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How are Auto Insurance Rates Calculated?

Clearing Up Some Confusion About Auto Insurance Rates.

Auto insurance can be confusing. If you’ve actually read your car insurance policy (which everyone should do, but few actually do) you know what I’m talking about. While your auto insurance policy explains what the insurance company will – and, more importantly, will not – pay for, it does not explain how prices are determined.

In practice, auto insurance rating is quite complex; handled by actuaries who compile and analyze mountains of data. But the foundation of this whole pricing process is really quite simple… car insurance companies are concerned about risk – the chance that an event they’ll have to pay for is likely to occur. High risk equals high price; low risk equals low price. It’s simple. Here are some of those risk factors that affect you and your auto insurance:

• Previous Accidents and Claims –The statistical truth is drivers with previous accidents and claims are more likely to have additional accidents. A driver with no claims is more likely to continue that way.

• Age – When it comes to driving, there are high risk and low risk age groups. For example, drivers age 16 to 24 are among the highest risk drivers on the road. It’s statistically proven. That’s why their car insurance rates are so much higher.

• Where You Live – Auto Insurance rating is all about statistics. In some places accident rates are much higher than in others. Accident severity also varies from location to location.  Population density, traffic congestion, speed limits, and dangerous traffic patterns are used to analyze the area in which you live.  If you live in a statistically high accident area, this will be reflected in your auto insurance rates.

• Vehicle Usage – How you use your car is a big factor too. For example, the driver who commutes 1 mile to work is much less likely to be involved in accidents than the driver who commutes 30 miles. The risk they represent is different and so are their rates. Other such usage factors affect rates, too.  For example, if you use your car in a business or trade, it will affect your rates.

• Type of Car – Cars that are more expensive to fix or replace, that are more susceptible to theft or that are high performance types of vehicles represent higher risk to the insurance company. So, the price for auto insurance is higher for those cars.

• Driving Record – People who drive unsafely represent a greater risk of accidents. Speeding tickets and other violations tell the company a driver indulges in unsafe driving habits and therefore the car insurance rates are increased accordingly.

• Credit Score – In Maryland, your credit score can affect your auto insurance rates with most insurance companies.  So making sure you do your best to pay your bills on time and monitoring your credit report on an annual basis for fraudulent activities can help lower your auto insurance rates.  You are entitled to one free credit report from the three credit reporting companies each year.  You can visit www.annualcreditreport.com to order your free credit reports.  If you stay with the same company for a number of years, the company is required to re pull your credit score every two years.  The good thing for you is they can only change the score for their rating purposes if the score is higher than the one they used in the original rating or on the last credit score pulled.  So if your credit score goes down, they cannot use the lower score to raise your rate at the policy renewal.

Taking these – and other factors – into consideration, an auto insurance company essentially categorizes drivers by risk level and charges them according to the level of risk they represent. This is not done individually. Rather, the insurance company has filed its rates with the state Insurance Department. Whichever filed rate levels the individual falls into, those are the rates he or she gets. Hopefully, that helps clear-up some of the confusion about why auto insurance rates vary so much from person to person, from place to place and even from company to company.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Total Customer Experience – From a Great Gatherings Visit

In this installment of my Total Customer Experience blog, I feel compelled to write about the fantastic experience that Nancy and I have received from Great Gatherings in Annapolis..

Great Gatherings is a store at the Annapolis Town Center that offers various specialty home furnishings, such as game room, patio, bar room, etc. We are in the process of building a house, and have visited a few times in the past.

The first time was in December 2012 to order our rec room furniture. On this visit, we dealt with Keith and he was extremely helpful in helping us make our decisions and took the time to get to know our interests and objectives when helping us decide on what pieces would work best. So, the feeling was that he was getting to know us and not just selling us furniture. Then after we left, he has made monthly calls to check on the progress of the house so he could make sure the delivery date of the furniture would be right.

The second time was when we went back in in August. We were pleasantly surprised that somehow, Keith remembered our names when we walked the door and immediately asked us how the house was coming along. We were kind of thrown back a little, because it has been 8 months since we last seen him. He again took the time to get an update on the progress of our home and to get to know why we were visiting the store that day, which was to look at patio furniture. We proceeded to pick out a set and received the same great service that we did the first time we dealt with him.

Now I am getting to the reason I felt compelled to write this blog. Last week, Nancy and I were in Annapolis for a meeting and decided to just pop into the store to look at bar stools for our kitchen island. When we walked in, we noticed Keith was not in the store so when Brian came up to ask how we were doing and if he could help, we advised him that we were in the store to look at bar stools and I mentioned that we have dealt with Keith in the past. He walked us over to where the bar stools are kept and kindly said that if we had any questions, he would be over behind the nearby counter.

It was what happened next that really blew our minds a bit. Brian comes back a few minutes later and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Nicklow, how is the house project coming along?” Nancy and I looked at each other for a moment and said it was coming along fine and the move in date was pushed back a couple of months.

At this point we were thinking that we never gave him our names and we have never met Brian before, so how did he know who we were? Then I realized that I was wearing a jacket I received from Greenway Bowling center that had my name embroidered on the front. So what Brian did, was once we told him that we had dealt with Keith in the past, he got my name from my jacket and went behind the counter to look up our history on their system so he could get to know us and better serve us.

Brian was extremely helpful in helping us make our bar stool selections and verified that we would want the stools delivered with the game room furniture and updated their system to reflect the new estimated move in date.

Now this is the kind of service that makes us want to go back. Over the past few visits, we have gotten to know what Great Gatherings product offerings consist of and because of the way they made us feel, if we need anything that they offer, we are compelled to go back and get it from them.

The way the staff at Great Gatherings made us feel towards their store is the way that we should all strive to make our customers feel about our business. So ask yourself this, when someone thinks of a product or service that you provide, do they think of you first? If the answer is “no” or “I don’t know”, then I think you have some work to do in order to get that answer to be “yes”.

In today’s business world, competition is as strong as ever and we need to be constantly thinking of ways to make our businesses distinct and stand out from the crowd. We may not have total control over the pricing of our products, but one thing that we do have total control over is the way we make our clients and prospective clients feel when they are dealing with us. Strive to make every interaction a great one and it will make a difference and make them want to be your client.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Total Customer Experience: From my recent Experience at the MVA.

At Huff Insurance, we focus on giving the customer a great experience when they interact with us at any given time.  We are all human, so I guess that some days can be better than others, but we are doing our best to make every experience consistently a great one.

So when I am out interacting with businesses in my daily life, I try to think about how I feel about my experience from a customer prospective. So looking back at my past week I had an experiences to discuss.

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of taking my daughter to the MVA to get her learner’s permit for diving. I know what everyone is thinking, oh no, the dreaded MVA experience. On this trip, we actually had 3 experiences that that spanned the spectrum. When we first arrive, we go to the information desk to explain why we are there and to review our documents to make sure that we have what we need to get her permit. They then give us a number and have us wait for it to be called. This was a neutral experience, but since our expectations of the MVA are not the highest, we are feeling pretty good at this point.

So then after waiting for only 10 minutes, our number is called, so this makes us feel pretty good, because if you ever had to go to the MVA, a 10 minute wait is a good thing.

So we go over to counter number 4, it is Me, My Daughter, My Wife and My Son. We were all excited to see her get her permit, so we all wanted to be there. We arrive at the counter and my wife and daughter have a seat in the 2 chairs available and my son and I stand behind them. The purpose of this stage is to gather the documents, enter her information, take her eye test and take her permit photo, which I did not realize was done prior to taking the written test, so she looked a bit nervous in the photo. After we all get there, the man behind the counter states that we all don’t have to be there and me and my son can go and have a seat in the waiting area. I then said that we wanted to be there for her because she was so nervous. Then his next statement surprised me (it probably shouldn’t have since it was the MVA). He muttered to himself that he doesn’t need all of these people standing at his counter and then told us to go have a seat. So we reluctantly went over and had a seat. So at this point I went from an OK experience to a negative one due to his attitude. Had this guy never seen a family excited for their child in going through a major lifetime experience?

Then my daughter has to leave his counter and go into the classroom to take her test, which is in an adjacent building and she has to go in alone, which makes sense. So we are back in the waiting area and she returns with a big smile, so we know at that pint she had passed. As soon as she gets in, her number is again called to go to counter 15 to get her permit finalized and printed.

When we get to counter 15 and then our experience took another turn, this time for the better. The lady behind the counter seemed genuinely excited for my daughter passing her test on the first attempt and congratulated her. AS she was asking her to verify the information for her permit, she did so in a manner that made my daughter feel special and good about herself. She was genuinely happy and explained the driving log and then jokingly asked her if it was now time to get a car for Christmas. We were all happy and full of smiles when we left her counter because we had the feeling that someone actually cared and understood the moment that we all were having.

So we left the MVA on a positive note.

So when as we running our business on a day to day business, we have to keep the total customer experience in mind. From the time someone pulls in you parking lot to the time they pull out of your parking lot, their experience is a direct reflection of your business. You have control over what they experience in your business, so do what it takes to make sure it is a positive experience that they will feel good about. After all, they chose to come to you, so don’t make them regret it based on how you make them feel.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Personal Umbrella Insurance Policy

Today, lawsuits are everywhere. Courts are awarding larger settlements than ever before and automobile insurance, home insurance, motorcycle insurance and boat insurance policies all have maximum liability limits. What would happen if you were found to be at fault and your insurance policy liability limits were exhausted?  Did you know that damages could be awarded to the injured party for the following?

• Medical care and related expenses.
• Loss of income due to time spent unable to work or undergoing treatment.
• Permanent physical disability or disfigurement.
• Loss of family, social, and educational experiences, including missed school or training, vacation or recreation, or a special event (i.e. wedding.)
• Emotional damages such as stress, embarrassment, anxiety and depression.
• Property damage.
• Pain and suffering.

Possible, real life examples:

You have a scented candle burning in the bathroom. A guest goes to wash her hands, ignites her sleeve and clothing and suffers third degree burns. You are held liable and $917,000 was paid.

Your 14 year old is online making derogatory comments about his teacher to his friends and they are posted to a website. The teacher finds out and sues. You are held liable for $750,000.

King, your normally peaceful dog that didn’t have a vicious bone in his body suddenly lunges at little Johnny’s face, ripping his nose. A permanent scar and an $875,000 judgment against you result.

You mistakenly back your Ford pickup into a fire hydrant, bursting the water main. This causes a sinkhole, the loss of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, cost of business interruption to the businesses on the street as well as all of the property and paving repairs. You are held responsible for $1,200,000.

So what is at risk for you? 

Everything you own! If damages are awarded that exceed your policy limits then everything is at risk. This includes: the equity in your home, your business interests, your savings, your personal possessions, and your future wages. They are all on the table.

What can you do?

Protect Your Lifestyle and transfer the risk to an insurance company by purchasing a personal umbrella insurance policy that provides an extra layer of protection for you and your family.  The good news is that this additional liability coverage, available in $1 million increments, is surprisingly affordable and in many cases, is available for $200-$300 per year for the first million dollars. This is certainly a bargain by any standards when you consider that this can give you peace of mind and can protect all of your assets. Please bear in mind that, in order to qualify for an umbrella, minimum liability limits are required on your home and auto insurance.

About Huff Insurance:

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

MAKE CERTAIN YOUR JEWELRY IS PROPERLY INSURED

Many people overlook the need to properly insure their expensive jewelry, believing that it is automatically covered by their homeowners’ insurance policy. While homeowner’s insurance policies do cover jewelry, this insurance usually is subject to a much lower limit than the overall contents coverage. This reduced limit is called a “sub-limit,” and a typical sub-limit is $1,500 for loss by theft of jewelry, watches, and precious and semiprecious stones.

And what happens if one day you notice that your $1,000 necklace is missing, but do not know how it went missing?  This is called mysterious disappearance and is usually not covered by a standard homeowners’ insurance policy.

If your jewelry is worth more than the sub-limit in your homeowner’s policy, you should consider purchasing specific insurance to cover it. The following is a good process to follow.

1.  Arrange an appointment with you insurance agent to review your jewelry coverage. Bring as much information about your jewelry portfolio as possible, including any appraisals.

2.  If your high-valued jewelry has not been appraised within the last 3 years, consider obtaining an appraisal from a reputable jeweler. Insurance companies often require an appraisal on more expensive jewelry from a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The Institute’s G.G., G.J., or A.J.P. designations at the end of an individual’s name indicate that the jeweler has achieved a high level of professionalism with an education backed by a respected nonprofit organization.

3.  Make sure the appraisal has a description of the diamond’s four C’s — (a) carat, (b) cut, (c) clarity, and (d) color. The “carat” refers to the weight of the diamond. The quality of the “cut” of the diamond results from the way light enters the stone and is reflected back. “Cut” is also used to refer to the diamond’s shape, such as round or pear-shaped. The “clarity” refers to the prevalence of minor spots, lines, bubbles, or other natural imperfections within the diamond. The “color” denotes the tint a diamond may possess. Remember that the better the appraisal, the fewer problems you will encounter with the insurer if you ever have to make a claim.

4.  Purchase inland marine coverage that can be added either via an endorsement onto your homeowners policy or via a separate policy specifically written to insure the jewelry. This endorsement (or separate policy) provides much  broader coverage than the limited protection found on the un-endorsed homeowners’ policy.  There are times when we will recommend getting a standalone policy.  There are benefits, such as it will not be escrowed for and therefore not affect your mortgage payment when you have to add more to the policy.  And, in the tragic event that you have to file a claim for loss or destruction of a piece of jewelry, your homeowners’ policy will not be affected at all.  Visit our Jewelry Insurance page for more details.

5.  Consider keeping any valuable jewelry you rarely wear in a safety deposit box at your bank.

6.  Review your jewelry protection with us at least every 2 years or whenever you sell or purchase high-value jewelry.

One thing to keep in mind is that the time to add the jewelry to your policy (or schedule it) is when you buy the piece of jewelry, not when you give it to the recipient if it is a gift. A lot of folks buy jewelry as a gift and have it hidden for days or weeks pending the day when they will give it as a gift.  And the time they think about adding it to the policy is the time they give the gift.  So if that piece of jewelry gets lost, stolen or destroyed before it is scheduled, then it is subject to the sub-limits and deductibles on the homeowners’ insurance policy.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Home Insurance: Replacement Cost versus Market Value!

Tumbling house prices may have you wondering whether homeowners’ insurance premiums will fall too

That’s a fair question. But the answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Although median house prices in the US are down from the height of the housing bubble, don’t expect to be able to cut your home insurance premiums by the same amount.

For a start, your homeowners’ insurance policy covers a lot more than your structure. It probably also covers contents – and the replacement cost of those is more likely to have gone up than down – and third party liability.

But the most critical factor in evaluating your home insurance coverage is that the buildings element of your policy should not be based purely on the market value of your home but more importantly on the cost of reconstructing it.

Although these are tough times for builders, there’s no real evidence that house construction costs have fallen. WBAL TV recently reported that according to a 2013 report by Marshall and Swift/Boeckh, 60% of homes in the US are underinsured by an average of 17%! That is nearly two thirds of home that are under insured!

In the unfortunate event of a loss, it is vital that you have sufficient home insurance coverage to rebuild your home to pre-loss condition. Having the home properly valued on the home insurance policy also helps assist in a quicker, easier claim settlement. So how do we calculate this home reconstruction cost? One key thing to remember is that the calculation method that we use to determine replacement of a home is based on reconstruction costs, not market value, or even the cost of new construction.

The reconstruction cost of a house is the cost to rebuild today with similar materials and craftsmanship, used during its original construction. Building experts say that reconstruction of a house can cost up to 30% more than to build it new.  Builders hired for reconstruction require a higher skill set since they are required to work around existing structures, landscaping, and power lines. They also need to be able to match up new materials to existing materials. We use reconstruction cost because it most closely approximates the cost to rebuild their home to pre-loss condition.

That means, it makes sense, one way or the other, to regularly check that your homeowners’ insurance policy accurately reflects the cost of rebuilding it. There are several ways:

• Many insurers keep records on rebuilding costs and automatically adjust policies to reflect changes.

• Talk to us. Insurance agents have their finger on the pulse and know how to get the information you need.

• There are a number of online calculators which claim to be able to produce accurate figures. If you use these, you’re best to crosscheck between several. Beware: some of them charge for the service.

• You can ask a builder to do a walk-through with you and estimate the reconstruction cost.

• You can pay an appraiser to do a full inspection.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

What to do if you are the victim of a hit and run accident in a parking lot?

Just imagine that you are enjoying a nice day of shopping down at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Md.  The sales are great and you are getting bargains everywhere.  You enjoy a great meal at one of the restaurants in the mall.  And as you are walking towards your car in the parking lot, something does not look right with your car.  As you get closer, you notice that the front driver side headlight appears broken.  Then as you get to the car, you realize that the front quarter panel is damaged as well.  And then you realize, you are a victim of a hit and run accident.

It is obvious to you that a car pulling out from the parking spot next to yours hit your car while pulling in or out of the spot.  But, as you look around, you quickly realize that this car is no longer around and you are a victim of a parking lot hit and run. So now what do you do?

You look around for witnesses and no one around seems to have seen what happened to your car.  And you start to think, “oh man, I only have liability only on my car insurance, how am I going to pay for this damage…”

The steps you need to take after a hit and run accident are as follows:

1.    Call the police and report the hit and run.  They will come out and get your statement and get the details (what is available) of the accident and give you a report number.
2.    Take photos of the damage to your vehicle and of the accident scene.  This will be helpful information to give to your insurance company.
3.    Call your Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent to report your claim.

But now you are thinking, “why should I call my insurance agent, I only have liability on this car so my car insurance company is not going to pay to fix my car.”

But that is not the case.  Your Maryland car insurance policy contains a provision for uninsured motorist coverage, which would include being struck by a hit and run driver.  So in the case of your parking lot hit and run, you would have coverage on your Maryland car insurance policy, even if you have not purchased comprehensive or collision coverage.

The uninsured motorist property damage coverage is subject to a state mandated $250 deductible, so you would be responsible to pay the first $250.  But that is still better than paying for what could be thousands of dollars of damage for something that was not your fault.

So you do have to follow the steps mention above in order to file the uninsured motorist claim.

Your car insurance company will require you to have a police report, so for any hit and run accident, my advice is to call the police immediately to get it reported.

From there, every company has their own procedures they follow when it comes to filing the claim.  At Huff Insurance, you will have a claims advocate that will hold your hand and walk you through the claims process, making sure you know where you are at any point in the process.  Having a claim is a traumatic event and we want to make sure that you are properly taken care of.

After the company gets the police report, they may ask to get a recorded statement of the facts surrounding the accident.  After that, they either ask you to send in an estimate of damage, or send out their own representative to examine the damage and write up an estimate (their rep is commonly referred to as a claims adjuster).

Once the amount of damage is agreed upon, the company will write you a check for the damage, minus your $250 deductible., to pay for the repairs.

So, it is nice to know that on your Maryland car insurance policy, you have protection against a hit and run such as this.

NOTE: Although this is considered a not at fault accident, it may affect your insurance premiums for some companies.  Some companies have a claims free discount that will get removed or it may affect a rating tier.    So your insurance premiums may increase.  Please check with your specific insurance company for details.

With the busy holiday shopping season quickly approaching, these types of accidents will happen as people hastily move through the crowded mall parking lots.

If you have any questions regarding anything I have discussed in this blog, feel free to give my office a call at 410-647-1111.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Can the Dolphins be held liable for creating a hostile work environment?

Recently in the news, Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin left the team because he felt he was being mistreated by his teammates, specifically Richie Incognito.  Incognito has been subsequently suspended indefinitely from the team.

The NFL Players Association is calling for a fair investigation of the situation and wants to make sure that the team is not providing a hostile, unsafe and harassment filled work environment for its players.

Although the full story is not out and I will withhold judgment until more facts are out, it does create some question for me as an insurance professional.

1.    Did the coaches know that this was going on?
2.    Did the Dolphins front office know this was going on?
3.    If they did know, did they do anything to alleviate the situation?

Anyone who follows sports knows that the rookies are ridiculed a bit to gain their “right to passage” in becoming a member of the NFL.  But how far is too far?

We’ve heard the stories of the rookie treatment.  Here are some of the things that I have heard of:

• Carrying the pads of the veterans off of the practice field (Remember the criticism Des Bryant took when he refused to do this with the Cowboys?)

• Getting stuck with excessive dinner bills for team dinners (I have heard as much as $50,000)

• Personal ridicules to “toughen up” a player

• And the old classic, being taped to the goal post and ridiculed in front of the team and media.

So the question I have is this.  If the teams know this is going on and do nothing about it, are they responsible for creating a hostile work environment should a player take exception to these practices, like what is happening now with Martin?  The answer is yet to be determined.

Although it hasn’t happened yet, I can see a lawsuit with Martin accusing the Dolphins of fostering a hostile work environment.  The mere accusation is probably going to cost the Dolphins millions of dollars in defense costs alone. And then there may be a sizable financial judgment that they may also be responsible for.  But even if they are found to have done nothing wrong, the defense cost bills still need to be paid.

So who is going to pay for this defense and judgment?  Will their general liability insurance cover this?  the answer is no.  The Dolphins, like any other business owner with employees, should have some type of Employment Related Practices Liability (EPLI) policy.  This is the insurance policy that will provide the coverage to defend this type of accusation.  Without it, the Dolphins would have to pay for it all out of their pocket.

An NFL team like the Dolphins probably could afford to pay these defense costs and still remain in business.  But most small to mid-sized business cannot.  I have seen an accusation of wrongdoing run a company out of business.  Defense cost for a small business accused of sexual harassment, can be well over $100,000.

For a relatively small cost, you can provide a layer of protection for your business and avoid being crippled by an accusation of wrongdoing.  Because remember, you only have to be accused of doing something wrong to trigger defense cost, even if you are found not liable.

The Dolphins case will unfold over the next several months and I am sure that more of the story will be released, showing both sides of the story.  But the Dolphins could find themselves in the middle of a bad situation that could expose them to litigation, as could your business.

So making sure you have the right insurance protection is critical and that is what we are here to do for you.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Teen Driver Safety Week 2013

In 2007, Congress established the first ever “National Teen Driver Safety Week”, to take place every third week of October. This is due in large part to the fact that motor vehicle accidents are, and have been the leading cause of adolescent deaths. An average of 5,000 teenagers loses their lives in an automobile crash each year, and unfortunately if we do not continue to raise awareness on this matter, it is only going to get worse.

I know you remember the very first day you got your license. How awesome it was to drive a car by yourself, and show off to your friends. Believe it or not you were an inexperienced and teen driver at one point in your life. As you were once educated and learned from your experiences on the road, teen drivers today are doing the same.

As a teen driver myself, and President of the Severna Park High School SADD (Student against Destructive Decisions) club, this week and this topic are very important to me. I strongly believe it is important to educate our youth into making smart decisions, not just while behind the wheel of a vehicle, but at all times.

Teen drivers are the next generation. We are your children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors. I’m sure in some way you know a teen driver, and your life would be affected if that teen driver was killed in an automobile crash. Take the steps to provide your teen driver with safer experiences on the road. I urge you to go to these websites to find out more information on teen driver safety week, and how you can make your teen driver’s driving experience a little safer on the road. Teen driver safety week may officially be one week out of the year, but it is something we need to focus on every day, because every day you should want to make the roads a safer place for your teen driver.

https://www.teendriversource.org/ 
https://www.sadd.org/
https://www.madd.org/

https://stoptextsstopwrecks.org/#home

Fire Safety – The Escape Plan

Whether it was at school, or at work in an office building, we have all been through fire drills numerous times during our lifetimes.  But let me ask you this.  Have you ever had a fire drill at your home?

I bet if I put this poll out there to the public, the “NO” answer would win by a staggering majority.  And at this point, I admit that I would be in the majority with my answer.  But after reading up on this subject, that will change in the not so distant future.

The first few steps of the plan involves preparation.

• Make sure that you have smoke alarms in the right areas of your home and that testing them to make sure they are functional.  The old adage of having one alarm on each floor does not apply anymore.  You should have one alarm in each bedroom, one outside of each bedroom, and at least one on the other floors in the home.  And it is best to have interconnected alarms throughout the home, so when one alarm is triggered, all of the alarms sound at once.

• Make sure your house number is CLEARLY visible from the road.  You do not want to delay the fire department from getting to your home.

• Make sure everyone knows the emergency numbers to call, even small children.

• Then you need to pull your household members together and make a plan.  Start by walking through the home and locating ALL possible escape routes.  IF you have younger children, you may want to consider drawing up a floor map with the exits clearly mapped (we have all seen these types of maps in hotels before).

• Make sure each room above ground level has an escape ladder and that everyone is trained and knows how to use the ladders.  During a fire, a window might just be the only way out, and you do not want to learn on the fly during a fire.

• Designate an outside meeting place for to gather after evacuating the house.  And make sure you mark the meeting place on your escape plan.  This is the best way to account for all household members during the hectic emergency event.

• If there are infants, small children, or adults with mobility problems, make sure the plan designate who is responsible for getting them to safety, with backups designated.  The last thing you want to happen is to assume someone else is getting them and then get outside to realize that no one did.

• Go over your plan on a regular basis to make sure everyone understands their responsibilities and know the best way out should a fire occur.

Putting your Plan to the test:

• Practice your plan at least twice per year.  And make the drill as realistic as possible, including having a drill in the middle of the night occasionally.  This is important so you can see if there are household members who will not be awakened by the smoke alarms.  This needs to be noted so responsibility can be assigned to get them up and out should there be a fire in the middle of the night.

• In a fire, you will not always be able to just walk out of the front or back doors.  So practice exiting the house from the windows.  And if you have more than on floor, practice using the escape ladders from the second floor windows.

• Fires happen and the can be devastating, so having a plan and knowing what to do beforehand and make a difference between making it out safely and not making it out.  Sadly, no plan can ever guarantee that you will make it out safely, but having plan and practicing the plan, will increase your odds of doing so.

At Huff Insurance, we hope you never have to go through a fire emergency.  But should it happen, we want to make sure you are as prepared as possible.  We can provide the home insurance to replace your home and personal property, but we cannot provide protection to replace a loved one.  Please take fire safety seriously.