Getting a license for the first time can be a very exciting moment, but without the proper training and education, it can quickly turn into a fatal one. In order to ensure the safety of your teenage driver, you need to make sure that you teach them everything you can before they get behind the wheel on their own. It’s also important that you know and understand that a large majority of the crashes that lead to deaths are caused by or involve teen drivers. With that being known, it is very important to keep your teenager knowledgeable, so that they won’t become another statistic. Auto accidents are the leading causes for teen deaths. There are various techniques that you can use in order to teach your teenager everything he or she needs to know.

Defensive Driving

One of the best things you can teach your teenager is about defensive driving. Your teenager is an inexperienced driver, so it is your duty as a parent to teach him or her how to drive extra safely on the road. It’s difficult sometimes because you have to drive for everyone else, meaning that you have to watch out for what other vehicles on the road are doing. Sometimes, a car in the next lane won’t see you and switch lanes, almost swiping you. Luckily, you saw this and slowly pressed on your breaks, so that the car could get in front. The worst thing to do in this situation is drive faster or slam on your breaks — driving faster would lead the two of you to collide side-by-side and slamming on the breaks could cause the automobile behind you to crash into your rear end.
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Being a teen driver is like a new adventure each time they get behind the wheel. In order for you to ensure that this adventure doesn’t lead to a dead end, you should give your teenager as much advice and tips as possible. There are various things you need to point out to your teen driver that can help them to become better at driving. Statistics show that majority of teens are being killed by automobile accidents. Lower the chances of your teen being involved in an accident by informing them of various ways to stay out of accidents.

Minimize Distractions

One of the first lessons you can teach your teenager is to minimize the amount of distractions that are in the vehicle. The last thing you want a beginner driver to have is a distraction. If an experienced driver can get distracted and get into a vehicle collision, you can be sure that the same can happen to your teenager. Improving their driving skills is your mission, so let them know what type of distractions shouldn’t be around while driving. For one, driving with the radio too loud could drown out noises they need to hear — such as an ambulance or fire truck racing down the road; or a truck that’s honking because the brakes just gave way — just about anything can happen.

Also, having loud obnoxious friends in the car isn’t a good idea. Teenagers can get wild and crazy and can cause the driver to become distracted; this could lead to an accident that could be fatal. Talking and texting on cell phones should definitely be avoided. These days, it is one of the top reasons why people are getting into accidents. Buy a Bluetooth headset that can be used to talk on the cell phone; this way both hands are always on the wheel. Now, you shouldn’t encourage this because at first, your teen shouldn’t be talking on the phone anyhow while driving; all attention should be on the driving.
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If you live in the state of Florida, you’ll need to know the basics about buying auto insurance in the state. There are lots of different people that move here everyday, so this means there are all different types of driving styles. This is possibly a large part of reason why there are so many accidents in the state. Being a safe driver is difficult when there are a lot of unexpected things that can happen on the road. New York drivers are known for being a bit feisty and then those that come from other countries have to get used to our laws of the road. The diversity is very great, so your driving skills have to be as well — at least in order to drive safely and avoid accidents. Having enough auto insurance for your automobile is very important, especially with the tornadoes, storms and hurricanes that are known to stop by every once in a while.

Why Get Car Coverage?

Well, there are various reasons that are quite obvious for getting auto insurance coverage. Insurance is to protect you from financial stress; without it, you will be responsible for the costs associated with damages and injuries caused by auto accidents and other incidences. By purchasing personal injury and property damage protection, you will receive benefits to pay for the injuries and damages done to the other driver when you’re at fault. Otherwise, if it is the other motorist’s fault, their insurance will have to cover the damages and injuries caused due to their negligence. You want to make sure that the protection you buy for your automobile covers you for car accidents, natural disasters (such as fires, flood, wind and falling objects), vandalism and theft.
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Your wedding day is getting closer and there’s lots of excitement and planning going on, but is your auto insurance in your thoughts and plans? There are a lot of things that can change your premium rates and one of them is marriage. You’re spending money left and right on the wedding, the ceremony and honeymoon. Thankfully, getting married could also save you lots of money.

Buying or Renting a Home

When the two of you are ready to begin your lives together, you will begin by looking into purchasing or renting a new home. So if you’re looking to rent an apartment or house, there is an application process, which could run to over $100 for each credit and background check, but when you’re married, the price cuts in half. Most places allow you to fill out an application as a couple and only have to pay a fraction of the costs. Where you move to will also have an effect on your auto insurance rates. Depending on where you live will determine how your premium rate will be calculated. For instance, if you live in a more urban area that has higher crime rates for car theft and vandalism, surely you’re car insurance coverage will cost you more money than if you were living in a quiet suburban area or in the country.

So when the two of you are looking around for a new place to live together, check to see what type of area it is; this way you won’t be surprised at the premium rate you receive. Also, the distance from your new place and your work place could increase or decrease your premium rate. The more miles you travel annually plays a large role in the premium rate you receive for your vehicle insurance. Try to move somewhere close to where the two of you work, so that there is less mileage being used.
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Filing an auto insurance claim in Georgia and many other states can be very confusing for many people. Adding people and vehicles to your policy can also prove to be quite a hassle if you aren’t familiar with the process. Knowing how to deal with these various scenarios will allow you to be prepared in the event the need arises for you to complete these processes. If you ever get into an auto accident, you need to know what to do next and what to expect out of the situation.

Your Vehicle’s Value after it’s been Declared a Total Loss

If you own a vehicle in Georgia and just got into an accident that made your car a “total loss”, then it is the duty of your auto insurance company to help you find another automobile with the same value and market as your previous vehicle (if you have collision coverage). This means that if you totaled a Toyota Corolla that had a value of $4,000 — the agency you have your auto insurance with can buy a Honda Accord that is worth $4,000 because they are the same price and within the same market of vehicles. You can’t try to get a luxury SUV if you had a lower class sedan because the value isn’t the same and they aren’t the same class — one is an SUV and the other is a sedan car.

In order to determine if your vehicle is a total loss, your Georgia insurance company will use three different methods — computerized vendor quotes, online resources (like Kelly Blue Book) and market research. These will help to determine the value of your vehicle by matching up the year, make, model, mileage and condition of the automobile. If the insurer is unable to find a local vehicle, they will have to find a replacement outside of your zip code. In doing so, this could affect the true value of your car.
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Nothing in life really stays the same, so with that, auto insurance companies, along with many other agencies that offer benefits, like to know what’s going on in your life in order to see how it affects your policy. For instance, there are some situations that will allow you to get more benefits and other circumstances that will cause you to lose benefits. Either way, you need to make sure that things are always up-to-date on your car insurance policy to ensure the utmost protection.

Getting Married

The first life change that can affect your premium rates is getting married. Sure, this is a very exciting time in your life and you’re likely not even thinking about your auto coverage, but later, you will have some decisions to make. For instance, if your new spouse doesn’t own a vehicle and will be sharing yours, you will need to place them on your policy as a driver. This is the time when a lot of things will be shared, so it only makes sense to share one auto insurance bill. So if your spouse does have a vehicle, you could have it added onto your policy; most of the time this is a lot cheaper than having two different auto insurance premiums to pay. Some insurers offer discounts for adding on more than one vehicle to one of their policies. This is also a good time to shop around for the best vehicle insurance quotes out there. Use the internet to find comparison websites that allow you to view the auto coverage providers on the market. Don’t settle for yours if there could be a cheaper one available to you that suits your situation. See if there are any companies that offer discounts for insuring multiple automobiles.

Now, if it isn’t time for your policy to be renewed, then you can either wait or just add the vehicles on now. You will also have to see when the policy ends on your spouse’s vehicle — if they are already insured. Try to set it up so that both policies won’t have to get canceled. Having cancellations on your record could hike up your premium rates in the future.
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Getting into an accident can be a devastating experience. Losing a loved one or getting extremely injured could leave a family wounded financially and emotionally. To help protect yourself from this, it is best to be insured and most importantly — a safe driver. Some of the top ways you can avoid getting into an accident are simple to do and remember.

Never Drink and Drive

This is basic common sense, but there are still plenty of drivers out there who still drink and drive. Too many people are too afraid to let go of their egos and admit that they are too tipsy to be operating a vehicle. Then there are those who really don’t know their limit and when it’s not best to drive. No matter what the situation is, it’s a good idea that individuals not drive while intoxicated. Lots of people believe that being a veteran drinker means they can handle the liquor or beer better, but this has proven to be untrue time and time again.

Keep Distractions to a Minimal

Moms, teenagers and many other people on the road are constantly being distracted by cell phones, texting, kids screaming in the back and loud music. It’s important that you try to maintain what’s going on in your vehicle to ensure that you have as much focus on the road as possible. If you really feel like you need to see what’s going on in the back seat, consider investing in a camera that has a screen that is placed on the rear view mirror; this mini-investment could end up saving you thousands of dollars on an accident caused by taking your eyes off the road. Those who have a newborn child, consider having someone drive around with you who can cater to the baby’s needs. If anything, pull over the car before turning your attention to the backseat for whatever reason.
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With the falling economy, you can just about imagine how many people are driving about with absolutely no auto insurance coverage. Lots of folks are risking driving around illegally in order to save money, so with that in mind, you can only wonder how you can avoid getting into an unfortunate collision caused by an uninsured negligent driver. A lot of people are being faced with priorities of whether to spend the money they have on school clothes, utilities, mortgage or food on expenses like auto insurance. These are the types of situations millions of people are being faced with everyday. Deciding to drive around without auto insurance could leave you in a very bad situation where you can’t pay for the damages and injuries you’ve caused.

According to records, about 13.8% of American drivers are uninsured right now. It has been projected that by 2010, this number will increase to 16%, which is said to be related to the increasing rate of unemployment. And this is only the recorded number, it’s possibly there are even more people without auto insurance out there. Protecting yourself from uninsured motorists is quite impossible in the sense that you don’t know who’s on the road with you. But there is coverage that you can purchase to protect yourself from situations involving motorists that are uninsured. Unless you live in Maine or Massachusetts where just about everyone is insured, you are more likely to be involved in a collision with an uninsured driver than an insured one.

Keep Your Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Protection

Having underinsured and uninsured motorists coverage will enable you to protect yourself from drivers on the road that don’t have enough coverage or any protection at all. In these situations, you would be left to pay for the expenses for injuries and damages done to your car, even if it was the other driver’s fault. Without this coverage, you won’t see payment for years; then if the other driver was uninsured, you may never see any payment. With underinsured and uninsured motorist protection, you will ensure that you get payment for the damage and injury expenses. The auto insurance company you are insured with will pay you for the expenses and then they will wait to receive payment from the other driver, so that you won’t have to.
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The last thing you want as you’re driving is to be distracted. Not only are you endangering yourself, but you’re endangering the ones in your car and everyone on the road (including innocent pedestrians). Getting into an accident will definitely raise your car insurance rates for now and for the future. Then if they find out the accidents were caused by you and it was due to a distraction, you’re premium rates are going to sky rocket. Studies show that a lot of traffic tickets and accidents are caused by distractions. In order to avoid this, you need to get rid of any and all unnecessary distractions.

Less Talking/Texting and More Driving

A lot of people spend a little bit too much time talking and texting on their cell phones. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop when they hop into the driver’s seat. The biggest mistake that a lot of drivers make is trying to talk, answer or dial on the cell phone while driving. This means that you they have to take their eyes off the road and one hand off of the wheel in order to complete the task. The longer your eyes are away, the chances of there being an accident increases. If you get involved in an auto accident that is your fault and it’s because you were talking away on your cell phone or trying to text back to your best friend, it could end up with you getting a fat ticket and a fat raise in insurance rates. It’s known that 8 out of 10 drivers that own cell phones are talking on them and about 18 percent of the time and they have admitted to texting while driving. About 45 percent of drivers that took a survey said that they were in or almost in an accident with a motorist who was using a cell phone.
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Having no-fault auto insurance is good because it speeds up the claims process by requiring the insurance companies of both drivers to pay for the injuries. Various states are considered no-fault, which means that their car insurance companies don‘t leave one person paying for the damages done. If you live in a no-fault state, then neither driver is completely at fault, this doesn’t mean there is no one responsible. It just ensures that all expenses are paid for — sometimes one driver doesn’t have enough. So no matter who is at fault, the insurance company pays for the accident. Although, if you don’t get coverage that protects yourself, you won’t be covered for medical expenses if another driver is the cause of the accident. The insurance the other driver has only covers them, not you.

Personal Injury Protection Requirements

In a no-fault state, it is required that all drivers have PIP, or personal injury protection. Each state has it’s own requirements for how much coverage you need to have on your PIP, so make sure to check with yours to see what’s mandatory. In most cases, the policyholder that resides in a state with no-fault insurance would receive reimbursements for loss wages, medical expenses and other expenses related to injuries. The policyholder usually isn’t allowed to try to sue the driver that caused the accident for more money. Then depending on the state’s laws, the individuals that were injured while driving in the car with you will either be covered by your policy or their own insurance policy. There are 24 states that grant policyholders the ability to receive money for car collisions from the auto insurance company they’re insured with.

Out of those 24 states, half of them are considered no-fault due to the fact that their insurance laws place a limit on when the insurance holder is able to sue the driver that caused the auto collision. In some cases, the guidelines are based on “monetary threshold”, which is when the expenses are higher than a specified dollar amount. Sometimes it is based on a “verbal threshold”, which allows the individual to sue if the auto accident caused a permanent disability, death or disfigurement. In some states, drivers can seek payment for non-economic losses, like pain and suffering. Some of the true no-fault states are Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Florida and Massachusetts.
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