UNSURE ABOUT THIS ONE

Article 2

Should You Pay for Rent-A-Car Insurance? You Might Already Be Covered.

With so many options at the car rental counter, it may be tempting to buy whatever insurance protection is available, but many travelers don’t realize they’re more than likely duplicating coverage they already have.

Not only does a driver’s insurance policy protect against theft or damages to a rental vehicle, but often so does a major credit card used to pay the rental fee.

The best thing to do is to call your insurance agent and credit card company in advance. Just because you’ve used a gold or platinum card in the past, don’t assume that it still offers the same protection plans — the cards’ insurance benefits can change. “More often, these prestigious cards are starting to change the advantages they offer to their cardholders, and often times the cardholders are unaware,” said Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute in New York. “You could be driving uninsured and not even know it, until you get into a bad accident and have no insurance to cover you. It’s a dangerous, scary thing.”

If you’re not insured through a policy or credit card, the long list of available options can seem intimidating. “This is just a classic way for these companies to make more money,” said Greg Daugherty, an executive editor at Consumer Reports magazine.

Car rental agreements vary from company to company, but these are a few plans most state laws require them to offer. This is not technically an insurance product, but instead shifts liability for collision damage from the person renting the car to the car rental company. This also covers for “loss of use,” or time a damaged car can’t be rented because it is being repaired. Waivers, however, can become void if the accident was caused by driving illegally.

Liability insurance, which provides protection for up to $1 million, most drivers would already have this coverage under their own car insurance.

Personal accident insurance covers medical and ambulance bills for the driver and passengers in the event of an accident. Personal effects coverage is not always included in regular insurance plans. This protects against theft of items in the vehicle, such as laptops, golf clubs or cash. It may be more cost effective, however, to purchase a floating policy under home or renters insurance, so that valuable items are fully protected at home as well as on vacation.

For those who don’t own a car but are frequent car renters or borrowers, another option for avoiding repetitive insurance fees is non-owner liability policies. There are also limits or special insurance requirements for driving outside of the U.S.

The most important thing to do, said Gorman, is plan ahead.

“The worst is when you are standing at the counter, with a line behind you, and you feel pressured to buy it all because you don’t have a sense of what kind of coverage you need and what you don’t,” she said.

If your teenager has just gotten a driver’s license, it may be hard to imagine handing over the keys to your brand new car, but that may be the smartest vehicle to choose.

The first years teenagers spend as drivers are very risky. In fact, teen drivers have the highest death rates of any age group. In 1997 alone, more than 5,700 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes, and many more were left severely and permanently injured by crashes.

While getting a driver’s license is an exciting rite-of-passage for teens, it can be enough to make a parent frantic. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) say there is something worried parents can do to protect their teens—choose a safe vehicle.

• Avoid vehicles that encourage reckless driving. Teen drivers not only lack experience, but may also lack maturity. As a result, speeding and reckless driving are common. Sports cars and other vehicles with high performance features, such as turbocharging, are likely to encourage speeding. Choosing a vehicle with a more sedate image will reduce the chances your teen will be in a speed-related crash.
• Don’t let your teen drive an unstable vehicle. Sport utility vehicles, especially the smaller ones, are inherently less stable than cars because of their higher centers of gravity. Abrupt steering maneuvers—the kind that can occur when teens are fooling around or over-correcting a driver error—can cause rollovers where a more stable car would, at worst, skid or spin out.
• Pick a vehicle that offers good crash protection. Teenagers should drive vehicles that offer state-of-the-art protection in case they do crash.
• Don’t let your teen drive a small vehicle. Small vehicles offer much less protection in crashes than larger ones. However, this doesn’t mean you should put your child in the largest vehicle you can find. Many mid- and full-size cars offer more than adequate crash protection. Check out the safety ratings for mid-size and larger cars.
• Avoid older vehicles. Most of today’s cars are better designed for crash protection than cars of six to ten years ago. For example, a newer, mid-size car with airbags would be a better choice than an older, larger car without airbags. Before you make a final choice on the car your teenager will drive, consult the U.S. Department of Transportationor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Teenagers and Safe Cars,” iii.org website. Accessed May 23, 2014.

© Copyright 2014 intouch Business, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain names and articles used with permission of owners. Trade names mentioned herein are owned by third parties.

UNSURE ABOUT THIS ONE

Parents Play the Most Important Role in their Teens’ learning-to-drive Process

Alive at 25® Parent Program Online

To properly prepare teens to drive, parents must have a clear understanding of the risks they face. That’s why the National Safety Council developed Alive at 25® Parent Program. The 2-hour online program identify those risks, and help parents reinforce good driving skills and decision-making to them become safe and responsible drivers.

Parents will learn to:

Get involved in training their teens to drive safely and responsibly. Encourage the parent/teen partnership from learning to drive through independent driving. Offer practical solutions to reduce the risks and hazards teen drivers face and help their teens to understand the need for defensive driver training. Examine how to approach Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws, and those related to safety belts, speeding, and alcohol and drugs. Provide an example of an effective parent/teen driver contract and discuss the importance of using the contract to manage teens’ driving experience.

This highly interactive program provides an overview of the importance of graduated driving laws, relevant facts and statistics, and strategies to help keep teenage drivers safe. The useful bookmark feature allows parents to interrupt then continue the course as their schedules allow. Also includes a resource center, with printable materials.

It’s an easy way to raise funds for your school or PTO/PTA with NO administration on your part! Just post a link on your website that will take participants to the Alive at 25® Parent Program Online course. For every individual who enrolls in the course (using a special referral code), your school or organization will receive $5!

We make it simple to start and maintenance free:

-No program administration

-No start-up fees

-No operating costs

-No donations to solicit and nothing to sell

-Cancel the program at any time

-We’ll even help with the marketing

To get started:

Complete this short online form or call (800) 621-7619

Download a PDF of FAQs on how it works

Knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives and also make the claims process easier.

1. Stop your car and find out if anyone is injured.
2. Call the police or highway patrol. Tell them how many people were hurt and the types of injuries. The police will notify the nearest medical unit.
3. Cover injured people with a blanket to keep them warm.
4. Try to protect the accident scene. Take reasonable steps to protect your car from further damage, such as setting up flares, getting the car off the road and calling a tow truck.
5. Ask the investigating officer where you can obtain a copy of the police report. You will probably need it when you submit your claim to your insurance company.
6. If necessary, have the car towed to a repair shop. But remember, your insurance company probably will want to have an adjuster inspect it and appraise the damage before you order repair work done.
7. Make notes. Keep a pad and pencil in your glove compartment. Write down:
   • the names and addresses of all drivers and passengers involved in the accident
   • license plate numbers
   • the make and model of each car
   • driver’s license numbers
   • insurance identifications
   • the names and addresses of witnesses
   • the names and badge numbers of police officers or other emergency personnel.
8. If you run into an unattended vehicle or object, 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.

Source: Insurance Information Institute, “At the Scene of an Accident,” iii.org website. Accessed May 23, 2014. 

© Copyright 2014 intouch Business, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain names and articles used with permission of owners. Trade names mentioned herein are owned by third parties.

The best way to keep young drivers safe is to start with a well-maintained, properly equipped vehicle. To guide you in that task, we’ve created 10 of the best tips that will assist in letting your teens make smarter decisions, and help parents protect themselves.

1. Re-tire the car with new tires and make sure they’re properly inflated. If the tires have miles on them, be certain to check the remaining tread depth. Underinflated new tires perform almost as poorly as bald tires. Make sure your tires are inflated per the manufacturer’s recommendations.

2. Make sure the brakes work properly. This involves more than checking the thickness of brake pads. If the old fluid is black or contains flecks of rubber or rust, a professional rebuild is required. Ask a pro to make sure the brake discs, brake lines and antilock braking system are in top condition.

3. Steer the right path.
Take your student’s car to a professional to make sure the steering and suspension systems are in good shape. Worn bushings or ball joints will quickly wear out those new tires and the car will steer imprecisely.

4. It’s impossible to avoid hazards if you can’t see. The windshields of older cars are frequently pitted by sand and salt and may become opaque in some lighting. What does the windshield on your student’s car look like? Depending on its condition, investing in a new one may be a smart move.

5. If your student’s car doesn’t have a built-in GPS-based navigation system, invest in a portable model. Typically, these may be mounted to the windshield or dash. Such satellite-based GPS devices are relatively inexpensive and increase safety.

6. Drinking and driving while intoxicated are common among underage high school. Additionally, a DUI conviction means a suspended license, so remind your student they’ll be stuck riding the bus.

7. Protect yourself & get adequate insurance coverage. Keep in mind that in many states, you’ll be held financially responsible for your minor children if the minor is involved in an accident while driving your car.

8. Be prepared.
Put together an emergency roadside kit. At the minimum, fill a backpack with a flashlight, road flares, a reflective triangle, a space blanket, radiator stop-leak, a fire extinguisher, aerosol tire inflator, duct tape and a pair of old sneakers.

9. A disturbing trend is teens loaning out their car. Keep in mind that if an accident occurs with another child at the wheel, you could be sued. Let your student know that if they loan out the car one time, he or she will be bicycling for the rest of the term.

10. Many college students must rent or borrow a trailer to get all their stuff to school. Safe trailer towing requires the proper hardware and a skilled driver. Some makers of SUVs require brakes on the trailer if the gross weight of the trailer — the trailer and all the stuff inside — exceeds 1,000 pounds.