When winter weather strikes, drivers face out-of-the-ordinary challenges when they get behind the wheel. Snow, slush, or icy roads are involved in nearly one in four weather-related vehicle crashes.1 These conditions can make it harder for drivers to see, slow down and stop – all factors that can increase the chances of an accident. If you must travel during winter weather, preparing your car in advance, knowing the forecast, and driving based on road conditions are three key ways to help you drive more safely. Following are some winter driving safety tips to help you prepare for the elements –...

We all know there are plenty of driving hazards to worry about during the day – from rain and snow to deer and potholes. But driving at night adds a completely new set of challenges. Why? It all comes down to one word: visibility. During a clear day, you might be able to see thousands of feet ahead of you. But when the sun’s down and your headlights are on, that visibility can be reduced to as little as 150 feet! All this means that when driving at night, you have less time to react. So it’s important to make...

While most homeowners know the importance of having smoke alarms, almost three out of five fire fatalities from 2014 to 2018 happened in properties with no alarms or where alarms failed to operate, according to a report by the National Fire Protection Association. In homes with working smoke alarms, fire officials reported 22% of those killed had been alerted by the alarm but failed to respond. Eleven percent were not alerted by the working smoke alarm. To keep your family safe, you should have a working smoke alarm on every floor – preferably in every bedroom. The Consumer Product Safety...

The primary purpose of life insurance is to protect family members financially after their loved one’s death. However, a life insurance policy is not offering guaranteed protection. In many cases, insurance companies keep their promise and pay the benefits to the beneficiary after the insured’s death. Very often, however, life insurance claims get denied for a variety of reasons. Why would a life insurance claim be denied? As your insurance agent, we want you to be prepared in understanding why your claim could be denied so we’ve put together a list with the most common reasons why and when life...

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are an average of 385,500 residential fires every year. While taking out a Homeowners insurance policy with fire insurance coverage will help protect you from the costs incurred from a house fire, following these fire safety tips can help prevent a fire from starting in your home.  Fire Safety Tip #1: Don’t Smoke Indoors Smoking indoors can cause more damage than you may realize. Over 18,000 fires are started by smoking materials annually, causing $476 million of property damage. While it’s best not to smoke indoors or on exterior balconies or porches,...

Amid all the green lawns and manicured gardens of summer lies a grim statistic: Every year, while mowing the grass, cutting a branch, or power washing a deck, at least 100 people die and an estimated 143,000 are injured badly enough to require a trip to the emergency room. The injuries people suffer run the gamut from overexertion and dehydration to cuts and amputations from using all kinds of power equipment. It's also worth noting that in our research, we also came across a disturbing number of injuries associated with a common piece of equipment that doesn't have a motor...