Choose vehicles for safety, not image. Teenagers should drive vehicles that reduce their chances of a crash and offer protection in case they do crash.

Know the law. Become familiar with restrictions on young drivers. Enforce the rules. To learn about the law in your state, go to (www.iihs.org/laws/state_laws/grad_license.html).

Don’t rely solely on driver education. Teens’ attitudes and decision-making matter more than poor skills. Peers are influential, but parents have much more influence than typically is credited to them.

Tips for Preventing Heat-Related Illness

The best defense is prevention. Here are some prevention tips:

• Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
   
• Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.
   
• Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
   
• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
   
• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
   
• NEVER leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
   
• Although any one at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Check regularly on:
   
  • Infants and young children
  • People aged 65 or older
  • People who have a mental illness
  • Those who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure
     
• Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children, of course, need much more frequent watching.

If you must be out in the heat:

• Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
   
• Cut down on exercise. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour.  A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. Warning: If you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage. Remember the warning in the first “tip” (above), too.
   
• Try to rest often in shady areas.
   
• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels).

This information provided by NCEH’s Health Studies Branch.

If knowing the rules of the road is any indication of safe driving habits, then men are the safer drivers. That’s according to the 7th Annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. This year, men had a test score that was slightly higher than 80%. That is significantly higher than females, who averaged just above 74%. What is more telling is that 27.2% of the women who took the test, failed. Compare that to the 13.6% of men who failed the National Drivers Test and we get a real sense of who knows the rules of the road better when it comes to men vs. women.

Take the test yourself

http://www.nationaldriverstest.com/

Brought to you by MJB Insurance & GMAC Insurance!

Why Choose an Independent Agent for Your Auto Insurance?
There are many reasons you may choose to work with an independent insurance agent.

Independent auto insurance agents are there to help you get the very best auto insurance coverage for your specific needs. These agents are not employed by any other car insurance company. They represent several companies, ensuring that you have a wide choice of coverages.

Your local agent:

•Chooses which auto insurance companies to represent, assuring that any policy they offer you is issued by a reliable company with solid financial strength
•Offers products to meet all of your insurance needs, from auto coverage to homeowners, life, health, business, and specialty insurance, like coverage for boats, motorcycles, and RVs
•Makes sure that all of your policies are coordinated to offer the best coverage at the best price, without leaving gaps or duplicating coverages
•Works for you, not an insurance company
•Does the shopping for you, obtaining car insurance quotes and coverages from multiple companies with no extra effort on your part
•Acts as your advocate in helping to get claims processed and paid fairly and promptly
•Has access to companies that accept risks that may be difficult to place
•Can provide periodic risk analysis and coverage reviews to assure that you always have the car insurance that makes the most sense for you

Insurance fraud is a crime. And it costs all of us.

What is insurance fraud?

Any act committed with the intent of fraudulently receiving payment from an insurance company is considered insurance fraud. Misrepresentation of facts when applying for insurance is also considered insurance fraud.

Insurance fraud occurs with every type of insurance – including auto insurance, homeowners insurance, and renters insurance. And it’s more than just reporting something that did not occur — it is exaggerating the consequences of what did, or even going so far as to stage an incident in order to collect payment illegally.

Auto insurance fraud

In the case of auto insurance fraud, staging an accident, an injury or exaggerating the financial consequences are all examples of the crime of insurance fraud. Misrepresentation of facts when applying for auto insurance is also considered auto insurance fraud.

Home insurance fraud

In the case of home insurance, fraud occurs when a burglary is staged, or if loss or damage to covered items is reported and that loss never occurred. It is an example of insurance fraud that occurs with homeowners insurance, renters insurance and condo insurance.

Hard insurance fraud and soft insurance fraud

The insurance industry has defined hard insurance fraud as those activities that involve planned or staged incidents of theft, accident, or injury in order to collect payment. Soft insurance fraud is considered exaggeration of otherwise legitimate claims for purposes of collecting a larger payment than otherwise due. It also includes misrepresenting information when obtaining your insurance policy in order to benefit from a lower premium. 

How does insurance fraud cost you money?

Filing fraudulent claims is a crime. And it costs you money. How?

The Insurance Information Institute estimates that insurance fraud accounts for 10%, or about $30 billion, of losses in the property and casualty insurance industries in the United States.¹

In order to cover payout of these fraudulent claims, insurance premiums are increased. That hurts all of us.

The consequences of insurance fraud

Those who commit insurance fraud are guilty of a crime. They are subject to both state and federal prosecution, depending upon the circumstances.

How to report insurance fraud

For more on reporting insurance fraud, contact the National Insurance Crime Bureau (www.nicb.org) or your local authorities.

Insurance fraud is a crime. And it costs all of us. To stop your insurance from rising due to insurance fraud. Report Insurance Fraud today!

Brought to you by MJB INSURANCE & GMAC INSURANCE!

Many factors are used to determine what you pay for insurance. Below is a list and description of some of the more common factors we use. However, not all of these factors are allowed in all states. For example, in California, we cannot use “financial responsibility” in setting your rate, and in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, we cannot use “gender” in setting your rate.

Your driving history: The fewer traffic tickets and accidents you have, the less you’ll pay for auto insurance. Statistics show that drivers with no traffic violations or accidents have a lower chance of being involved in an incident that could be expensive for the insurance company. That’s why these drivers get lower rates.

Your vehicle: You’ll probably pay higher collision and comprehensive premiums if you own a vehicle that is expensive to repair, causes more damage to other vehicles in an accident, or is more likely to be stolen. Because sports cars and SUVs typically fall into these categories, they generally cost more to insure.

Where you live: Statistics show that drivers in small towns have fewer auto accidents than those living in large cities. So if you live in a small town, you’ll probably pay less for car insurance. If you live in an area where natural disasters, severe weather, theft or vandalism are more likely to occur, you’ll probably pay more for auto insurance.

Age: If you’re under age 25, you’ll pay more for auto insurance. If you’re between 50 and 65, you’ll generally get the lowest rates. Why? Because statistics show that drivers under age 25 have more accidents than older drivers, and drivers between 50 and 65 usually have the lowest accident rates.

Marital status: Statistics show that married drivers have fewer accidents than single drivers. So, if you’re married you’ll probably pay lower auto insurance premiums. This particularly applies to younger drivers.

Gender: Men under age 25 are involved in more accidents than women under the age of 25 and have more than three times as many fatal accidents. If you’re a young man, expect to pay higher premiums.

Financial responsibility: Extensive industry analysis has shown that credit histories are highly related to driving patterns. In states where insurance scoring is used in rating if you’ve got good credit, you’ll generally pay less for auto insurance.

Brought to you by MJB INSURANCE & GMAC INSURANCE!

Call us today 757-255-8162

Aside from the obvious legal and financial risks of driving without insurance, if you’ve let your coverage lapse many insurers in most states will require you to pay an initial 25% to 50% surcharge* for a new policy. And you’ll have to pay a higher premium, too. Insurance companies will charge you more because, statistically speaking, uninsured drivers are disproportionately involved in fatal accidents. You could find yourself paying up 25% more for your insurance.

But that’s not all. Penalties for failing to maintain proper insurance vary by state, but letting it lapse could lead to the suspension of your vehicle registration and being required to return your license plate to the DMV until your coverage is reinstated. Your vehicle could even be impounded, and you may be subject to substantial fines and fees that can accrue every day your vehicle goes uninsured.

Brought to you by MJB INSURANCE & GMAC Insurance.

Greetings,

As you know, on May 26th the results for the 7th Annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test were released to the public and the media coverage is rolling in. The 2011 survey revealed that about 36.9 million drivers – roughly 18 percent – would not pass the drivers test if taken today.

This year we’ve had remarkable media coverage and it just keeps coming!  Below are just a few examples of some of the amazing media results we’ve seen so far:

CBS MoneyWatch:
Drivers Test: Could You Pass It Now?
Click here to read the full article

New York Times:
What to Do at a Yellow Light? And Other Things American Drivers Don’t Know
Click here to read the full article

Reuters:
GMAC Insurance Study: Nearly 1 in 5 American Drivers Unfit for the Road
Click here to read the full article

Look for coverage of the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test in your local market. Also, don’t forget to share these results with your policyholders to position yourself as the expert on safe driving and this nationwide campaign.
 
How do you think you’d do on the test?

GMAC Insurance Study: Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Drivers Unfit for the Road

Visit www.gmacinsurance.com and 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!

Follow media coverage of this year’s results on the National Drivers Test Twitter page (@driverstest) and “retweet” content that will get your own followers interacting with each other. Utilize the National Drivers Test to position your agency or brokerage as the expert insurance agency in your area and look for content that you can use all year long!

 
 © 2011 GMAC Insurance. All Rights Reserved. GMAC Insurance is a registered service mark.