Saving money on auto insurance
Consumers are always looking for ways to cut costs, save
more, and spend less. With insurance, it's no different.
But, by shopping solely for the cheapest price, you may
risk putting your family and assets in danger of being
underinsured. Below are some tips on ways to save money
on your insurance premium without putting your family or
assets in jeopardy.
Shop around, but don't shop by price alone - While
shopping around to find the best price is important,
selecting an independent agent or company that will take
the time to learn your individual needs, questions, and
concerns, is even more vital. It is critical to work with
independent agents who are fully aware of all the options
available in the market today and are willing to consider
your unique situation to ensure all your insurance needs
are being met.
Consider higher deductibles - Deductibles represent
the amount of money you must pay before your insurance
policy covers the remaining cost. By requesting higher
deductibles, you can lower your costs substantially. For
example, according to the Insurance Information Institute,
increasing your deductible from $200 to $500 could reduce
your collision and comprehensive coverage cost by 15 to 30
percent.
Find driver discounts - Being a good student and
completing defensive driving courses are just two ways
safe drivers can be considered for insurance premium
discounts. These discounts are yet another reason to
maintain a polished driving record.
Buy your homeowners and auto coverage together -
Buying auto and homeowners insurance from the same insurer
often paves the way for attractive multi-policy discounts.
It also offers consumers the chance to form a unique
relationship with their agents and provides added
assurance in the case of an accident or other emergency.
Compare insurance costs before purchasing a new vehicle
- Insurance premiums are based on a vehicle's value,
the cost to repair it, its overall safety record, and the
likelihood of theft. Though each policy is unique,
discounts often exist for those vehicle features that
reduce the risk of theft or injuries and should be
considered when researching potential new or used vehicles
to purchase. Information that can help you decide what
vehicle to buy is available from the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety
( http://www.iihs.org).
Money-Saving Resources
Insurance credit factor for hybrid vehicles
You've found your way to a new community. It's a place for
early adopters, friends of the environment, smart
consumers - and hybrid auto enthusiasts.
As a hybrid vehicle owner, you made a conscious decision
to be a friend of the environment and smart consumer. Now
there's another benefit to owning a hybrid car - a Travelers
of Massachusetts credit factor on your hybrid auto insurance.
Here are some of the features and benefits:
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The credit factor applies to both owned and leased vehicles.
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The credit factor applies to existing insurance policies with hybrid cars, not just new policies.
Teen driving
Safe driving is everyone's responsibility. Consider that
over half of all motor vehicle accidents could be avoided
if drivers made intelligent driving decisions. As new
drivers, teenagers are most at risk because you lack the
experience (and sometimes the maturity) to make
intelligent decisions at critical times. Strive to form
good driving habits early, and they'll last a (long)
lifetime!
Consider these sobering statistics on teen driving:
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Automobile accidents are the number one killer of our nation's youth.
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Drivers under the age of 20 were involved in 13% of all accidents, yet they account for only 5% of all drivers.
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5,000 teenagers die each year from auto accidents.
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Alcohol is responsible for almost half of all teen motor vehicle deaths.
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25% of all teen accidents involve speeding.
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Half of all teenage traffic fatalities occur between 6:00 p.m. Friday and 3:00 a.m. Sunday.
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In one year, drivers 19 and under were involved in close to 3 million motor vehicle accidents.
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The price of a bad decision can include injury to yourself or others, loss of life, loss of life style or loss of personal freedom.
Ways to Prevent Accidents
While no one has full control over the circumstances
surrounding a motor vehicle accident, there are things
you can do to reduce your chances of being the cause
or being involved in one. Here are some smart decisions
you can make while you're behind the wheel:
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Drive defensively. If you assume that other drivers are not as skilled and thoughtful as you are, you will instinctively become more careful and cautious when on the road.
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Try not to speed. When you speed, you have less time to react, less time to make the right decision.
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Never drink and drive. Alcohol can seriously impair your decision-making skills and reaction time.
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Take the keys away from friends who have been drinking.
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Give friends rides home if they have been drinking.
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Adults can set an example by practicing safe driving habits.
Ways to keep insurance premiums for teens as low as possible
A number of factors are taken into consideration when
insurance companies set rates for automobile policies.
Among those factors are the type of vehicle, years of driving experience, and driving record
of the insured. Companies pay
close attention to the number of accidents a driver has
had and the traffic tickets (from speeding, running a stop
sign, etc.) received. In their view, past performance
serves as a meter for future behavior -- therefore, these
drivers pose a higher risk.
Source: Insurance Information Institute;
www.iii.org
Helpful Resources
In the event of accident
If you are in an accident or your car breaks down, safety
should be your first concern. Getting out of the car at a
busy intersection or on a highway to change a tire or
check damage from a fender bender is probably one of the
worst things you can do. The Insurance Information
Institute (I.I.I.) recommends the following precautions
when your car breaks down:
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Never get out of the vehicle to make a repair or examine the damage on a busy highway. Get the vehicle to a safe place before getting out. If you've been involved in an accident, motion the other driver to pull up to a safe spot ahead.
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If you can't drive the vehicle, it may be safer to stay in the vehicle and wait for help or use a cell phone to summon help. Standing outside the vehicle in the flow of traffic, under most circumstances, is a bad idea.
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Carry flares or triangles to use to mark your location once you get to the side of the road. Marking your vehicle's location to give other drivers advance warning of your location can be critical. Remember to put on your hazard lights!
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In the case of a blowout or a flat tire, move the vehicle to a safer place before attempting a repair - even if it means destroying the wheel getting there. The cost of a tire, rim or wheel is minor compared to endangering your safety. Tips provided by the Insurance Information Institute, Inc. (http://www.insurance.info)
Source: Insurance Information Institute;
www.iii.org
Helpful Resources
Shopping for a safe car
If you're like most people shopping for a new car, safety
ranks high among things you're looking for. Every new car
must meet certain federal safety standards, but that
doesn't mean that all cars are equally safe. There are
still important safety differences, and some vehicles are
safer than others. Many automakers offer safety features
beyond the required federal minimums. The following safety
features should be considered when purchasing a car:
Crashworthiness
These features reduce the risk of death or serious injury
when a crash occurs. You can get a rating of
crashworthiness from the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety's Web site.
Vehicle structural design
A good structural design has a strong occupant
compartment, known as the safety cage, as well as front
and rear ends designed to buckle and bend in a crash to
absorb the force of the crash. These crush zones should
keep damage away from the safety cage because once the
cage starts to collapse, the likelihood of injury
increases rapidly.
Vehicle size and weight
The laws of physics dictate that larger and heavier cars
are safer than lighter and smaller ones. Small cars have
twice as many occupant deaths each year as large cars. In
crashes involving smaller and larger vehicles, heavier
vehicles drive lighter ones backwards, decreasing the
forces inside the heavier car and increasing them in the
lighter car.
Restraint systems
Belts, airbags and head restraints all work together with
a vehicle's structure to protect people in serious
crashes. Lap/shoulder belts hold you in place, reducing
the chance you'll slam into something hard or get ejected
from the crashing vehicle. If you aren't belted, you'll
continue moving forward until something suddenly stops
you-often a hard interior surface that will cause
injuries.
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Shoulder belts are on inertia reels that allow upper body movement during normal driving, but lock during hard braking or in a crash. Belt webbing is stored on the reel, and during a frontal crash any slack in the webbing can allow some forward movement of your upper body. Then you could strike the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield. This problem is addressed in some cars with belt crash tensioners that activate early in a collision to reel in belt slack and prevent some of the forward movement.
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Airbags and lap/shoulder belts together are very effective. However in some circumstances, a deploying airbag can cause serious injuries and even death. The greatest risk of injury occurs when you are on top of, or very close to an airbag when it starts to inflate. Choose a car that allows you to reach the gas and brake pedals comfortably without sitting too close to the steering wheel. Some cars offer telescoping steering column adjustments that may help.
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Side airbags are designed principally to protect your chest. They may also keep your head from hitting interior or intruding structures.
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Head restraints are required in the front seats of all new passenger cars to keep your head from being snapped back, injuring your neck in a rear-end crash. But there are big differences among head restraints. Some are adjustable, and others are fixed. They also vary in height and how far they are set back from the head. To prevent neck injury, a head restraint has to be directly behind and close to the back of your head. Look for cars that have this type of restraint. If the restraints are adjustable, make sure they can be locked into place. Some don't lock, so they can get pushed down in a crash.
Anti-lock brakes
When you brake hard with conventional brakes, the wheels
may lock and cause skidding and a lack of control.
Anti-lock brakes pump brakes automatically many times a
second to prevent lockup and allow you to keep control of
the car. If you were trained to brake gently on slippery
roads or pump your brakes to avoid a skid, you may have to
unlearn these habits and use hard, continuous pressure to
activate your antilock brakes. Anti-lock brakes may help
you keep steering control, but they won't necessarily help
you stop more quickly.
Daytime running lights
Daytime running lights are activated by the ignition
switch. They are typically high-beam headlights at reduced
intensity or low-beam lights at full or reduced power. By
increasing the contrast between a vehicle and its
background and making the vehicle more visible to
oncoming drivers, these lights can prevent daytime
accidents.
On the road experience
Other design characteristics can influence injury risk on
the road. Some small utility vehicles and pickups are
prone to rolling over. "High performance" cars typically
have higher-than-average death rates because drivers are
tempted to use excessive speed. Combining a young driver
and a high-performance car can be particularly dangerous.
Source: Insurance Information Institute;
www.iii.org
Safe Driving Resources
Theft & Fraud Awareness - VIN Check
Unfortunately, fraudulent claims are ripping off the
insurance industry and public every day. This results in
higher insurance premiums for all of us. By becoming
educated about how fraud can happen, we can all protect
ourselves from becoming victims. The National Insurance
Claim Bureau offers resources to consumers to manage auto
theft and fraud. To check to ensure that a vehicle that
you are considering purchasing was not stolen or involved
in fraudulent insurance claim, visit the
NICB's
website.
Changes in auto insurance
By now, you've most likely heard about the recent changes
in auto insurance regulation in the state of
Massachusetts. But what does that really mean to you?
Today, you can shop around for insurance. Find the best
product, with the features that meet your specific needs,
at a price you can feel comfortable with.
It also means that you get to take advantage of the new
product features and discounts that Travelers of
Massachusetts offers. The vast majority of Travelers of
Massachusetts customers benefit from:
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Lower rates - some saving in excess of 20%
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Discounts for insuring multiple cars or for insuring your auto and home with Travelers of Massachusetts
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Discounts for good drivers, good students, and more
And, if you've recently purchased a
hybrid
vehicle, or are considering one, we offer a credit factor for
that too.
But competition in the market place also means that you'll
get more for your money from Travelers of Massachusetts.
Travelers of Massachusetts offers the value-added Enhanced
Coverage Endorsement package that includes:
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New Vehicle Replacement
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Airbag Replacement Coverage
And, when you use our one-of-a-kind ConciergeCLAIM
program, you receive:
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OEM parts on newer vehicles
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Replacement cost on mechanical parts for vehicles within the last 3 model years
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Expanded benefits for those with rental coverage
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A guarantee on repairs as long as you own the vehicle
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Plus all of the attention and care you should expect from a leader in insurance for over 100 years
To find out how much you can save by switching to
Travelers of Massachusetts,
request a quote on-line
or use our Agent
Locator to find an agent in your area and get started today!
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