under the front of the base of the seat.
10. All new car seats are now required to come equipped with top tether straps. A tether strap is a belt that is attached to the car seat and bolted to the window ledge or the floor of the car. They give extra protection and keep the car seat from being thrown forward in a crash. Tether kits are also available for most older car seats. Check with the manufacturer to find out how to get a top tether for your seat. Install it according to instructions. The tether strap may help make some seats that are difficult to install fit more tightly.

Do not use a car seat if any of the following apply:

1. It is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If made before January 1981, the seat may not meet strict safety standards and its parts are too old to be safe. Some manufacturers recommend using seats for only 6 years.
2. It does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls.
3. It has been in a crash. If so, it may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks all right.
4. It does not come with instructions. You the instructions to know how to install and use the car seat properly. Do not rely on the former owner’s instructions. Get a copy of the manual from the manufacturer.
5. It has cracks in the frame of the seat.
6. It is missing parts. Used seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

To find out if your child safety seat has been recalled, you can call the Auto Safety Hotline ( 888-DASH-2-DOT ). If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions for the recall or to get the necessary parts. You should also get a registration card for future recall notices from the Hotline.

For more information about infant or toddler car seats, go to the Web site of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Also check out theNational SafeKids Campaign which offers a free Child Car Seat Locator that allows you to enter your child’s age and weight, and get back a list of recommended car seats. Another good source of information on car seats is the American Academy of Pediatrics Web site, which offers a detailed shopping guide to car seats. 

 

Is your child ready for a regular seat belt?

Keep your child in a car seat for as long as possible. When he or she is big enough, make sure that seat belts in your car fit your child correctly. The shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and flat across the hips, not the stomach. The child’s knees should bend easily over the edge of the vehicle seat. Seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he or she should stay in a booster seat until the belt fits.

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind his or her back and use lap belts only as a last resort. Try to get a lap-shoulder belt installed in your car if it doesn’t already have one. If you must use a lap belt, make sure it is worn tight and low on the hips, not across the stomach.

Avoiding Deer-Car Collisions

Avoiding Deer-Car Collisions

The explosion in the deer population has lead to a continuing increase in deer-car collisions. This trend will only increase as the deer population grows and urban habitats continue to encroach upon rural environments.

According to the National Safety Council, there were 530,000 animal-related accidents in 2003 and these collisions resulted in 100 deaths and 10,000 injuries.

The average cost per insurance claim for collision damage is $2,800, with costs varying depending on the type of vehicle and severity of damage. When you factor in auto claims involving bodily injury, the average rises to $10,000. 

Defensive driving tips to avoid hitting a deer: 

• Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions.
• Drive with caution when moving through deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a large deer population and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland. Deer seldom run alone. If you see one deer, others may be nearby.
• When driving at night, use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.
• Slow down and blow your horn with one long blast to frighten the deer away.
• Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.
• Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in car/deer crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
• Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.

If your vehicle strikes a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.

Contact your insurance agent or company representative to report any damage to your car. Collision with an animal is covered under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy.

Shopping for a Safe Car

Shopping for a Safe Car

What To Check While Buying New Car:

Walmart Brings One-Stop Shopping to Car Insurance

If you are like most people shopping for a new car, safety ranks high among things you're looking for. Every new car must meet certain federal safety standards, but that doesn’t mean that all cars are equally safe. There are still important safety differences, and some vehicles are safer than others. Many automakers offer safety features beyond the required federal minimums. The following safety features should be considered when purchasing a car:

NEW YORK -- Walmart (WMT) is bringing one-stop shopping to another area: auto insurance.

The world's largest retailer has teamed up withAutoInsurance.com to let shoppers quickly find and buy insurance policies online in real time to cut down costs.

The service is available immediately in eight states -- Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. It will be available nationwide in the next few months.

Shoppers can go to autoinsurance.com or access the site through Walmart's website atwww.walmart.com/autoinsurance.

1. Crashworthiness
   These features reduce the risk of death or serious injury when a crash occurs. You can get a rating of crashworthiness from ourAuto Crash Test tool.
2. Vehicle structural design
   A good structural design has a strong occupant compartment, known as the safety cage, as well as front and rear ends designed to buckle and bend in a crash to absorb the force of the crash. These crush zones should keep damage away from the safety cage because once the cage starts to collapse, the likelihood of injury increases rapidly.
3. Vehicle size and weight
   The laws of physics dictate that larger and heavier cars are safer than lighter and smaller ones. Small cars have twice as many occupant deaths each year as large cars. In crashes involving smaller and larger vehicles, heavier vehicles drive lighter ones backwards, decreasing the forces inside the heavier car and increasing them in the lighter car.
4. Restraint systems
   Belts, airbags and head restraints all work together with a vehicle’s structure to protect people in serious crashes. Lap/shoulder belts hold you in place, reducing the chance you’ll slam into something hard or get ejected from the crashing vehicle. If you aren’t belted, you’ll continue moving forward until something suddenly stops you—often a hard interior surface that will cause injuries. 
   • Shoulder belts are on inertia reels that allow upper body movement during normal driving, but lock during hard braking or in a crash. Belt webbing is stored on the reel, and during a frontal crash any slack in the webbing can allow some forward movement of your upper body. Then you could strike the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield. This problem is addressed in some cars with belt crash tensioners that activate early in a collision to reel in belt slack and prevent some of the forward movement.
   • Airbags and lap/shoulder belts together are very effective. However in some circumstances, a deploying airbag can cause serious injuries and even death. The greatest risk of injury occurs when you are on top of, or very close to an airbag when it starts to inflate. Choose a car that allows you to reach the gas and brake pedals comfortably without sitting too close to the steering wheel. Some cars offer telescoping steering column adjustments that may help.
   • Side airbags are designed principally to protect your chest. They may also keep your head from hitting interior or intruding structures.
   • Head restraints are required in the front seats of all new passenger cars to keep your head from being snapped back, injuring your neck in a rear-end crash. But there are big differences among head restraints. Some are adjustable, and others are fixed. They also vary in height and how far they are set back from the head. To prevent neck injury, a head restraint has to be directly behind and close to the back of your head. Look for cars that have this type of restraint. If the restraints are adjustable, make sure they can be locked into place. Some don’t lock, so they can get pushed down in a crash.
5. Anti-lock brakes
   When you brake hard with conventional brakes, the wheels may lock and cause skidding and a lack of control. Anti-lock brakes pump brakes automatically many times a second to prevent lockup and allow you to keep control of the car. If you were trained to brake gently on slippery roads or pump your brakes to avoid a skid, you may have to unlearn these habits and use hard, continuous pressure to activate your antilock brakes. Anti-lock brakes may help you keep steering control, but they won’t necessarily help you stop more quickly.
6. Daytime running lights
   Daytime running lights are activated by the ignition switch. They are typically high-beam headlights at reduced intensity or low-beam lights at full or reduced power. By increasing the contrast between a vehicle and its backgrounds and making the vehicles more visible to oncoming drivers, these lights can prevent daytime accidents.
7. On the road experience
   Other design characteristics can influence injury risk on the road. Some small utility vehicles and pickups are prone to rolling over. "High performance" cars typically have higher-than-average death rates because drivers are tempted to use excessive speed. Combining a young driver and a high-performance car can be particularly dangerous.

AutoInsurance.com, a division of Fort Lee, N.J.-based Tranzutary Insurance Solutions, a licensed property and casualty insurance agency, was created after Walmart realized there was an opportunity for a quicker service where shoppers can buy and save on car insurance that provides the final price -- with no bait and switch tactics. Walmart says car insurance is among the biggest monthly expenses for customers, and for some, it can outpace health care costs.

In a Tuesday briefing with the media, Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of services for Walmart U.S., said the Bentonville, Ark.-based discounter will be AutoInsurance.com's exclusive retail partner and receive promotion payments in its role as marketer. AutoInsurance.com will earn a commission every time a policy is sold.

"Our customers too often have to settle for auto insurance policies that aren't the best fit and cost more than they want to spend," Eckert said.

The strategy marks Walmart's latest flirtation with insurance marketing and also highlights how the retailer is trying to use its size to expand beyond food and other staples into a one-stop shopping destination as it seeks to bring in more shoppers to its site and its stores. Walmart plans to promote the insurance shopping service in its stores.

Last month, Walmart introduced a new money transfer service that it says will cut fees for its low-income customers by up to 50 percent compared with similar services elsewhere. That service is being rolled out in partnership with Ria Money Transfer, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide (EEFT).

Joshua Kazam, founder of AutoInsurance.com and the founder and chairman of Tranzutary, noted that 90 percent of people compare prices online for products and services like airline tickets, but its survey shows that only one in five comparison-shop for auto insurance because it's a complicated process.

Walmart has had a relationship with Kazam, an entrepreneur, and his partners that dates back several years. For example, in 2009 Kazam and his team partnered with Walmart to bring PetArmor, a generic version of a popular flea and tick preventative treatment, to Walmart customers. Kazam founded Velcera, which created the PetArmor brand and was acquired last year by Perrigo (PRGO). But recently, Walmart has been working with Kazam in improving the experience related to insurance products.

In 2012, Walmart tested a program with Tranzutary to sell prepaid MetLife (MET) insurance policies in 217 stores in Georgia and South Carolina. Then last April, it launched a test program in Pennsylvania where customers who purchased policies from AutoInsurance.com reported annual savings on their insurance of $1,168, on average. At the same time, it displayed kiosks in Illinois where shoppers could pick up a saving card that offered a discount on a new auto insurance policy sold through Esurance.

Walmart decided that focusing on a price comparison service was the way to go.

It works this way: customers log on to the site and provide their name, address, date of birth and contact information. They can also have the site retrieve their current auto insurance policy, allowing AutoInsurance.com to automatically fill in the necessary coverage information for an apples-to-apples comparison. The free service offers customers multiple quotes from some of the leading national insurance carriers like Esurance, Safeco, and Progressive (PGR) within minutes.

Customers can choose to either purchase the policy online immediately, speak with a licensed agent at 800-700-7500 or save the information and purchase later.

Safety Tips for Teen Drivers

Safety Tips for Teen Drivers

Ways to Save When Your Teen Starts Driving:

We hit a milestone in my house this year. My oldest child turned 16 and, in theory, can get behind the wheel of a car and start driving solo.

I'm not sure I'm ready for that and, fortunately, she's not either, so she still has her learner's permit. However, I've been searching high and low for ways to keep my auto insurance rates reasonable once she joins the ranks of independent drivers. Here are  tips  picked up along the way:

The first years teenagers spend as drivers are very risky. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds and research shows that more than half of teens who die in crashes are passengers, most of whom are not wearing a seatbelt.

 

Immaturity and lack of driving experience are the two main factors leading to the high crash rates among teens. Even the best teenage drivers do not have the judgment that comes from experience. It affects their recognition of, and response to, hazardous situations and results in dangerous practices such as speeding and tailgating. Teens also tend to engage in risky behavior—eating, talking on their cellphones, text messaging, talking to friends in the car—and they often do not wear their seatbelts. 

 

While getting a drivers license is an exciting rite-of-passage for teens, it can make a parent frantic. The Insurance Information Institute recommends parents take the following steps to ensure the safety of their teen.

 

Pick a Safe Car

You and your teenager should choose a car that is easy to drive and would offer protection in the event of a crash. Avoid small cars and those with high performance images that might encourage speed and recklessness. Trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) should also be avoided, since they are more prone to rollovers.

 

Enroll Your Teen in a Drivers Education Course

The more driving practice the better; experience will give your teen confidence behind the wheel, and he or she will be better able to react to challenging situations on the road.

 

Furthermore, a teenager who has learned to drive through a recognized drivers education course is viewed more favorably by insurers and may earn a discount. In some states, teens must take a drivers education course if they want to get a license at age 16; otherwise, they have to wait until they are 18.

 

Enroll Your Teen in a Safe Driver Program

Check whether your insurance company offers a “safe driver” program. Teen participants in these programs sign parent-teen driving contracts that outline the young driver’s responsibilities (for instance, not having teen passengers in the car, being home by a certain hour, etc) and the consequences of failure to meet those expectations. Check whether your insurance company has such a program—if your teenager completes the program, you may be eligible for a discount.

 

In addition, insurance companies are helping to reduce the number of accidents involving teen drivers by subsidizing the cost of electronic devices, such as GPS systems and video cameras, which can monitor the way teens drive and alert parents of unsafe driving practices by email, text message or phone.

 

Discuss the Dangers of Drug and Alcohol Use

Advise teens never to drink or do drugs, and not to get in a car if the driver has used drugs or alcohol. Encourage your teen to call you if such a situation arises to ensure they have a safe way home.

 

Understand the Dangers of Distracted and Impaired Driving

Talk to your teen about the importance of never phoning or texting while driving, and keeping distractions, such as the radio and chatting with friends to a minimum. Teens should also be responsible passengers when in their friends’ cars. New drivers should wait 1,000 miles or six months before picking up their first teen passenger.

 

Be a Good Role Model

New drivers learn by example, so if you drive recklessly, your teenage driver may imitate you. Always wear your seatbelt and never drink and drive.

 

Enroll Your Teen in a Graduated Drivers License Program—or Create Your Own

Many states have been successful in reducing teen accidents by enacting graduated drivers license (GDL) legislation. These laws, which include a three-phase program, allow teen drivers to develop more mature driving attitudes and gain experience behind the wheel. New drivers are restricted from certain activities, such as late-night driving or having passengers in the car, until they have had their licenses for a set period. A number of states also restrict the amount of time new drivers may be on the road without supervision. For more information on GDLs, visit www.iihs.org.

 

Parents should take an active role in their teenagers’ driving practice and expose them to driving in a wide variety of driving conditions to build experience and confidence. If your state does not have a GDL program, you can institute the same policies with your own children. Introduce privileges gradually. Allow independent driving only after continued practice, including night driving and driving in inclement weather.

 

Keep in mind, teens do not all reach the appropriate level of maturity to handle a drivers license at the same time. Parents should consider whether teens are easily distracted, nervous or risk takers before allowing them to get a license or even a learners permit.

 

1. Invest in a Good Driver's Training Program

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, teen drivers are risky drivers. It could be reckless behavior or it could be inexperience, but the fatal crash rate per mile for 16-19-year-olds is three times that of drivers age 20 and older. That means insurance companies are automatically going to see your teen as a claims risk and raise your rates. If your child starts racking up tickets or gets in a fender bender or two, watch your rates head to the stratosphere.

You may be able to keep your premiums lower by helping your teen avoid risky behavior behind the wheel, and that means getting them into the best driver's education program possible. I selected my daughter's school here in Michigan, in part, because it was able to demonstrate statistically that its graduates ended up in accidents at a rate far below the statewide average for all teen drivers.

2. Embrace Your State's Graduated driver Licensing Program

All 50 states have enacted graduated driver licensing programs that gradually ease teens into independent driving. Typically, the programs require 30-50 hours of supervised drive time before a restricted license is issued, until a teen's 18th birthday. The IIHS says graduated licensing programs are associated with fewer teen fatalities and fewer insurance claims. But the programs can work only if you enforce them at home. Don't fudge numbers on the drive-time log, and don't turn a blind eye when your teen blatantly violates the restrictions on their license.

Sure, it can be a pain to spend 50 white-knuckled hours in the car with your teen while they are learning, but hopefully your reward will be lower insurance premiums and a child who makes it to adulthood.

3. Avoid Letting Your Teen Have Their Car ... 

It can be tempting to buy your teen a vehicle. Then they won't be constantly borrowing yours and potentially making a mess of it. I advise you resist the temptation for these reasons:

• Having them drive your car would make them a secondary driver rather than a primary one, a designation that could keep your premiums lower.
• Having them share the family vehicle may limit their drive time, which could be a good thing for young drivers who are prone to getting in accidents.
• Buying another car means you'll be paying insurance on another car. Need I say more?

4. ... Or Make Sure Theirs Is Cheap(er) to Insure

But maybe you're in a situation in which you really need your teen to have a separate vehicle. I can imagine this would be especially true if your household only has one vehicle currently. In that case, be smart about the type of car you get your teen. Some vehicles are safer and, in turn, cheaper to insure. The IIHS has recommendations as to what it considers the best cars for teens.

5. Add Your Teen to Your Policy

Assuming you will be paying the premiums, it is almost always the better deal to add your teen to your policy rather than purchase a separate one. The insurance company takes into account the driving record of each person listed on a policy. Your good driving should partially offset your teen's potentially risky driving. Plus, your account may come with discounts not available on a teen's policy.

6. Look for Teen Driver Discounts

When you add your teen, ask the insurance company about discounts for new drivers. Students with good grades may be eligible for discounts; those who take an approved safety course may also be eligible. If your teen goes away for school and doesn't take the car, you may be able to get a discount for that, too.

7. Let the Insurance Company Spy on Your Teen

Usage-based insurance is one of the latest fads in the world of automobile insurance. Auto insurance companies send you a device that you plug into a port under your dashboard. It records how fast you drive, how fast you accelerate and how fast you brake, among other things. Then, if the auto insurance gods say you've been a good driver, you're rewarded with a discount on your premium.

These discounts are available to all drivers, but parents might find they are useful for monitoring their teens. Some companies issue reports grading driving skills, and some teens might be inclined to lay off their lead foot if they know someone, somewhere is watching. If you like the idea of monitoring your teen but aren't thrilled with the idea of letting an insurer inside your dashboard, you could also try spying yourself.

8. Consider a Higher Deductible or Lower Coverage

One surefire way to reduce your premiums is to raise your deductible. Just make sure you have enough in the bank to cover it if needed. Similarly, you could see how much it saves to drop collision or comprehensive coverage. However, do the math before making any rash decisions. Unless you can afford a new car, dropping comprehensive coverage could mean you'll be without a set of wheels if your vehicle gets totaled.

9. Shop Around for Better Rates

I was shocked to find out the insurance company, to which I had been so faithful for 17 years, was charging me double what other insurers were quoting. Perhaps it's different for other companies, but my experience was that loyalty doesn't necessarily pay off in terms of cheaper premiums.

Before you blindly add your teen to your existing policy, shop around for better rates. Underwriting policies vary by company, and some may have better pricing for young drivers. In addition, teen discount programs can differ between insurers.

10. Consolidate Your Coverage With One Insurer

Finally, when you find the right car insurance company, consider moving all your policies to that provider. Virtually all insurance companies offer multipolicy discounts, and the more you insure, the greater your discount may be.

Do you have a teen driver in the house? Tell us how you keep your insurance costs down by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page. Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you a regular digest of our newest stories, full of money saving tips and advice, free! We'll also email you a PDF of Stacy Johnson's "205 Ways to Save Money" as soon as you've subscribed. It's full of great tips that'll help you save a ton of extra cash.

Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving

Safety Tips to Reduce Distractions on the Road:

Have you ever texted, spoken on the phone, changed radio stations, or even turned around to talk to passengers while driving? If so, you may be exposing yourself, your passengers, and anybody else on the road to harm. Driver distractions such as these accounted for 10 percent of all fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes and 16 percent of all motor vehicle crashes in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

And of these hazards, cellphones and text messaging were the most common cause of accidents. However, other common habits, such as using a vehicle navigation system, eating and drinking, reading a map, grooming yourself, or even having a phone conversation using a hands-free device can be hazardous, too.

 

Employers May Be Held Liable

Not only is distracted driving dangerous for individuals, but there is a growing concern among business owners and managers that they may be held liable for accidents caused by their employees while driving and conducting work-related conversations on cellphones. Under the doctrine of “vicarious responsibility,” employers may be held legally accountable for the negligent acts of employees committed in the course of employment. Employers may also be found negligent if they fail to put in place a policy for the safe use of cellphones.

 

Tips for Safer Travel

Keep these safety tips in mind when driving:

• Pull Off the Road – Don’t drive while calling or texting; pull off the road to a safe location.
• Use Voice-activated Dialing – If you must dial from the road, program frequently called numbers and your local emergency number into your phone and use voice-activated dialing.
• Never Dial While Driving – If you must dial manually, do so only when stopped or have a passenger dial for you.
• Take a Message – Let your voice mail pick up your calls while you’re driving. It's easy—and much safer—to retrieve your messages later on.
• Know When to Stop Talking – If you must make or receive a call while driving, keep conversations on brief so you can concentrate on your driving. If a long discussion is required or if the topic is stressful or emotional, end the conversation and continue it once you are off the road.
• Don’t Take Notes While Driving – If you need to write something down, use an audio recorder or pull off the road.
• Know Where You’re Going – Study the route before you leave or have a passenger read the map. And if you’re using a navigation system, program in your destination before you start driving and use the audio setting to avoid having to look at the screen for directions.
• Don’t Eat or Drink While Driving – Eating takes both your hand off the wheel and your eyes off the road, so don’t do it. Furthermore, spills can easily cause an accident. If you have to stop short, you could also be severely burned.
• Groom Yourself At Home – Shaving, putting on makeup, combing your hair or other forms of preening are distractions and should be done at home, not while driving.

While everyone should follow these rules, it is particularly important to review them carefully with teen drivers. Motor vehicle crashes are theleading cause of death among 15- to 20-year olds, and in 2012, 10 percent of all drivers in that age group involved in fatal crashes were distracted at the time of the crash, according to NHTSA. Talk to your teen about safe driving habits and, most importantly, model good behavior on the road. And for more information on distracted driving, see our Distracted Driving backgrounder.

At the Scene of an Accident

At the Scene of an Accident

Know Your Role If You Get Involved In A Car Accident:

No one wants to get into a car crash. But knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives, reduce injuries and make the claims process simpler and easier.

Be Prepared

• Keep your registration and auto insurance papers, as well as any relevant medical information for you and your family, in the car.
• Make sure you have the right amount of auto coverage to fit your needs.

Immediately After an Accident

1. Assess the Damage. If possible, pull the vehicle to the side of the road to a safe place to see if anyone is injured, and the extent of the damage to the vehicle.

2. Call the police or highway patrol, if you are in a serious accident.  Let law enforcement know if anyone is hurt and the extent of injuries. The police will notify the nearest medical unit. If the police can't come to the scene of your car accident, you can head to the nearest police department (or their website) to file an incident report yourself. Having an official report can help in case the other driver decides to sue for damages or medical injuries, or there is more damage done to your car than initially thought. If the police do come to the accident scene, get the officers’ names and badge numbers and ask where you can get a copy of their report. 

3. Collect as much information as possible.  Get the names and contact information of everyone involved in the crash, including witnesses. Ask the driver (or drivers if you are involved in a multi-car accident) for their license, car registration and insurance ID card. Get the make and model of the cars involved. Lastly, make note of the location of the accident, time of day and the weather conditions. You can use your smart phone or other device to document this information, as well as the accident itself, but it’s also a good idea to always keep a pad of paper/pen in your glove compartment. It may not be high-tech, but it is an easy way to record important information. When talking to others, keep to the facts.  Do not discuss who was at fault, or how much insurance you have, with other drivers

4. Don’t leave the scene of the accident.  If you run into an unattended vehicle, try to find the owner. If you can’t, leave a note containing your name, address and phone number.  Record the details of the accident, including the make and model of the car and the address where the accident occurred.

5. Get the claims process started.  Notify your insurance professional as soon as possible—the longer you wait, the harder it will be to remember the details.  Many insurance companies now use mobile apps to get the claims process started.  These apps allow you to report a claim, check the status, upload photos, check your deductible, schedule an appraisal, reserve a rental car, and request reimbursements for towing and glass claims. Some apps even allow you to notify the insurance adjuster what happened by visually re-creating the events and circumstances of your car accident. When working with your insurance company, make sure that you get the name, title and contact information of everyone you speak with. You will likely also receive claim forms to fill out. Make sure that you do this as soon, and as accurately, as possible.  If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask the claims adjuster for assistance. Your insurance company wants your claims experience to be as pleasant and efficient as possible.

Finally, keep a file of all of your notes and any claim forms. The more organized you are, the simpler and easier the claims process will be.

Air Bag Safety

Air Bag Safety & Benefits

 Air bags save thousands of lives each year, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In frontal crashes, air bags reduce deaths among drivers by about 30 percent and among passengers by 27 percent.

Air bags, however, can be dangerous. If small children sit unbelted in the front seat, they can be catapulted into the path of a deploying air bag, which inflates with great force. This risk also applies to small adults—who must sit close to the steering wheel in order to reach the pedals—pregnant women and the elderly. Infants in rear-facing safety seats on the passenger side can be severely injured because their heads are in the direct path of an inflating air bag. If your airbag is stolen or it deploys, you must get a new one, but you will be reimbursed under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy. 

Preventing air bag injuries

Drivers should have all children sit in the backseat wearing a safety belt. Infants should be placed in rear-facing car seats and put in the backseat. Small adults should move the seat back so that their breastbone is at least 10 inches from the air bag cover.

1. If this is not possible, air bag switches can be installed so that the vehicle owner has the option of turning the bag off or on, depending on the situation. In January 1998, NHTSA allowed auto dealers and repair shops to begin installing air bag cut-off switches. Before the switch can be installed, vehicle owners must complete a four-step process:
   Obtain an information brochure and request form from NHTSA, dealerships or repair shops
   Return the form to NHTSA
2. Receive authorization from NHTSA after it reviews the case
3. Take the vehicle to the service shop along with the authorization from NHTSA which certifies that the owner has read the brochure and met one of the four eligibility classifications:

• rear-facing infant seat can be in the front (necessary if the vehicle has no back-seat)
• driver's seat cannot be adjusted to keep more than 10 inches between the driver and the steering wheel
• putting a child 12 or under in the front seat can not be avoided
• having a medical condition that puts them at risk of injury when an air bag deploys.