July 17th, 2012 at 11:20 am 
Shopping for new auto insurance in Michigan? Recent statistics released by the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation display the best and worst rated companies by policy holders in 2011.
Complaints most often filed where holders unhappy with how an insurer handled their claim, communication problems in general, or pricing. The basic way Michigan regulators calculate these statistics is by the insurance company's total number of complaints divided by the amount of premiums they placed that year. For example, the best rated in 2011 was Farm Bureau Mutual, with $71.5 million worth of premiums and only one complaint, their ratio is 0.01, (New Stats Show Best and Worst Michigan Insurance Companies, Ben Zitney, Online Auto Insurance News Team, http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/companies/michigan-car-insurance-stats-97735).
Listed below are the five best and worst rated Michigan insurance companies calculated using the above formula:
BEST
1. Farm Bureau Mutual
2. Meemic
3. Safeco
4. Westfield
5. Metropolitan Group
WORST
1. Patriot General
2. Depositions
3. Dairyland
4. American Family
5. American Modern
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July 11th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Three different insurers were approved by Michigan state regulators for a rate increase that went into effect the first of this month; Allstate, Fremont, and 21st Century.
The reason for the increased rate is to cover Michigan's no-fault insurance program. All three insurance companies have filed formal documents relating the increase to the per-vehicle fee insurers are responsible to the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA). This fee increased by $30 from $145 to $175, (After Mich. Fee Increase, Approvals Come for Insurance Rate Hikes, Ben Zitney, Online Auto Insurance News, http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/rates/michigan-car-insurance-rates-july-97697).
Each company was approved for a different overall rate increase, Allstate for 3 percent, Fremont 2.1 percent, and 21st Century for 3 percent. 21st century is still waiting on three other requests.
These increases in rates will go towards the state's no-fault system, Michigan being the only state that provides its citizens with lifetime compensation for accident related injuries and medical bills. Claims that reach over $500,000 will be covered by the MCCA, (After Mich. Fee Increase, Approvals Come for Insurance Rate Hikes, Ben Zitney, Online Auto Insurance News).
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July 6th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Wondering why you have so many tickets? What is it that makes you a target? Well get it straight from the source, 3 police agencies and 2 independant traffic experts have compiled a list of violations that traffic police typically keep an eye out for.
Speeding: The real reason to follow posted speed limits besides it being a law is that when you are traveling at a high speed your response time is slower, so if a pedestrian crosses in front of your vehicle or the car in front of you stops suddenly, you will have less reaction time to respond.
Illegal cell phone use: We all know that cell phone use while driving has become common, and can cause serious distraction. Yet only a few states actually uphold laws banning cell phones entirely while driving, there are about 30 states that do ban texting. Cell phone use has really become a huge problem on the road as Sgt. Jeff Wiles, head of the Santa Monica Police Department's traffic division points out, “the really horrific stories about texting make the news, but we see accidents and even just fender-benders from it every day,” (Top 5 Ways To Get Pulled Over by the Cops: What Catches the Attention of Traffic Police?, Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor, Edmuds, http://www.edmunds.com/driving-tips/top-5-ways-to-get-pulled-over-by-the-cops.html).
Hazardous driving: this category covers it all. Sgt. Wiles listed his top offenses in this category as stop sign and stoplight violation, improper lane changes, illegal U-turns, failures to yield and unsafe speeds,” (Top 5 Ways To Get Pulled Over by the Cops: What Catches the Attention of Traffic Police?, Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor, Edmuds).Not to mention performing other activities while driving like changing clothes, shaving, applying makeup, eating, etc. The violation here besides being distracted from the road is speed, as CHP Officer McElroy states, “there is no safe speed for pulling a shirt off over your head while driving.”
Equipment violations: the top offenders here are tinted windows, burned-out headlights, broken windshields, expired tags, loud exhaust modifications and the lack of a front license plate (in California and a few other states).
Following too close and improper lane change: both of these violations cause accidents daily. Failure to signal, cutting someone off, or tailgating are always on police radar. Although the failure to signal is so common, it typically is not the sole reason for being pulled over, but can be added to the ticket.
These remain to be at the forefront driving violations on the road, but be caught in the act of two of these violation and it's pretty much a given you'll be getting a ticket. Make sure to do the one thing you're supposed to do in the car, drive! Although it can be hard, it is better than getting a ticket and having to pay out of pocket.
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June 27th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Safety on the roads has become a hot topic and with distracted driving becoming a norm, the focus has just begun to shift onto restraining pets while in the vehicle. States are being to take notice and legal action.
It is not uncommon to see a pet riding in a vehicle hanging out the window, sitting on their owner's lap, or even lounging on the dashboard, but Col. Frank Rizzo, superintendent of the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (NJSPCA) argues that “you wouldn't put your child in the car unrestrained, so you shouldn't put your pet in the car unrestrained, either,” (States unleash laws on restraining pets while driving, Jim Walsh, Phil Dunn, and Alesha Williams Boyd, USA Today,
Rizzo also points out that besides a pet being restrained for their own safety, they should be for the others in the vehicle as animals act like “flying missiles in an impact.” Any object loose in a vehicle can cause potential damage in an accident, so your furry friend could become a projectile object if not restrained.
The AAA, formerly known as the American Automobile Association, reported from their survey conducted in 2010 that 20% of those who took the survey confessed to driving with their dog on their lap, and another 31% were distracted by their dog while driving, (States unleash laws on restraining pets while driving, Jim Walsh, Phil Dunn, and Alesha Williams Boyd, USA Today). The concern here being that a pet not restrained has the potential to cause an accident by distracting the driver from the road.
States have begun to look at creating legislation concerning pet restraint, but some states only have laws in regards to animals being transported in the exterior of the vehicle i.e. in the bed of a pickup truck, but no laws concerning the interior. Currently the states listed below have laws concerning pet restraint:
- New Jersey: the NJSPCA has the right to stop a driver if they see unsuitable transportation of any animal. The price range for such a ticket is from $250-$1,000. The driver can also face a disorderly person's offence under animal cruelty laws.
- Hawaii: has a law specifically prohibits driving with a pet on one's lap.
- Arizona, Connecticut and Maine: can charge drivers for distracted driving if driving with a pet on the lap.
- Rhode Island: a proposed legislation has been written by Democratic state Rep. Peter Palumbo to classify driving with a dog on the lap as a distracted-driving violation.
There are a number of pet restraints currently on the market for purchase at pet supply stores as well as online. The three main types of restraints are:
- Dog harnesses: these go around the body and clip right into the already existing seat belt.
- Travel crates or carriers
So many proclaim “our pet is part of the family,” so why wouldn't you want to protect it as such? In the end it's all about safety for all passengers in the vehicle, including the cuddly, four-legged ones.
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June 8th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
A new bill signed by Governor Rick Snyder yesterday would double the cost an at-fault driver is liable for the car repairs or replacement. Currently the limit is $500, this law would make it $500-$1,000.
If you are involved in an accident where the other driver is at fault, that driver, if insured, is only liable to you for up to $500 toward your vehicle damage, under Michigan's “mini tort” law. This leads to a lot of Michigan drivers having to fork over out-of-pocket money to cover larger deductibles after an accident, despite not being at fault. Governor Snyder signed the HB 5362 making the at-fault driver's responsibility to cover costs for car repairs or replacement double -to $1,000.
The BH 5362 is sponsored by Representative Cindy Denby, R-Handy Township, who believes that “despite rising costs the amount residents can collect for damages under the mini-tort provision hasn't been increased in decades. This common-sense reform will be helpful to Michigan drivers and I hope this bill moves quickly through the Senate,” (Gov. Snyder signs bill increasing amount a no-fault insurance holder is eligible to collect from $500-$1000, Dave Murray, Mlive,
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May 15th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month! And even if you don't ride a motorcycle yourself, you DO share the road with them. Here are some safety reminders to keep you and others safe on the road!
- A motorcycle IS a vehicle with all rights and privileges of any other motor vehicle.
- Be sure to give a motorcycle the full lane width.
- Always scan the road for motorcycles by checking your mirrors and blind spots when at intersections, making turns, and before switching lanes.
- Make it a habit to always use your turn signal to alert others on the road of your intentions.
- A flashing signal on a motorcycle could be the motorcyclist's way of signaling a turn OR it may be a feature of the bike. Flashing headlights are becoming more common to make the bike more visible to other motorists on the road. So always use caution and wait to see if the motorcyclist intends to turn at the intersection or not.
- Never tailgate a motorcycle (or anyone for that matter!) Give them room to maneuver.
- Try your best not to become distracted while driving. This is important for you and everyone else on the road. (Remember last month was Distracted Driving Awareness Month!)
(Motorists: Watch for, recognize motorcycles,
http://newstrib.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=29&ArticleID=19069).
These were just a few tips to remind you of how to look for and proceed around motorcycles provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Safe driving!
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April 27th, 2012 at 11:23 am
April is the month that brings May flowers, but more importantly it is also Distracted Driving Awareness Month! As April comes to a close let's try to keep these statistics in mind and eliminate distracted driving the rest of the 11 months of the year!
We all know that distracted driving has become common place, but did you know how damaging it can really be? Here are some alarming statistics that illustrate the outcomes:
- Text messaging while driving makes you 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash.
- Sending or receiving text will keep your eyes off the road for about 4.6 seconds. In that amount of time traveling at 55mph you will have traveled the length of a football.
- Using your cell phone while driving reduces the amount of brain activity needed to drive by 37%.
- Reports from 2009 show that 5,474 people were killed in car accidents that involved a distracted driver and about 448,000 people were injured.
(Official US Government Website for Distracted Driving,
http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/facts-and-statistics.html ).
Distracted driving has become such an issue that 37 states, the District of Columbia and Guam have banned texting all together. Some have a primary law, which means the driver can be ticketed for distracted driving alone, no other violation is required, while other states have a secondary law, where the driver must first commit another violation in addition to the distracted driving. To find out the law in your state visit: http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/state-laws.html
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April 17th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
The big apple is going to take a big chunk more from high-risk drivers. Recent rate filings explain that more than 90,000 NYC drivers who have been determined to be high-risk drivers and therefore are enrolled in the New York Automobile Insurance Plan (NYAIP) can anticipate an increase in their rates come this June.
The purpose of the NYAIP is to insurance drivers who have no other insurance company to turn to as they have been denied coverage during auto insurance comparisons, and have been determined has having too many tickets or accidents. Those who used NYAIP already pay a higher rate when compared to others; however it is going to increase starting in June, up 21.4 percent. The last increase for this state-run program coverage was a year ago, having increased by 15 percent, (New York Raising Insurance Rates for High-Risk Drivers, Ben Zitney, Online Auto Insurance,
http://news.onlineautoinsurance.com/rates/new-york-high-risk-car-insurance-rates-96768).
This means that the average premium will now be $2,283 increasing on average by $403 a driver.
The reason for the increase is due to looking at the losses during the years of 2007-2009. However, fewer and fewer drivers are enrolled in the program as there has been a 50 percent drop of policy holders from 2006 to the present.
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March 19th, 2012 at 2:40 pm
This past Friday Florida Legislature came to an agreement on the no-fault or PIP (Personal Injury Protection) car insurance reform. The House approved HB 119 with an 8-34 vote and the Senate with a 22-17 vote.
Governor Rick Scott believes the reform is needed because “increases in staged accidents, fraudulent claims and litigation have caused premiums to skyrocket,” (Tampa Bay Times, Tia Mitchell, After tense debate, PIP reform passes Florida Legislature,
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/autos/after-tense-debate-pip-reform-passes-florida-legislature/1219334).
The next step is for the legislation to be passed to the desk of the Governor's desk.
The main changes that Governor Scott will be looking over are:
- Allotting 14 days for an injury party in an auto accident to seek medical attention.
- PIP (Personal Injury Protection) will cover a chiropractor, but not message therapists or acupuncturists.
- Attorney fee caps will be removed.
- Ban multipliers by judges that are used to increase fees awarded in complex cases.
- Permit insurance companies to examine consumers under oath when investigating potential fraud.
Florida will commission a study of the new PIP law to calculate how much policyholders will actually save in the long run. Once the study is completed and conclusions drawn, insurance companies will need to adjust their rates in order to meet specific thresholds in the following months, (Tampa Bay Times, Tia Mitchell, After tense debate, PIP reform passes Florida Legislature).
One concern insurers have is that PIP already exceeds premiums which could make it difficult to add up to any savings.
Overall though, insurance companies have embraced the change, waiting to see what comes of it. “There is enough in the bill to improve the no-fault law that we think we should try it,” said Michael Carlson, executive director of an organization that represents State Farm, Allstate and Progressive, (Tampa Bay Times, Tia Mitchell, After tense debate, PIP reform passes Florida Legislature).
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