In 2006 1,451 children under the age of 14 died as passengers in motor vehicle accidents, and another 200,000 more were injured. According to the NHTSA nearly half of those who died were not properly restrained in a seat belt or child safety seat.This doesn’t have to happen to you. There are a number of measures you can take to prevent injury or death to a child.

- All children 12 or under should be sitting in the back seat and properly restrained at all times. Even if you are just going around the corner, it is extremely important to properly restrain all children. Accidents can happen anywhere at anytime.

- Prior to installing a child safety seat, make sure to read all of the instructions and safety manuals. This will ensure you are installing the seat the correct way. A 2006 NHTSA report indicated out of 3,200 observed child restraint systems, 72% were being misused or not installed properly, resulting in a greater risk to the occupants of that seat.

 - Immediately after you purchase a car seat, make sure to register it with the manufacturer. This way if there are any recalls or safety concerns, you will be notified promptly by the manufacturer.

- If your vehicle was in an accident, replace all car seats that were in the car at the time of the accident. 

Taking these steps should help to keep your young ones as safe as possible. Aside from this list, safe driving will contribute the most to the safety of you and your passengers.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein.  No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

When renting a house or apartment it is important to carry renter’s insurance. Although your landlord is required to insure the unit you are renting; that does not cover your personal belongings. All it covers is the building, structure, roof, etc. You’ll need to take out an additional policy to cover your personal items.

Most landlords or leasing companies will require you to show proof of renter’s insurance before they let you move in. In addition to covering your personal belongings, it will also protect you from liability arising from an accident on the premises. If a guest in your home slips on your floor and gets injured, you may be liable. Renter’s insurance gives you this extra protection so you don’t have to worry about losing many of things you have worked hard for.

Getting a renter’s insurance policy is easy. There are many companies that offer this coverage. Spend the extra time and speak to an agent to clearly identify your insurance needs and make sure you and your personal belongings are fully protected. PoliSeek is a great place to look for renter’s insurance. They have access to many providers and will do all the searching for you to make sure you are receiving the best rate and coverage.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein.  No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

Leasing a car can be a headache in itself. There are many costs that the lessee may not really consider before leasing a vehicle. Such costs include early termination fees, extra mileage fees and wear and tear charges when you return your vehicle at the end of your lease. One kind of hidden cost is auto insurance.

When you lease a car, you do not own it. You are essentially renting it from the bank. Since the bank has the main interest in the vehicle, they require you to carry certain types of insurance to ensure they are protected. When you lease a car, more than likely you’ll be required to purchase liability and collision coverage. Collision coverage covers the damage to your own vehicle.  Most state laws require you to only carry liability insurance, but since you don’t own the car, the bank can raise these requirements.

Aside from being required to carry collision insurance, you may also be obligated to carry more than the state minimum limits. Many leasing companies will require you to carry bodily injury coverage with minimum limits of $100K per person and $300K per accident and property damage coverage of a minimum $50K. These limits are quite higher than the average state minimums of $25/$50K for bodily injury and $10K property damage limits.

Gap insurance is also important when leasing a car. Gap insurance will (with some limitations) pay the difference between what you owe on your vehicle and the actual amount it is worth, if your vehicle is deemed to be a total loss. Most cars depreciate quickly and if your vehicle has been declared a total loss and you owe more than it is worth, then you will be on the hook for the remaining amount. What this means is that you will have to still make payments on a car that no longer exists as well as payments for your replacement vehicle.

Remember, leasing a car also has many advantages. But before you jump into a new lease, plan out all the costs associated with it so there are no surprises.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein.  No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.

 If you are involved in an auto accident, there is a 1 in 7 chance the other person involved does not have car insurance. This number is actually getting higher. There is no red flag indicator as to why so many people are uninsured, but many believe it is a combination of the state of the economy and people’s belief that they don’t need it. The fact is that if you drive a car, you need it. There is a reason that this is a law in every state. It is to protect yourself and everyone else on the road.

Although state laws require all drivers to have auto insurance, there is not much enforcement on the matter. It is true that, in many states, when you register your vehicle with the Department of Motor Vehicles, you are required to provide proof of insurance. However, once that is completed, there is practically no enforcement thereafter. Except for states that maintain an electronic database, and carriers report cancelled policies, the only way for law enforcement to find out is if you are pulled over or involved in an auto accident.

This being said, it is very important for all drivers, (who carry auto insurance) to have uninsured motorist coverage as well as underinsured motorists coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage will cover bodily injury claims to you that would ordinarily be paid by the other party’s liability insurance.  You may also buy limited protection for your vehicle, or a deductible waiver if you have collision coverage.

In addition to uninsured motorist coverage, it is very important to carry underinsured motorist coverage. These two coverages are usually sold together. If you are “lucky” enough to be involved in an accident with someone who DOES have insurance coverage, there is a good chance they only carry the state minimums. In most states, this limit is $15,000. If you are in a serious accident, the costs add up very quickly. Your health insurance may cover your hospitalization costs if you are injured, but what about loss of income if you can’t work for an extended period of time?  Having underinsured motorist coverage gives you the extra protection you need to prevent any out of pocket expenses.

It would be nice if we lived in a perfect world where everyone carried the proper amount of insurance. As you can see, we are far from that. So to ensure you and your family are protected, it is essential to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

This content is offered for educational purposes only and does not represent contractual agreements. The definitions, terms and coverages in a given policy may be different than those suggested here and such policy will be governed by the language contained therein.  No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.