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Avoid accidents during the winter

Posted on February 9th, 2010 in auto insurance | 1 Comment »

Holy cow, Batman, it’s winter again. Sadly, Robin probably never said this to Adam West’s Batman and the lyrics from the song by The Band are not quite right. Which brings me to a Scottish group appropriately called Snow Patrol and their lyrics to Holy Cow include the fabulous line, “The telegraph pole knows where you live.” Yes, friends, it’s that time of the year again. Let’s start with a fact you do not want to hear. Claims arising from traffic accidents in snow are 40% higher than from the accidents when the road conditions are dry and the visibility is good. As you sit behind the wheel of the vehicle with that sense of absolute powerlessness, remember Holy Cow. You can turn the steering wheel this way and that. You can pump the brakes for all you are worth. But if that telegraph pole wants to get you, it will.

So what can you do? Let’s start with pre-snow planning. One of the worst things to happen is walking to your vehicle at night and finding it will not start. Always have your engine retuned to improve cold weather starting. Otherwise you can find yourself stranded waiting for help to arrive. This brings up several pointers. Is your cell phone always charged? You need to be able to make calls for help. Have you programmed in the numbers of your garage and a towing company? Or have you joined a club like the AAA. There are some good emergency roadside assistance packages out there. Look for the best value given the number of times you are forced to drive in poor weather conditions. Is there an emergency kit in your vehicle. You need a blanket to keep you warm and hazard flares to warn other drivers. Finally, check the windshield wipers to keep maximum visibility in sleet and snow and either fit snow tires or have good all-season tires with chains to clip on to the wheels if conditions worsen unexpectedly. Read the rest of this entry »

Is your car insurance company rated?

Posted on February 7th, 2010 in auto insurance | Comments Off

There are certain institutions in the country that can rate companies. Some of them deal with insurance companies only as there are too many to take into consideration. But we have some questions that we want to discuss now. How do coverage, rates and services differ and what makes this or that company better than the other one? How can one and the same service cost differently in different companies? If you have not dealt with an insurance company before it is tough to choose one and not to have doubts about it later on. What is important here is to know for sure your insurance company will be stable and will help you out when the time comes. You should know the financial strength ratings of your insurance company so you are not afraid of any risks that may arise. There are many companies that fail with time. They are unable to maintain the reputation due to the lack of financial strength and many other important factors that are pretty significant.

If you want to make a good decision about your insurance company you should ask around, analyze and come to a conclusion with the list of top five insurance companies to deal with. You should also trust your senses. Sometimes people have bad feelings about companies but they don’t care enough to trust them. Have a conversation with your family, relatives and friends about the insurance companies they use. It could be useful for you to take advice from those who you can rely on – people that will only advice you something descent. It is very important to know how easily and how quickly claims are processed. It would be perfect if the company that you plan to get insured with had a 24/7 claim service. Let us tell you the main reason for insurance. Take for example your car. Your insurance should protect you from any injury or property damage that may occur during an accident. It has to protect your assets and help you with the liability. In order to choose a good company you must shop around and ask for the costumer satisfaction ratings. They are extremely important. They can tell lots about the way company maintains itself on the market. But it should also be mentioned that it is not possible to tell the future according to the past. Sometimes unpleasant cases happen but it is not fair to judge the company like that. You should always check how long the company is around for. If they have been on the market for a decade and have lots of pleased costumers – you should definitely worry about nothing. History can show you all the advantages and disadvantages giving you the best perspective on what there is to expect. Read the rest of this entry »

After accident behavior

Posted on January 31st, 2010 in auto insurance | Comments Off

Of course, the environment can be a factor contributing to accident risk. Bad weather, rain, snow, strong wind – the likelihood of an accident to occur in such conditions is certainly quite high. But still, it’s much easier and cheaper to try to avoid an accident rather than having to deal with the consequences. Not to say that accidents are quite hazardous and can be deadly even if you’re not speeding. However, if you faced an accident, it really helps to remember certain things that will help you cope with the situation as effectively as possible. Here are some things to keep in mind that will actually help you.

It would be very good if you’ve had these tips printed and stored somewhere in your car, because it is so easy to forget everything when being in a stress situation. And having an accident, regardless of how serious it is, is surely a stressful situation.

First of all, you should do everything possible in order not to panic. Try to calm down and examine the situation. See what damage has your and the other party’s car sustained, ask if anyone’s injured. Other people’s health and life has priority than car damage, so if there’s anyone hurt call for medical assistance in the first place and then get busy with the vehicles. It may be a single scratch or a serious crash, so being cool-headed and able to evaluate and react accordingly is very important.

Cooperate with the police and tell everything they ask you too. Escaping the scene is not a very bright idea, because it will cause much more trouble and legal action when they find you. And it will be almost impossible to get car insurance coverage if your accident is not documented with the police. No matter who’s at fault in the accident, be there and tell everything as it happened. This will make it a lot easier and faster for everyone involved. Read the rest of this entry »