Car-deer collisions are surprisingly more frequent than you might think. Nationally, about 1.5 million people are involved in deer collisions each year and more than a hundred people die as a result.

According to AAA, almost seventy percent of car-deer accidents occur during October through December when deer are most active, but this doesn’t mean that motorists can let down their defenses in other seasons. Historically, the majority of the car-deer accidents happen between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. or between 5:30 and 8 p.m.—the hours that coincide with dawn and dusk as well as the times that most cars are on the road.

SAFETY TIPS:

·If you see one deer, slow down. Chances are there is another close behind. Be especially careful in heavily wooded areas, where deer are more prone to dart out in front of the car.

·Also, use your high beams whenever possible. It will give you a larger field of vision and you’ll have more time to react to animals in the road ahead. It might also help you spot deer at the side of the road before they run across the highway.

·The best defense is to be prepared. Wear your safety belts.

·Be extra alert on two lane roads near dawn and dusk. Be particularly alert near deer-warning signs.They are placed at known crossing areas.

Police departments say swerving to avoid a deer is sometimes more dangerous than hitting one. Severe collisions with trees or other cars—or rollover accidents—might result. If you swerve, or skid to a stop, there’s a chance the deer might panic and dart into the path of another vehicle, or back into the path of yours.

So what should you do if a crash with a deer is unavoidable? Brake firmly, keep both hands on the steering wheel, stay in your lane, and sound your horn. In the case of the ’Cuda driver, a firm foot on the brake pedal as soon as the deer was in sight might have given the animal that extra bit of time to get out of the way.

The jury is out on deer whistles, which claim to alert animals that a car is nearby. Some drivers swear by them, claiming they stop deer in their tracks. Others swear at them, asserting they do nothing but panic the deer into stampeding across the road. Then there are yet others who doubt they work at all, saying that the deer don’t hear the whistles until it’s too late.

In the event of a car-deer collision, you will find, as this client did, that such accidents are covered under the comprehensive portion of an automobile policy. Some insurance carriers claim up to one third of all comprehensive losses result from deer collisions.

In instances where you swerve and avoid the animal but end up colliding with something else, such as the ditch, the collision portion of your policy would also apply. Keep this in mind when you set your collision deductible.

And watch out for moose! They usually inflict five times the amount of damage to the vehicle than a deer does. In 1985, the winter in Alaska was particularly bad. By March 13th, 1985, there had been 165 train-killed moose, and on that night, a single moose on the tracks derailed a train, engine, and five coal cars.

Essential tips to avoiding deer car collisions

·Watch out at dawn and dusk

·High beams on when possible

·Slow down!

·Brake, don’t swerve

·Honk the horn

The Snowbird’s Guide to Winterizing Your Home

Before we know it will be that time of year to pack up and go south for the winter to escape the New England winter’s fury. Here are some tips to start thinking about before you leave for securing your home while you’re gone:

•Turn the heat down but keep it high enough so that you won’t end up with frozen pipes that could burst

•Set programmable timers for the lights and television so that it appears that you are still living in the home

•Lock all windows and doors, including the inside garage door to the house, and place steel bars in slider doors

•Give a trusted friend or neighbor a key and ask them to check the house periodically

•Arrange to have the snow cleared from your sidewalk and driveway

•Ask your neighbor to park in your driveway periodically

•Add motion-detecting security lights outside

•Make sure your gutters are cleaned to prevent ice damns damage while you’re gone

Driving Safety

One in three children and young adults that are in auto accidents are seriously injured or killed every year in America. It doesn’t matter how good a driver you are, no one can predict an accident. If you have children, make sure that they are properly restrained.

For infants and children eight years old and younger or at least fifty-seven inches tall should be in a federally approved child safety seat. Anyone over eight years old and fifty-seven inches tall should be wearing a seat belt. In Massachusetts, the fine for not complying with the safety seat rule could be fined $25 and their insurance will increase but more importantly it could save a life.

-Check Your Car Seat. Did you know that 73 percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly? Before you hit the road, please take 15 minutes for an at-home car seat checkup using the Safe Kids downloadable checklist (http://www.safekids.org/sites/default/files/car-seat-checklist.pdf). The checklist offers ways to make sure your car seat is right for your child and that the seat is installed properly. These tips are important because we know that when used correctly, child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.

-Use Booster Seats. Safety in the car goes beyond your little ones. Kids who have outgrown a forward-facing harness seat are not ready for a seat belt or front seat yet. They are safest in a booster seat that enables the adult seat belt to fit properly. Even when children have outgrown booster seats, they are safest in the backseat until the age of 13.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/blog/what-parents-need-know-safe-summer-travel#sthash.bKsa52Nx.dpuf

Why Should I Get An Umbrella Policy If I Have The Homestead Act?

Many people ask why they should have a Personal Umbrella if they already have the Homestead Act on their home. Many people underestimate the “coverage” that the Homestead Act provides. As of March 16, 2011, the Homestead Act will provide “up to” $500,000 of the equity in their homes for a judgement that is made against the homeowner so that residence is not jeopardized by creditors. Homeowners that purchased their Homestead prior to March 16, 2011 have the limit at that time of purchase. This sounds great, right? Maybe not so good, here’s the “catch”. In order for the Homestead to pay out; there has to be an actual judgement made against the homeowner. This does not include legal fees, it’s just the judgement. If you cannot pay the legal fees in order to protect yourself, what good was that Homestead? What if you’re falsely accused and no judgement is made? The Homestead doesn’t provide coverage at all. The Personal Umbrella provides legal fees and the judgement (up to the policy limits and exclusions) whether you’re innocent or guilty.

Is There Coverage For My Company Car On My Personal Umbrella Policy?

Under the standard Personal Umbrella Policy there is not coverage afforded for the company car that you may be driving on a regular basis unless you are using that car for personal use AND you have “Use of Other Vehicles” endorsed to your Personal Auto Policy and also have that vehicle listed on your Umbrella at the time of a loss. The vehicle also cannot be “owned” by the named insured. Now if you happen to take the company car that is “not provided to you for your regular use” and happen to have a loss while you’re running “personal” errands, then the Umbrella Policy would afford coverage automatically. If that same scenario were to happen with the company car that was provided to you for regular use; you would need to have that vehicle endorsed to your Auto & Umbrella policies in order to have coverage. This is a tricky situation to say the least, so please contact our agency if you have any questions.

Replacement Cost vs. Market Value

    How many times have you looked at your Homeowner’s policy and thought that the coverage on your house was way too high? And that you could never sell your house for that amount.

     With the housing market being what it is, people think that the coverage on their homes should reflect the market value -- but you couldn’t be more wrong. The difference between market value and replacement cost is that market value reflects what a home can be sold for but replacement cost is what a home can be re-built for. Do you see the difference?

    With the cost of services and materials, you want to make sure that you have enough coverage to rebuild your home in case of a loss. Some may say that they would never rebuild their house the way it is now, but let’s consider the problems with that theory if you have a loss and the home is not completely destroyed. For example, say your home is insured for $160,000 but it should be insured for $200,000 and you have a kitchen fire that resulted in $50,000 worth of damage. The fact is, the insurance company will only pay you $40,000, less your deductible. That means that you’ll have to write a check for that remaining $10,000 in order to get your kitchen back in working order.   

    The reason behind this is in the numbers.  Because you have only insured your home for 80% of its value, you will only receive payment for 80% of the loss.  If you have questions about replacement cost, contact your insurance agent.

Passing on the Right

How many times have you seen a vehicle passing another on the right and wondered if that was legal? Well, there are special circumstances when this is actually legal but many people don’t follow the guidelines. It can only be done when the road is clear and is wide enough for two or more lines of motor vehicles AND:

-The vehicle you are passing is making, or is about to make, a left turn.
-You are driving on a one-way street.
-You are driving on a road where traffic moves in one direction (such as a multiple lane
Highway).

Needless to say, passing on the right is very limited and not allowed on all streets and in all situations. Before you pass another vehicle on the right; think of these guidelines to make sure it is ok to do so and safe. Patience is not only a virtue; it could save your life.