Posted by Benji Riggins on April 26, 2009 under Safety | 
As many as 56 percent of fatal auto accidents involve at least one unsafe driving behavior associated with aggressive driving, according to recent analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The study analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revealing that speeding is the most frequent factor in fatal accidents, occurring in almost on out of every three deadly crashes.
According to Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA foundation, “It’s easy to think that other guy is the problem — the one who runs someone off the road, tailgates, or yells obscenities. In reality, examples of driving aggressively — any of which can lead to crashes, injuries, and deaths — are all too common.”
Other examples of aggressive driving listed in the analysis reportedly include running stop signs or red lights, preventing other drivers from passing, illegally driving on the shoulder, and failure to yield.
Finally, AAA said the purpose of releasing these results was to educate drivers about the potential risks of aggressive driving, in the hope that motorists will examine their own behavior behind the wheel.
Posted by Benji Riggins on April 15, 2009 under Insurance News |
The Grand Strand again ranks first in the Southeast in vehicles stolen per capita, with the Myrtle Beach area among seven of South Carolina’s metro areas posting higher rankings, according to a report.
The Myrtle Beach area ranked 15th nationally in the 2008 “Hot Spots” report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, with 616 thefts per 100,000 people, using the latest Census estimates. That’s up from 23rd last year, also a top ranking for the Southeast.
Modesto, Calif., topped the nation for the second consecutive year, with a theft rate of 829 vehicles. California metro areas accounted for half of the nation’s top 10 list.
Bureau officials attribute Myrtle Beach’s high ranking to being a tourist destination and hosting large events. A spokesman for Horry County Police did not return a phone call and e-mail seeking comment.
“The rest of the country seemed to improve, but we didn’t,” said Allison Dean Love, spokeswoman for the South Carolina Insurance News Service.
The number of vehicles stolen in South Carolina remains steady, and statistics show the crimes are increasing in several areas, she said.
Other cities ranking in the top 50 include Anderson, Sumter, Columbia, and the Charlotte, N.C., metro area, which includes York County. Love said she could not separate out York County statistics. Similarly, Aiken and Edgefield counties are included in the Augusta, Ga., metro area, which ranks 56th.
Vehicle theft rates can lead to higher insurance costs for drivers, so investigate which cars are more likely to be stolen before you buy a car, Love said.
Vehicle thefts cost car owners and insurance companies more than $7 billion each year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
“Buy a car that’s safe and not prone to theft, and use common sense,” she said. “You’ll pay less on the comprehensive portion of your car insurance.”
Posted by Benji Riggins on April 3, 2009 under Articles |
Health insurance often requires a mountain of paperwork that has a lot of fine print. Unfortunately, this means that few people read their plans thoroughly nor do they fully understand what their plan covers or does not cover. Here are some common limitations in health insurance coverage that you should know.
Some of the most shocking health insurance limitations are found in the the fine print holes in the insurance policy. For instance, many people have found that their health insurance did not cover a routine or necessary medical procedure because they did not receive an authorization code prior to the procedure or the hospital did not correctly fill out the paperwork. Your medical claim can be denied simply because the hospital used odd codes for your treatment. While any claims denied by the insurance company can be disputed, this process is not only tedious, but time-consuming and draining, especially for someone who is already ill. There is also little success in winning disputed claims, which makes this option rather limiting.
Another surprising health insurance limitation happens more often than people realize. Imagine this situation: you are diagnosed with a medical condition and need an operation. You research surgeons and hospitals within your plan. You understand your plan’s coverage of hospital care. You have your operation and then you find a massive medical bill in the mail. Apparently your health insurance did not cover the anesthesiologist or other specialists that may have consulted in your operation. Thus, you have to pay these specialists for their services, even though you were under the impression that your plan would cover these costs associated with the surgery. Such a bill can be in the thousands of dollars, and there is little you can do to dispute the charges. The only way to avoid these charges is to make sure that you ask before the operation who will be involved and ensure that they are covered in your health insurance plans.
Other limitations are put on a number of treatments. For instance, you may need physical therapy or visits to a psychiatrist. Many health insurance plans will put a limit on the number of covered visits for such medical treatment. Without realizing it, you may surpass the maximum visits allowed by your health insurance and end up racking up huge bills.
Many people think that buying health insurance will cover them medically, but this is only correct to a point. When securing insurance, you should read through your health insurance package carefully, and when you are about to undergo any expensive medical procedure, be sure to consult your health insurance plan first.
