While no one wants to get a speeding ticket, the real risk of speeding is the threat it poses to the safety of everyone on the roads. Did you know that nearly one-third of all fatal car crashes involve drivers who exceeded posted speed limits? Below you’ll find four facts about speeding that will make your policyholders think twice the next time they hit the accelerator.

Share the information below with your policyholders to broaden your reach in your market. Copy and paste it and use it in your email marketing, post it on your website or use the information in your social networking efforts.  Four Facts About Speeding

Exceeding posted speed limits accounts for nearly one-third of all fatal car crashes. Next time you are rushing to get somewhere and find yourself speeding, consider the following facts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

1. Don’t Let Low Traffic Fool You: Speeding-related fatalities are twice as likely to happen in rural areas as they are on urban streets. In fact, only 12 percent of speeding-related fatalities occur on Interstate highways.
2. Ten Miles Per Hour Makes a Difference: The probability of death or a debilitating injury doubles for every additional 10 mph when a vehicle is traveling 50 mph or faster.
3. Wear Your Seatbelt: One in three drivers killed in car accidents are not wearing safety restraints.
4. Talk to Your Teen: The likelihood of fatality in a speeding-related crash is highest for divers in their teen years. Young men are particularly at risk. They have twice as many fatalities from speeding when compared to women.

If you still aren’t convinced about the risks of speeding, click here to see more speeding facts.

Be a safe driver. Take the National Drivers Test!
Share and compare your scores with your family and friends and figure out who the smartest and safest drivers are. Visit www.gmacinsurance.com to see how well you know the rules of the road. And, don’t forget to check out the National Drivers Test Facebook App where you can “challenge a friend” to take the test!

• After the Flood fact sheet: Helpful information for residents as they return home.
• Filing Your Flood Insurance Claim: A checklist for policyholders as they navigate the claims process.
• NFIP Summary of Coverage: An explanation to help policyholders understand their flood insurance policy.
• NFIP Flood Insurance Claims Handbook: A step-by-step guide to filing a claim.

In addition, the following tips may be helpful to residents returning to flood-damaged areas.

• Beware of Hazards. Check for damage, including structural damage before re-entering your home. Contact the appropriate professionals immediately if you suspect damage to water, gas, electric and sewer lines. Throw away water-damaged food including canned goods that have come in contact with floodwaters. Boil water until local authorities declare the water supply safe to drink.
• File your Flood Insurance Claim. Call your agent who handles your flood insurance to file a claim. Have the following information with you when you place your call: (1) the name of your insurance company (your agent may write policies for more than one company); (2) your policy number; and (3) a telephone number/e-mail address where you can be reached.
• Take photographs. To make filing your claim easier, take photographs of any water in the house and damaged personal property. If necessary, place these items outside the home. Your adjuster will need evidence of the damage and damaged items (e.g.: cut swatches from carpeting, curtains, chairs) to prepare your repair estimate.
• Make a list of damaged or lost items and include their age and value where possible. If possible, have receipts for those lost items available for the adjuster. Local officials may require the disposal of damaged items. If so, keep a swatch or other sample of the item(s) for the adjuster.
• Gather any documents, such as photographs, receipts and itemized lists you made prior to the flood.
• Prevent mold and remove wet contents immediately.
• Work with the adjuster to calculate the damage in order to prepare an accurate estimate.
• Resources are available. The American Red Cross offers a free Repairing Your Flooded Home guide. This guide will help you as you first re-enter your damaged home.
• For FEMA Disaster Assistance call 1-800-621-3362. For general flood insurance questions call 1-800-427-4661.

Please email us at info@femafloodsmart.com with any questions about NFIP and FloodSmart.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, each year an average of 19 school-age children lose their lives in traffic crashes related to school transportation. With a new school year approaching, help stay safe by following these tips:

1. Red Means Stop…Really. When you see the red flashing lights on a school bus, don’t be tempted to sneak past. Stop and stay stopped until the lights no longer flash or until otherwise signaled by the school bus driver.
2. Slow Down Near Schools. Remember to slow down in accordance with the reduced speed limits in school zones. Watch for designated crosswalks and children who may not be paying attention.
3. Conduct a Car Check. Check headlights, oil, turn signals, and tires before letting your son or daughter embark on their journey to college. You never know when these vehicle essentials may break down!
4. Stay Back, Don’t Pass. It is illegal to pass on the right side of a bus. With many different stops on a bus route, remember to be alert when children are loading and unloading the bus.
5. Stay Alert. Children are unpredictable. Near a bus or in a school zone, you never know when they’ll run into the street unaware of drivers. Be one step ahead and anticipate a child’s move.

Remind yourself to be a safe driver, take the test!
Raise awareness about safe driving and suggest taking the National Drivers test to your policyholders! Your customers will be able to share and compare their scores with family and friends, and see if they are smart and safe drivers. The National Drivers Test initiates great conversation and will help you grow your business in your market. 

Visit www.gmacinsurance.comand click on the National Drivers Test button to take the test and see how you size up when it comes to knowing the rules of the road. If you’re on Facebook, don’t forget to check out the National Drivers Test Facebook App where you and your policyholders can “challenge a friend” to take the test!

If they cause an accident, their employer could be responsible not just for workers’ compensation and disability claims, but also for liability judgments and for fines associated with criminal vehicular activity.

As their insurance advisor, you can help your technology and life science save lives and money by making them aware of the risk they face when employees use cell phones while driving on company business. The Hartford’s Distracted Driving – A Growing Problem provides you and your clients with information and resources to help develop their own distracted driving policies.

Show your policyholders that you’re a safe-driving expert by using the information below in your emails, newsletters, Facebook posts, tweets, or as postings on your website. Just copy and paste! You’ll increase awareness about safe-driving and broaden your reach in your market.

Five Back-to-School Carpooling Tips

It’s time to go back to school! Consider these valuable back-to-school carpooling tips as you pile the kids in the car and take them to school.

1. Meet with your fellow carpoolers. Get to know your fellow carpoolers to gauge how responsible of a driver they are. Use that time to establish some ground rules in terms of pick-up and drop-off times so everyone is on the same page.
2. Make sure all passengers are buckled-up. Before driving away, make sure all adults and children in the car have a fastened seatbelt. Never let kids share a seatbelt and never transport children in the cargo area of a pickup truck, station wagon, or van.
3. Keep your eyes peeled. Avoid situations where you’ll have to back up in areas where young children are walking or playing. Also, make sure children get into their house once you drop them off before driving away. Always pay attention to your surroundings in the car.
4. Don’t play parent in the car. When you are driving carpool, your most important responsibility is driving. When children begin acting out, don’t try and solve behavior problems while driving. If the problem is affecting your driving, pull the vehicle over at a safe place to deal with the issue.
5. Pay attention to school guidelines on carpool lines. All schools have different systems in place to manage their carpool lines. Be observant of your school’s system and abide by their speed limit and drop-off and pick-up locations and times.

Are you a smart and safe driver? Take the test!
Raise awareness about safe driving and ask your policyholders to take the National Drivers Test! Your customers will be able to share and compare their scores with family and friends and see just how safe they are and how well they know the rules of the road! It’s a great way to establish yourself as the safe-driving expert in your market. 

Visit www.gmacinsurance.com and click on the National Drivers Test button. If you’re on Facebook, checkout the National Drivers Test Facebook App where you and your policyholders can “challenge a friend” to take the test!

For families, it’s a big moment when teenagers become teenage drivers. So, it’s important for parents to pass along safe-driving knowledge and instill some rules for their children who are new to being on the roads. Some results from the Distracted Driving Study, part of the 7th Annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test, can help worried parents deal with their new drivers. The study shows what parents are doing to ensure their sons and daughters are safe drivers.

Provide the information below to your customers to help position yourself as the safe-driving expert in your market. Use the information in your email or newsletter campaigns. Copy and paste the content and post it on Facebook, Twitter or on your website!

Tips for Parents with Teenage Drivers, from GMAC Insurance

According to the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test, what restrictions are parents putting on their teenage drivers to help them be safer drivers?

• Sixty-four percent of parents are imposing the “no mobile devices while driving” rule.
• About 50 percent of parents implement a driving curfew.
• About 35 percent of parents allow their teenagers to drive only locally and restrict them from driving on any highways.
• Thirty-two percent of parents don’t allow their teenagers to drive with friends in the car.
• Twenty-two percent of parents allow their teenagers to drive only if a parent is with them.
• Only nine percent of parents don’t impose any driving restrictions on their teenage drivers.

Click Here to see the “Top Five Distracted Driving Habits” for personal auto drivers—discovered by the 7th Annual National Drivers Test conducted by GMAC Insurance!

Never Stray Away From Safe Driving. Take the Test!
Raise awareness about safe-driving and let your policyholders test their driving knowledge by reminding them to take the test! Visit www.gmacinsurance.com and click on the National Drivers Test button.

Also, don’t forget to check out the National Drivers Test Facebook App where you and your policyholders can “challenge a friend” to take the test! Your customers will be able to share and compare their scores with family and friends, and see just how well they know the rules of the road.

Whether it’s on your Facebook page, blog, Twitter account, or company website, the National Drivers Test initiates great conversation and will grow your business within your market.

“Help me understand workers’ compensation insurance well enough so I feel confident in what I am buying.”

That’s the number one request small business owners make when asked what carriers and agents can do to make workers’ compensation insurance easier to understand.  We took their request to heart and developed an interactive on-line Guide to explain workers’ compensation in “plain English”.

In addition to demystifying this often confusing line of business, our e-Learning Guide will help small business owners develop a checklist of workers’ comp-related questions to discuss with their insurance counselor – you.

To help drive traffic to your door, information about the site will be placed in Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

• Preview the site at http://www.thehartford.com/workerscomp/.  It will be available for small business owners on www.thehartford.com on January 24th.
• Use the site to help clients understand workers’ compensation basics

No other carrier understands small business owners like The Hartford.   Partner with The Hartford to grow your workers’ compensation book in 2011!

Read 12 Winter storm-related hazards & a tool kit for preventing problems

From Worker’s Comp Insider:

Nicole only had her license for 3 months when hired by Pizza Hut in Clairemont CA. She was delivering pizza in November 2008 when she blacked out and drifted across the solid line into oncoming traffic. She slammed into a car operated by Shari Novak, 62, who suffered permanent brain damage and can no longer take care of herself. Shari’s mother, Olena, suffered a broken neck.

Do employees drive on your time? Whether they use a company car or not, you may still be liable.

Read the story here