Smart advice for smarter coverage - Page 5

You’re driving home from work one evening and suddenly you see it: a police car hiding behind an overgrown tree. Panicked, you look down at your speedometer and realize you were driving well over the speed limit. Will you get away scot-free or be chased down by flashing lights? If the latter occurs, you’re not […]

In 2014, 32,675 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. – and it appears that rate is only increasing. Every time you get behind the wheel, you have the potential to affect the lives of everyone else on the road. That’s why it’s vital to be the best driver possible. We’ve all heard […]

By Craig Guillot Americans with low credit scores are falling behind on car loans at a rapid pace. Fitch Ratings reported in March the number of subprime auto borrowers whose payments were more than 60 days late reached 5.16 percent — the highest rate in 20 years. As more people are defaulting, the average car […]

Car accidents happen all the time. You probably think it won’t happen to you, and this is actually how a lot of people see road accidents. Many people think that if they’re careful, they wouldn’t experience being in an accident. But the thing about being on the road and being involved in a car crash […]

By Aaron Crowe Being in a car accident is traumatic by itself. Dealing with the aftermath — such as seeking treatment for your injuries, filing an insurance claim and getting legal advice — can add to the stress. At a time when you may not know what to do next, it can be difficult to […]

By Aaron Crowe Driving through a parking lot can feel almost as stressful as driving on a busy freeway. With cars backing out of parking spaces and people walking through with their attention on their phones, even the slowest driver needs to be extra wary. Parking lot accidents are common, with about 20 percent of […]

Driverless cars are in the works for multiple companies, from Google to Tesla. Proponents say the vehicles will ease road congestion, reduce energy consumption and emissions, and drastically decrease the rate of car accidents. So, is it time to let artificial intelligence take the wheel? To find out what people really think, we surveyed 2,000 […]

By Craig Guillot Motor vehicle fatalities on U.S. highways reached an 8-year high in 2015, and insurance experts say it could lead to higher auto insurance premiums in the coming years. The National Safety Council recently released preliminary estimates indicating motor vehicle deaths rose by 8% in 2015. The council projects there were 38,300 deaths […]

By Craig Guillot Renters in some cities may be paying significantly more for auto insurance than homeowners. A new analysis by the Consumer Federation of America of auto insurance premiums reveals that major auto insurance companies can charge drivers as much as 47% more for basic liability insurance if they do not own their own […]

By Aaron Crowe A move by the Federal Reserve late last year to slightly raise interest rates shouldn’t be a reason for potential car buyers to rush out and buy because they’re worried car loan rates will rise. That’s the good news, lending experts say, especially at a time when car loans are so cheap: […]

By Aaron Crowe Five years after Arizona outlawed payday loans, lenders have replaced them with auto title loans that are just as expensive for borrowers, according to a new report. With an annual percentage rate of 204 percent on loans of $500 or less, car title loans look similar to payday loans, with one major […]

By Aaron Crowe You may have noticed the legal wording at the bottom of car commercials where an unseen driver is effortlessly speeding around snowy corners: “Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt.” Unless you’re used to driving in reverse at 50 mph, the caution is there for a good reason — they’re driving […]

Malfunctioning air bags. A faulty fuel system. Defective lighting. Various issues can prompt recalls in the world of automotive, but not every single one makes headlines. For the most part, many of us are in the dark about which vehicle brands, models, and components are recalled most frequently. To get a better understanding of auto […]

By Aaron Crowe Driving recklessly can be expensive. A driving record with speeding violations, unresolved fix-it tickets or a drunk driving conviction can be costly not only for the court fees, but can drive up your auto insurance rates and make getting insurance difficult. There are ways to get around that. Clearing your driving record […]

While on a vacation or passing through, a bad driver from another state is involved in a car accident – it may sound like the start of a joke, but the facts behind it are no laughing matter. Out-of-state motorists are in numerous deadly accidents every year, each sparking untold devastation and loss for all […]

By Aaron Crowe If you’re on a tight budget and want to drive legally by having auto insurance that covers you in an accident, choosing a high deductible can save you some money in the long run. Changing from a $500 deductible to a $1,000 one will save 5-10 percent on the premium, says Ryan […]

By Aaron Crowe Excluding the purchase price, owning and operating a car costs $8,698 in 2015, according to AAA. That’s a lot of cash to put out for something you’re likely to get rid of in 10 years or so and replace with another car. Operating a vehicle is the second-highest expense in U.S. households, […]

By Aaron Crowe If you’ve ever taken three right turns around a block to get to your driving destination instead of turning left once, you know the dangerous feeling of a left-hand turn at an intersection. Left-hand turns at intersections cause 60 percent of crashes, while right turns cause 4 percent, according to the National […]

By Aaron Crowe Thousands of cars damaged in the recent Texas and South Carolina floods could be finding their way into other states, with their damaged mechanical parts and electronics posing a risk for drivers, warns a Washington state licensing department. The “flood cars” could get cheap or insufficient repairs and not look water-damaged from […]

By Aaron Crowe Some things you may not realize you want delivered to your door until it happens: shaving razors, huge pears, toothpaste, medical marijuana and individualized packets of snacks, along with, of course, hot food. A company based in Los Angeles — the home of the freeway — is betting that consumers will want […]

By Aaron Crowe The number is staggering and often alarms parents of college students — 1,800 college students die every year from “alcohol-related causes.” This often-repeated claim is frequently linked to binge drinking. But a closer look at the numbers finds that most of the deaths — three-quarters of them — are related to vehicle […]

By Aaron Crowe Not finding your car parked where you remember parking it can leave you in a panic attack. Your first thought is that it was stolen. Your second thought, if you’ve considered the options for a minute or so, is that you’ve been towed. Whether you parked in a no-parking zone and are […]

By Aaron Crowe The advantages of plastic roads almost sound like a utopian view of the future, if not Disney World’s Epcot Center: Virtually maintenance free, made entirely of recycled material, and no potholes. Epcot, the Disney theme park where the future is forecast, doesn’t have roads made of recycled plastic, but a city in […]

By Aaron Crowe As a lifelong resident of New Hampshire, Monique Prince is proud of the fact that she lives in the only state in the country that doesn’t require auto insurance. “We come from a state where we should have our own freedom,” says Prince, 48, a clinical social worker who lives in Chester, […]