car-insurance-driving-in-snow.

Driving in ice and snow can be very hazardous. Each year, thousands of insurance claims are filed for drivers who have skidded into other cars or stationary objects while driving in icy conditions.

Here are a few tips to help you navigate the roads safely when winter weather comes to town.

1) Don’t go out. It seems simple enough to say, but many people do not realize just how important it is to stay in when the roads are hazardous.

If you simply have to get to the store for that quart of milk, you might want to think about better planning—lay in supplies of food and do your errands in batches while the weather is good.

If you are going to be driving no matter what, get snow tires. Check your state’s laws about studded tires or chains; some states do not allow them between certain periods. Have your snow tires put on early in the season; make sure they are well-maintained and checked periodically.

2) Decrease your speed. Most accidents on icy roads can be contributed to driving too fast for conditions. This does not mean the posted speed limit; it means driving at a speed which allows you time to correct for possible hazards. You will need at least three times the stopping distance on ice as on dry pavement, so slow down and give yourself plenty of time to negotiate corners and intersections.

When you are driving in ice, you should also brake gently. You should not ever slam on brakes while on ice; this is a recipe for disaster. Instead, slowly brake in increments, giving yourself time to stop safely. Stop well before a stop sign or traffic light; better to be a few feet back than in the middle of an intersection.

3) Use your lights. Even in broad daylight, your lights will help you stay visible to other motorists. Use your windshield wipers to keep your screen free of snow and debris. De-ice your windshield before you begin driving by starting the car, letting it run for a few minutes, and scraping the ice from your windshield.

You should also use lower gears. Many cars and trucks come equipped with four-wheel drive. This has actually increased the problem with driving in snow, because many four-wheel drive owners mistakenly believe they can navigate roads with four wheels they would not tackle with two. Instead of relying on four-wheel drive, engage your low gear to keep traction.

4) Be careful on bridges. Bridges often form icy patches well before the regular roadbed, so use extreme caution when crossing them, even if the temperature is above freezing.

5) Know how to handle a skid. If you begin to skid, take your foot off the accelerator, and steer “into” the skid. What this means is that you turn your front wheels in the direction you want to go, opposite what the rear wheels are doing. If you have front-wheel drive, do not steer but put the vehicle in neutral while you regain traction.

6) Keep sand or litter in your trunk. Not only will this help weight your vehicle down, giving you more traction, but it is very useful if you get stuck. Do not spin your wheels if you are stuck—this only makes the problem worse. Instead, “rock” the vehicle gently by shifting from forward to reverse and back again.

Besides sand, you should also keep an emergency kit in your car. Road flares and a jack can be lifesavers in dangerous conditions. If you are stranded, do not leave your car unless help is within sight.

Instead, turn on your flashers, put out flares if needed, and call for help. Keep blankets and hard candy, as well as water, in your car at all times in case you are stuck for some time.

Enjoy driving- be safe and get cheap teen auto insurance quotes now.

david stern : Do my credits affect my auto insurance rate for 2012?

Credit and auto insurance rate

Response : David, general auto insurance companies base the auto insurance rate on your credit. Auto insurance rate for 2012 is no different. Check your credit since your credit is going to play on your auto insurance rate.

Get your cheap car insurance now- Yes, cheap teen auto insurance or cheap car insurance.

You probably know that banks use information in your credit report to determine if they’ll extend credit. But did you know that in most states, insurance companies also consider your credit history? Good or bad, your credit history may affect which companies will sell you homeowners or auto insurance coverage and will often determine the price you’ll pay.

Late credit card payments or not having a credit history at all will often affect your rates. Here are two examples:

Last year, you were unemployed for six months. Before you could find a new job, you fell behind on several credit card payments, but you’ve caught up. Now your auto insurance rates are going up, even though you’ve never filed a claim against your policy. What’s the reason?You’ve always paid your bills on time, but you pay by check or with cash instead of applying for credit—even for major purchases. Why would this be a problem?

What’s the score here?
Insurance companies have always used various criteria to determine who to insure and at what rates. For example, auto insurance rates are based on your age, driving record, make and model of your car, and how many insurance claims you’ve filed in the past. In states where it is permitted by law, insurance companies also use credit information as an additional factor to help predict which drivers represent more risk. Insurers believe that the more stable your credit history, the less likely you are to have an accident or file a claim against your auto or homeowners insurance policy. And the more likely you are to pay your insurance premium payments.

If your credit history (along with other factors considered) suggests that you are likely to be a responsible driver, you may be offered a lower premium. But if your credit history is tarnished—or if you have little or no credit history—you may pay higher premiums for the coverage you’re offered. You may even be denied coverage altogether.

How you can improve the score
If your rate changes or you are denied insurance coverage because of your credit history, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to order a free copy of your credit report from the bureau used by the auto insurance company. If you feel the information provided to the credit bureau is incorrect, you can dispute it. Every insurance company is required to disclose whether you rate was affected by your credit report, and other consumer reports, such as your motor vehicle report.

If you’ve been turned down for insurance, this may feel like too little, too late. But if your credit history is affecting your ability to get auto or homeowners insurance (or the premiums you’re charged for it), here are a few things you can do:

Clean up your credit immediately. Pay at least the minimum amount due every month, consolidate high interest credit cards on a lower rate card, and don’t spend beyond your means.If you don’t have any credit, get some. Your lack of history is what’s hurting you; to the insurance companies, you’re an unknown quantity. Although you don’t want to run up excessive debt, you do want to show that you can use credit responsibly. Student or car loans, fitness club memberships, and store credit cards are usually easy to get and can help your credit report if paid regularly and used correctly.Once a year, check your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. This site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The information contained in one report may not be reflected by the others, so make sure all the information is correct and dispute any errors with both the creditor and the credit bureaus involved.

For now, the use of credit reports is an industry standard. Make your credit work for you by watching it closely. In most cases, you may be rewarded with lower premiums if you do so.

Watch your credit rate and your spending for the holiday season you need a low auto insurance rate for 2012.

Greg Anatomy : 3 week ago I hit a car from the back on a private property. The police came and said that nothing goes on your record and it just goes to your insurance company. I am worried if anything happens to you or your parents the cop said a claim would be made? What does it mean?

Teen auto insurance and car inusrnace claims

Response : Greg, let me assure you that there would be no legal issues with the police department for you or your parents if your parents or you already have an insurance coverage on your vehicle. If you do not have an insurance coverage and you are living in a state where there is a requirement of a mandatory auto insurance coverage it would be an issue.

Now, assuming that your parents did have an auto insurnace coverage and they had you covered as a driver on the car insurance policy, the incident would be reported to your insurance company. Your insurance company will file this as a claim on your policy. As per the auto insurance this will the a claim of third party property damage, since you have hit a car from behind and damaged it.

The insurance company will take the following steps :
1) Ask the policy owner (your parents) for filling in a claim form, prviding the details of the accident.
2) Decide who was at fault – In most cases if two vehicles are moving than it is usually the vehicle which hits from the back which is at fault. However, the general insurance company would decide this based on each case.
3) The general insurnace company will pay for the damages to the vehicle.
4) Since this is a claim on your vehilce the auto insurance premium would be affected on the renewal and might be higher.

If you have acccident forgivness on your policy the first accident would be forgiven and the insurance will not be hiked.

To ensure that you get a cheaper car insurance policy it it best to kee a good driving record. The second measure for getting cheap car insurnace rates is to compare auto insurance quotes online.

Thanks
Kamlesh

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Robert (Neveda): I had a car accident last week and my car is a total wreck. Luckily I was not hurt nor was any one else hurt. Now my auto insurance premium and car insurance quote is going to increase. However, at the moment I am looking for some information on auto insurance claims. Please help me.

Response: Robert, I am happy that you are fine and were not hurt. Do not worry about getting cheap teen auto insurance quote, I wil help you with this later. First lets talk about car insurance claims.

The insurance companies would h, auto insurance companies estimate total cost of auto repairs in one of two ways, one is with an estimate from an auto repair shop or through a claims adjuster.

This is a case of own damage of auto insurance. For example, the driver hits an animal and causes damage to the hood and the engine. The car is smoldering and must be parked on the side of the road. The driver must call his or her auto insurance company to file a claim and to have the car towed to an auto repair shop where an estimate will be performed.

If the damage is serve they will ask their adjustor to adjuster to the scene. The claims adjuster will then proceed to verify the loss after the driver calls the auto insurance company and files an insurance claim.

The role of the claims adjuster is to inspect the car for damage and estimate the cost for repair. Claims adjusters are highly trained to spot damage on all parts of the car, even underneath.
After inspecting the car, the claims adjuster determines the initial estimate based on parts and labor. The auto insurance company then takes this estimate and executes an automated claims process using proprietary auto insurance industry.

If the auto insurance believes that the car is a total loss due to damage incurred it performs an evaluation of the car to estimate the actual cash value (ACV). If the cost to repair the car falls between 51 to 80 percent of the car’s ACV, the auto insurance company determines that the the car is a total loss.

Once the auto insurance declares the car a total loss, two choices are presented to the driver: receive the actual cash value of the car from the auto insurance company toward the purchase of a new car; or keep the damaged car (if drivable) and pay for auto repairs out of pocket.
In conclusion, an auto insurance company declares a car a total loss when it determines that the cost to repair the car exceeds its actual cash value. While the owner can keep the car (if drivable) with the current auto insurance, the auto insurance company will not pay for repairs.

Hope this helps you in understanding how it auto insurance claims work. Let me know if you need any more support on this. By, the way your auto insurance quote will not increase till your renewal. When you are going to have your renewal, plug in the details here and am sure you will get a cheap auto insurance quote.

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