Consumer Insurance Blog

In this day of road rage and road rudeness, it seems a little crazy to take issues with drivers who are polite -- but in an article by Joseph Younger entitled When Courtesy Turns Dangerous, CarandTravel reminds us that there are times when politeness can inadvertently get you into trouble. This is generally at intersections or right of way situations. "Drivers who cede their legal right of way out of courtesy, thinking that they’re doing you a favor, might actually put you at risk." They offer a handy list of "Dos and Don'ts" - if you are in the "courteous driver camp" it might make you think twice about the error of your ways; and if you are a recipient of such courtesy, it explains why a traffic favor may not be such a favor after all.

Rules of the Road Refresher
Safety Blog at Consumer Reports comments on this article, and says that the right thing to do in a "right of way" standoff is to follow the rules of the road. They post a handy list of "right of way" rules from New York.

Massachusetts right of way rules can be found in the driver's manual beginning on page 17. We've excerpted the main rules, but the manual offers a handy refresher for these and other traffic laws.

Intersections not controlled by signals
You must yield the right-of-way to any vehicle that has entered the intersection from your right or is approaching from your right.
Look for any traffic approaching from the left. Even though you may have the legal right-of-way, make sure that the other driver is yielding to you before you proceed.

Four-way stops
At an intersection controlled by stop signs in all directions, you must yield the right-of-way to...

• Another vehicle that has already come to a full stop at the intersection
• A vehicle on your immediate right that has stopped at the intersection at the same time as you

Confusion can develop at four-way stop intersections. You should try to make eye contact with the drivers of other vehicles at the intersection to better judge their intentions and avoid accidents.

Turning Left
When making any left turn, you must first yield the right-of-way to any:

• Oncoming vehicle
• Vehicle already in the intersection
• Pedestrians or bicyclists crossing your intended path of travel

Through-ways
If you approach a designated through-way, you must yield the right-of-way to traffic on the through-way before you turn.

Intersection of Single or Two-Lane Road and Multiple-Lane Road
If you are traveling on a single or two lane road and come to an intersection with a larger road, you must yield the right of way to vehicles driving on a divided highway or a roadway with three or more lanes.

Rotaries
Traffic moves in a counterclockwise direction around a rotary. You must always yield the right of way to vehicles already in the rotary (unless directed differently by local signs or police officers) and to pedestrians. You should use your turn signals in the same way as any other intersection: travel through the rotary and, when you are ready to exit, use your right turn signal.

Other situations that require you to yield the right-of-way

• Pedestrians who are walking in or crossing a roadway
• Any animal that someone is leading, riding, or driving
• Funeral processions (in MA, it is against the law to disrupt or cut through a funeral procession)

On average, about 98.7 million fans tune into watch the game on Super Bowl Sunday. If you're going to be hosting or attending a Super Bowl party this weekend when the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts, you should plan in advance for your safety and that of your guests.

The Insurance Information Institute (III) suggests that designating a driver should be at the top of everyone’s super bowl party list. They note that:

"According to the most recent figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008, alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 32 percent of total motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday (February 3 to 5:59 a.m. February 4), 49 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher. Overall, more than 13,000 Americans died that year in crashes involving an impaired driver."

Whether you plan to be a party host or a party attendee, III offers a list of tips and suggestions to help you stay safe. Plus, party hosts have a particular imperative to protect guests. It's the right thing to do - plus, it may protect you from liability.

Here are some additional tips from the Natioanl Highway Transportation and Safety Administration's Fans don't let fans drive drunk program.

Tips for party hosts
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired driving crash. To protect both yourself and your guests:

• Make sure all guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food—and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.

• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come get you; or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Research and use a local Sober Rides program.
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.
• Always buckle up—it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.

Additional resources
Drunk Driving Laws by State

Millions of popular Toyotas are being recalled to fix a sudden acceleration problem. While the scope of this recall is huge, the problem is not necessarily limited to Toyotas. According to Consumer Reports, in an analysis of National Highways Safety Institute complaints for sudden acceleration by auto make through August 2009, Toyotas represented only about 41% of the overall complaints. Obviously, these numbers will change, but the point is that it's a safety issue and it could happen for any driver. Would you know what to do? Consumer Reports also offers a useful video about how to safely stop your car if it accelerates suddenly:

For additional information, the Los Angeles Times offers a good article with more information on the Toyota Recall Q&A and what to do if you car suddenly accelerates.

Good Morning America has been airing a series on aging and one of the difficult topics they are tackling is the issue of senior driving. In Mom & Dad, we need to talk, they explore the ways that adult children can help their parents make the difficult and often painful decision to hang up the car keys.

It's not an issue that should be put off because, at some point, it's a matter of safety - both for the elderly drivers and for the general public. GMA cites some grim statistics:

"Although most senior citizens are careful behind the wheel, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers older than 70 have a higher fatality rate per mile than any other group, except people under 25. And most of those fatalities happened at some kind of crossroads.

A 2007 study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that 40 percent of serious crashes at intersections involved people older than 70. Add to this the fact that the number of elderly drivers is projected to double to 70 million by the year 2030 and you have the makings of a potentially dangerous problem."

1. Almost crashing, with frequent "close calls"
2. Finding dents and scrapes on the car, on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs, or the like
3. Getting lost
4. Having trouble seeing or following traffic signals, road signs, and pavement markings
5. Responding more slowly to unexpected situations, or having trouble moving your foot from the gas to the brake pedal; confusing the two pedals
6. Misjudging gaps in traffic at intersections and on highway entrance and exit ramps
7. Experiencing road rage or having other drivers frequently honk at you
8. Easily becoming distracted or having difficulty concentrating while driving
9. Having a hard time turning around to check over your shoulder while backing up or changing lanes
10. Receiving traffic tickets or "warnings" from traffic or law enforcement officers in the last year or two

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has issued new ratings for children's auto booster seats. They've examined 60 models covering almost all models sold in the U.S. right now, and they've issue 9 "best bet" recommendations and 4 "good bet" recommendations. In addition, they've indicated 11 products which aren't aren't recommended due to poor fit.

IIHS states that more than 1,000 children 12 and younger in passenger vehicles die in crashes every year, and more than 100,000 are injured. Parents can reduce the risk to their kids by properly securing them in the back seat of their vehicle.

"Parents can't tell a good booster from a bad one just by comparing design features and price," says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. "What really matters is if the booster you're considering correctly positions the safety belt on your 4-8 year-old in your vehicle. Our ratings make it easier to pick a safer booster for kids who have outgrown child restraints."

• See the full ratings list with model numbers and photos of seats
• Map of child restraint and booster seat laws by state
• Also see Keeping Children Safe in Crashes - a comprehensive guide for parents, which includes videos and photo examples.

Every holiday season, child and consumer protection groups offer lists of the year's most unsafe toys, as well as tips for how to shop for safe toys. If you have kids on your shopping list, take a few minutes to review these valuable guides.

Unsafe Toy List 2009 from U.S.PIRG’s 2009 Toy Safety Report, Trouble In Toyland.

2009 "10 Worst Toy" List from W.A.T.C.H. (nonprofit group World Against Toys Causing Harm

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Division's Toy Hazard Recalls

There are three main toy safety hazards: Choking, Noise, and Toxins. For children over 3 focus on Noise and Toxic hazards. For children under 3 also avoid choking hazards from small toys, toy parts and balloons. Here's a handy guide to hazards that you can call up on your mobile phone while shopping: Toy Safety Hazards - you can also report any hazards you encounter in your shopping trips.

Other resources:
Trouble in Toyland (PDF) - PIRG's 59-page 2009 report on toy safety.
Tips for Toy Safety (PDF) - PIRG's printable brochure
Toy Safety Shopping Tips - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Toy Safety - guidelines for toy selection from the National Network for Child Care

Wayne Wiersma of Wiersma Insurance found a fascinating video clip that demonstrates just how far highway safety has come over the last 50 years. The test was sponsored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to commemorate the organization's 50th anniversary. The test compares crashworthiness then and now: a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and 2009 Chevrolet Malibu in 40 mph frontal offset crash test. The original crash video and photos can be found at the IIHS anniversary page, and we've found another clip with commentary from Consumer Reports.

See how your vehicle would fare
Use the Consumer Reports Crash Test Selector to see how your make and model would fare thanks to IIHS crash test videos.

Learn about vehicle ratings, auto safety research, laws and regulations and more at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute website. Both are independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organizations dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation's highways.

Halloween is one of the nation's most popular holidays. We love the annual ritual of scaring ourselves and our favorite kids silly, all in the spirit of good-natured fun. But as much fun as it can be, when you tally up the associated risks to kids, pets and property, the holiday can truly earn its nickname, "fright night."

Potential problems
Unfortunately, kids experience a lot of injuries at Halloween. While the media can play up the dangers of poisoned candy and predators, the most common injuries to kids at Halloween are more pedestrian: eye injuries, burns, and being hit by cars. Other Halloween dangers include an increase in fatalities related to driving while under the influence; a high rate of fires, vandalism, and property crimes; and a spike in incidents of animal cruelty. For the property owner, there's a veritable witches' brew of liability issues. Any injuries that occur on your property can be considered your liability - whether it's a little Cinderella who trips on her gown or a vandal who breaks his leg while egging your house. If partygoers drink too much alcohol while at your house, you may be held liable for any injuries that occur when they drive home. And if your teen's Halloween "pranks" result in any property damage, you might have parental liability for the cost of that damage, depending on your state law. Other risks you may encounter include vandalism to your home or your auto and home fires triggered by candles and decorations or overloaded electrical outlets.

Most people enjoy a fun, safe Halloween and odds are in your favor that you will too. But there are simple steps you can and should take to minimize your risk and keep things safe. One thing you can do in advance is to check with your insurance agent to be sure your homeowners or rental insurance is up to date and that you have adequate protection. Find out your deductible (how much you have to pay out of pocket before insurance kicks in) and the extent of your liability coverage.

Keeping kids safe:

• Equip kids with flashlights. Add day-glo or illuminating trim on their costumes.
• Make sure costumes are fire-safe and flame-resistant.
• Ensure costumes don't impair vision or present a tripping hazard.
• Masks can limit visibility - colorful face paints are a cute, creative, and safer alternative.
• Make sure kids are dressed warmly enough and have comfortable, non-slip footwear.
• Costume accessories and props should be short , pliable, and soft - no hard, long, pointy, or sharp objects
• Inspect all candy before kids eat it. Be alert for choking hazards and watch for anything that is loose or unwrapped.
• Don't let kids walk while eating candy on a stick - very dangerous if they trip.
• Don't let kids eat homemade treats unless they were made by someone you know very well
• Stick to familiar neighborhoods and familiar houses
• Kids shouldn't enter any homes unless they know the neighbors well
• Kids without adults should keep in groups
• Walk on sidewalks. Complete one side of the street, cross carefully, and complete the other side.
• Use cross walks and crossing lights whenever possible.
• Drive with great caution over the weekend, particularly after dark - excited little goblins may dart out from anywhere.

Other safety matters

• When decorating, avoid candles - use LED lights and battery-powered lights instead.
• Take care not to overload electrical circuits with lights.
• Paper and dried plant decorations can easily ignite. Keep them away from flames, lights, and electrical cords.
• Keep porches and walkways well lit and free of debris and clutter that might be tripping hazards; Put reflective tape on your steps and along your walkway.
• Don't forget about your pets - they could be upset by the unusual activity and may be skittish. Keep them inside and away from the door so they don't frighten or nip at your guests.
• Be careful not to let your pets eat candy, which can be toxic to them.
• Park your car in a garage, if possible. Mischief makers may egg your house or car.
• Lock up bicycles, gas grills and other outdoor valuables.

Halloween vandalism can range from "mild" pranks to more serious and willful property damage. A well-lit house and motion-activated lights may help to protect your property. If you have a garage, keep you car locked up. If you don't, you might want to check your car before bed or very early in the morning - that way, if your car has experienced any "mischief" such as a dousing of shaving cream, silly string, eggs, or other food matter, you may be able to hose it away before the sun bakes it in. Some of these substances can cause scratches or dents; others can be corrosive to your paint. Pressurized water from your hose is your best clean-up ally.

Call your agent
If you should suffer any damage to your property or have any accidents during Halloween weekend, file a claim as soon as possible to get the claim process in motion. Be ready with the details of where and when the event occurred, along with the names and addresses of any injured parties or witnesses to the event. If there is damage to your property, report it to the police, take photos, and record the details so you won't forget them later.

Other helpful resources
Safe and scary: Tips for home decorating and costumes
Tricks for making your Halloween party safe
Driver safety tips for Halloween Eve
Halloween Car Cleanup Guide - how to remove eggs, shaving cream, silly string, and more.

It's that time of year again: peak deer-car collision season. More than half of all vehicle-deer crashes annually occur in October through December, with November being the peak month. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), more than 150 fatalities each year are caused by vehicle-deer collisions. Deer are fast, unpredictable and can appear out of the blue. A police camera caught this startling video clip of a near-miss with a deer.

But deer aren't the only four-legged danger - moose and elk are serious road hazards, too. Larger, taller and with more body mass than deer, a bull moose can reach up to 1500 pounds. And because they are tall with long legs, they often come right in through the windshield when hit, a serious danger to car occupants. See this mammmal size comparison illustration to get an idea of how big moose, elk, deer, and other wildlife can be.

IIHS has issued a chart of state fatalities from crashes with animals, tracking the years 1993 to 2007. They note that many of these deaths were preventable:

"Most of the crash deaths occurred after a motor vehicle had struck an animal and then run off the road or a motorcyclist had fallen off a bike. Many of these deaths wouldn't have occurred with appropriate protection. The study found that 60 percent of the people killed riding in vehicles weren't using safety belts, and 65 percent of those killed riding on motorcycles weren't wearing helmets."

Driving tips to avoid colliding with deer and moose

• Wear your seat belt
• Be particularly cautions at dawn, dusk. Most collisions occur between 5 and 10 pm.
• If you see one deer, there may be others - deer travel in herds
• Heed posted signs warning about wildlife - they are there for a reason
• Avoid speeding. Slow down around curves
• Scan the sides of the road - watch for movement.
• Be particularly alert on roads with woods, farmland, and water
• Be cautious and slow down at night. You may see deer eyes reflected in your lights, but moose eyes don't reflect light.
• Watch other traffic - if you see cars stopped or slowing, it may indicate an animal
• Flash headlights to warn other drivers
• Don't try to outrace or beat a crossing animal
• Use high beams when you can
• If you see an animal, honk your horn. Your lights may freeze or confuse an animal.
• Motorcycles are particularly vulnerable - a cyclist may even be charged by a large animal

What to do if you hit a deer or a moose
Stop your car, put on hazard lights. You want to be visible so that no other car will hit you, your car, or the animal. Avoid approaching an injured animal, which can be very dangerous. In some states, if there are no injuries and your car is drivable, you would not be required to report the collision to the police. If you are unsure of the state law, call police. They will alert game wardens or the appropriate authorities to handle the animal. Some states will let you keep an animal for the meat, but you may need a permit. Report the accident to your insurance agent as soon as possible.

Drivers should be aware that not all auto insurance will cover deer or moose collisions. Comprehensive insurance is required to pay for damage incurred from an animal collision. Some people only have collision coverage and don't carry comprehensive.

October is National Fire Safety Month. To kick things off, the Home Safety Council (HSC) is teaming up with Lowe's to hold Safety Saturday on Saturday, September 26, 2009, a day-long safety celebration.

Lowe’s stores nationwide are planning family safety activities geared to educating you and your family on how to keep safe from fire and other home dangers. Some stores are partnering with local fire departments to host a side-by-side burn demonstration to show how quickly a home fire spreads and becomes deadly when it isn’t controlled. The demonstration compares the limited damage in a room that is protected with a home fire sprinkler system with the extensive damage that occurs in a room without a sprinkler.

Even if you can't attend one of these events, the idea of dedicating a Saturday to making your home safer is a pretty good one. According to the HSC, the home is the second most common location of unintentional fatal injuries, with moving motor being the first. About 20% of all fatal injuries occur in the home. The top five leading causes of unintentional home injury death are falls, poisoning, fire/burn, choking/suffocation, and drowning; together these account for 90% of all unintentional home injury deaths. And for every one death, there are approximately 650 nonfatal injuries. HSC says that children under age 5 and adults over age 70 are the highest risk groups for home injury, both fatal and nonfatal.

HSC offers excellent Step-by-step Safety Guides on a variety of topics to help you safety-proof your home. They also offer a library of Safety videos for kids and adults.

When it comes to driving distractions like cellphones and texting, most people underestimate the danger that they pose and overestimate their own ability to multitask at the wheel. The New York Times has created a text while driving simulator, an interactive game that measures how your reaction time is affected by external distractions. Try it out and see how you do.

According to a news story accompanying this game, there is extensive research documenting the dangers of distracted driving:

"Studies say that drivers using phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers, and the likelihood that they will crash is equal to that of someone with a .08 percent blood alcohol level, the point at which drivers are generally considered intoxicated. Research also shows that hands-free devices do not eliminate the risks, and may worsen them by suggesting that the behavior is safe.

A 2003 Harvard study estimated that cellphone distractions caused 2,600 traffic deaths every year, and 330,000 accidents that result in moderate or severe injuries.

Yet Americans have largely ignored that research. Instead, they increasingly use phones, navigation devices and even laptops to turn their cars into mobile offices, chat rooms and entertainment centers, making roads more dangerous."

June 7-13 is Tire Safety Month, an event organized by the Rubber Manufacturers Association to promote safety and to raise awareness about proper maintenance and care. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 600 deaths and 33,000 injuries per year are due to under inflated tires. And in addition to being a safety hazard, tires that are improperly inflated also lower a car's fuel efficiency. Consumer Reports offers tips on tire maintenance.

Conventional wisdom has been to use a penny to measure tire tread for safety, but Consumer Reports notes that based on driving performance in a battery of tests, using a quarter would be a safer gauge:

"It has long been the standard that tires are worn out when their tread depth reaches 1/16 inch (or 2/32 inch as found on standardized tread-depth gauges). The easiest way to measure this, if you didn't have a gauge, was to hold a penny upside down in the tread. If the top of Lincoln's head was visible, you needed new tires. See test results of foul weather comprises with worn-out tires.

But CR's tests show that using a penny is too stingy and that most consumers should consider replacing their tires when the tread reaches 1/8 inch."

Experts at the Tire Rack, an independent tire tester, suggest that measuring tire tread via the quarter method can improve braking distances up to 24 percent. See a quick tutorial for using coins to measure tire depth.

In addition to maintaining good tire pressure and tread, the age of your tires can be a safety factor - rubber breaks down over time. Many safety experts suggest replacing tires that are more than 5 years old to avoid the potential for a blowout or tread separation.

If you are one of the more than 8 million households fortunate enough to have a private swimming pool on your property, responsibility for safety comes with the privilege. Each year, 280 children under 5 years old drown every year in swimming pools across the country. For children aged one to fourteen, drowning is the second-most common cause of accidental death. Even if you don't have children, be aware that about a third of all child pool deaths happen at pools where the owners have no children.

The Pool Safety Council offers these tips to keep kids safe:

• Nothing is more important to the safety of a swimming child than the eyes of attentive parents.
• Keep a landline phone near the pool, so that if there is an emergency you can call 911 and the operator will be able to instantly trace the call and send help.
• Surround your pool with four-sided fencing and a gate that locks.
• Never leave children unattended in or near the pool. Drowning takes only a few seconds.
• Even when there is a group of adults present, make sure one is dedicated to keeping an eye on any children in or near the pool. Giving one person that responsibility makes it far more likely potential problems are noticed right away.
• Make sure your pool is outfitted with approved safety drain covers and an anti-entrapment device to prevent drain entrapment, the often deadly tragedy of a swimmer becoming trapped by a pool drain's suction. Public pools are required to adopt anti-entrapment measures by law, but PSC encourages private pool owners to follow suit.
• Take a CPR class to ensure potential drowning victims do not have to wait for paramedics to arrive.
• When not in use, keep hot tubs covered and locked.

This is the first summer that the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act will be in place since the law's enactment in December. This law is designed to prevent the tragic and hidden hazard of drain entrapments and eviscerations in pools and spas. Between 1999 and 2008, there were 83 child entrapment incidents reported to the CPSC, including eleven fatality reports, one of them being the one that took 7-year old Virginia Graeme Baker's life in 2002. Under the law, all public pools and spas must comply with federal standards, which is great - but bear in mind that the accident that took Virginia's life happened at a private home. If you are a private pool owner, you may want to voluntarily comply with these standards, too - this news article provides compelling evidence for why.

Additional resources
Pool - spa safety and drowning prevention
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act
National Drowning Prevention Alliance

Check your insurance coverage
In addition to talking every possible safety measure, pool owners also need to ensure that they are adequately covered against any potential risks. If you have a pool or hot tub or are considering adding one or the other, be sure you talk to your agent to ensure that you have appropriate coverage. Here's some advice from the Insurance Information Institute about swimming pool coverage:

Let your insurance company know that you have a ool, since it will increase your liability risk. Pools are considered an “attractive nuisance” and it may be advisable to purchase additional liability insurance. Most homeowners policies include a minimum of $100,000 worth of liability protection. Pool owners, however, may want to consider increasing the amount to $300,000 or $500,000.

You may also want to talk to your agent or company representative about purchasing an umbrella liability policy. For an additional premium of about $200 to $300 a year, you can get $1 million of liability protection over and above what you have on your home. This would also provide added liability protection when you drive.

If the pool itself is expensive, you should also have enough insurance protection to replace it in the event it is destroyed by a storm or other disaster.

Are you one of the 32.4 million Americans who will be traveling at least 50 miles from home this holiday weekend? If so, you may find some travel bargains - at least in comparison to last year. According to AAA, the average gas price is not expected to top $2.50 over the summer - a big drop from last year's price, which averaged about $3.80 on Memorial Day. AAA also reports that hotel rates are running about 7% to 12% less than last year.

The National Safety Council (NSC) reminds you to buckle up and drive defensively. NSC estimates there will be 366 traffic fatalities and an additional 19,400 nonfatal disabling injuries. And remember, from May 18 to May 31, the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign will be in full force - law enforcement agencies join forces day and night, from coast-to-coast, for an enforcement blitz. The primary audience continues to be men ages 18 to 34, which research shows are less likely to wear seat belts.

Here are some holiday driving safety tips:

• Plan your trip before you go. Check the clickable map for national traffic and road closure information from the federal Highway Administration. Also, check to see if you can dial 511 to access traveler information in the state of your destination.
• Prepare your car. Ideally, you should have your car checked before long road trips. At minimum, check your gas, oil, windshield wiper fluid and tire pressure. Clean headlights and mirrors. Be sure you have a spare tire and the essentials in a roadside emergency kit.
• Be well rested. Driving can be hypnotic - if you are yawning or having trouble keeping focused, pull over and take a short nap. Even if you aren't sleepy, take a break every few hours to stretch your legs and keep alert.
• Allow extra time to reach your destination. Leave early and plan to avoid peak traffic hours, if possible.
• Wear your seat belt and ensure that all passengers wear theirs.
• Obey speed limits. Speeding is unsafe at the best of times and even more dangerous in heavy holiday traffic. And remember - it's also illegal. Police will be out in force over the long holiday weekend.
• Minimize distractions. Turn off the cell phone and bring games for the kids. Read your maps before you go, or pull over if you need to consult one.
• Don't tailgate. Keep a good distance from the car ahead of you to allow maximum reaction time. A good rule of thumb is one car length for every 10 miles of speed for cars. Double that for trucks.
• Use caution around trucks and large vehicles and give them a much wider berth. Don't pull out in front of them or brake suddenly because trucks require more stopping time. Only change lanes when you can see both of the truck's headlights in your rear view mirror. Be aware that truck divers can have many blind spots - pass on the left not on the right.
• Don't drink and drive. This should go without saying! Also be careful about overindulging in food - that can make you sleepy.
• Plan for emergencies. Bring phone numbers for your insurance agent and your insurer. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged. Bring a spare car key. The University of Oklahoma Police Department has a great emergency checklist that you can print out to ensure that you have all the info you would need should you run into an emergency or have a lost or stolen wallet.

Our workers' compensation service partner Lynch Ryan had previously posted this on their Workers" Comp blog - we thought it was important advice that bears repeating as we approach the summer months.

If you are a parent of a high school or college age kid, you are probably familiar with the quest for the summer job. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, more than 2 million teen workers flock to the workplace, many for the first time. Think back to your first job - it can be an exciting thing to earn that first paycheck. It can also be very dangerous. Every year, about 70 teens are killed on the job and about a quarter of a million suffer injuries on the job. That means that about once every three minutes, a teen gets hurt at work.

All first-time workers are vulnerable to work injuries, teens especially so, often because of youthful feelings of invincibility. New workers aren't yet work hardened. Because they don't know their limits, they are more susceptible to overexertion, strains, and sprains. Young workers typically aren't seasoned enough to have good judgement about risks. Eager to make a good impression, they often don't want to ask for help, question authority, or call attention to themselves in any way.

Most work-related teen deaths occur as the result of motor-vehicles or as a result of machine related accidents. Agriculture has accounted for more than 40% of these fatalities, followed by the wholesale/retail trade, and construction. Frequent nonfatal injuries include lacerations, contusions, abrasions, sprains, or strains. Weather related injuries are also common - sunburns, heat exposure, and the like. The pattern of nonfatal injuries follows the most common types of employment: wholesale/retail and service industries.

Over the month, we'll follow up with more information on this topic. today, we'd like to address parents, and urge parents (or aunts, uncles, friends) to be proactive about teen worker safety:

Familiarize yourself with child labor laws in your state. Know the hours they can work, and restrictions on the type of work they can do. For example, according to the the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE):

" ...by law, your employer must provide protective clothing and equipment necessary for your job, payment for medical expenses if you are injured at work and training in on-the-job safety; and, that on a school day, a 15-year-old is only permitted to work up to three hours a day. Sixteen year-olds are limited to the type of work they can do. For instance, out of these jobs -- A. operating a meat slicing machine at a deli counter, B. driving a forklift at a warehouse, C. waiting tables at a restaurant, or D. performing demolition work at a construction site -- a 16 year-old is legally only allowed to work waiting tables.

... Teenagers are not allowed to work in mining, logging, meatpacking, roofing, excavation or demolition, according to labor laws. They cannot drive a car or forklift or work with saws, explosives, radioactive materials, or most machines."

Take a detailed interest in your teen's work - talk to your child about what they do on the job and talk specifically about safety matters. Ask a lot of questions:
-Do you work alone?
-Who is your supervisor? Is he or she in your work area with you?
-Do you use any equipment or machinery? Have you had training?
- What would you do if…

Trust your instincts - call or visit a workplace before your teen starts work. If you have any misgivings after work starts, follow-up with the boss or the supervisor.

Other resources for parents:
Department of Labor's Youth & Labor page
OSHA: Do you have a working teen?
Clocking in for Trouble - Teens and Unsafe Work
What teens need to know before going to work
Teen Workers: Avoid 2005’s Five Worst Jobs this Summer
Working the Smart Shift: Helping Parents Help their Teens Avoid Dangerous Jobs
Driving on the Job: New law for teen Workers
Teen Driving Safety
Your Teen at Work: Tips for Parents

With spring in the air, it's a good time to issue a reminder that bicycles are associated with more serious childhood injuries than any other consumer product except automobiles. Every year, about 300,000 kids wind up in the emergency room because of bike injuries. Head injuries can result in serious brain injury or death. Most states have laws about mandatory bicycle helmets - some laws are for all riders. Most pertain to kids under age 18.

Here are some resources to help ensure your kids safe when they bike:
Testing Your Child's Readiness for Riding a Bike
Easy Steps to Fit a Bicycle Helmet
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Kids and Bicycle Safety
Teach Your Child Well: Bicycle Safety Issues

According to a recent report in USA Today, more and more laws aimed at limiting cellphone use and texting while driving are being introduced. According to the report, "More than 250 bills prohibiting or restricting cellphone use while driving are pending in 42 state legislatures despite disagreement over the risks cellphones pose and the effectiveness of enforcement.

The number is up from about 120 bills in just 18 states 10 months ago, according to an analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a safety research group funded by insurers. Four states — Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina and Texas — are considering banning all types of cellphone usage behind the wheel, including hands-free devices."

In an accompanying article, the paper compiled a chart listing a sampling of pending legilation that would restrict texting or cell phones.

These laws are controversial - many of the public, particularly younger drivers - are opposed to any restrictions whatsoever. While police often support some restrictions, they worry about enforcement. Many favor a broader policy aimed at all "distracted driving" issues, and many others suggest that prohibitions should focus on novice drivers or drivers of public transportation. But others are in favor of total restrictions. Some of the legislative activity was spurred by the National Safety Council's (NSC) call for a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving. This recommendation was based on a study by the Harvard Center of Risk Analysis which found that cell phone use while driving contributes to 6 percent of crashes, equating to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. NSC also cited several other safety studies in their recommendation.

Cell phone and texting laws in your state
The Governors Highway Safety Association maintains a chart listing state driving laws related to cell phone usage and texting. The chart was updated in February of this year, so it is pretty current.

Here is a summary:

• CA, CT, DC, NJ, NY and WA ban hand-held phones outright for all drivers; several other states allow banning by jurisdiction or have provisions limiting the use of handhelds. Some states treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue.
• No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free), but many prohibit cell phone use by certain segments of the population, such as novice drivers or school bus drivers.
• 8 states AK, AR, CA, CT, LA, MN, NJ and WA ban text messaging

Planning any spring or summer travel? One silver lining to the bad economy is that travel prices are dropping and there are some good deals to be found...but you might want to protect your investment with travel insurance. The Insurance Information Institute's Travel Insurance Quiz offers a good overview of what travel insurance does and doesn't cover:

Fox news just issued their list of The Top Ten Deadliest Stretches of Road in America. To compile this list, they analyzed five years of crash reports to determine which roads had the highest number of deadly accidents. For those of us in New England, the good news is that none of those roads are located here. California has four roads on the list; Florida and Arizona both have two roads on the list; and Texas and Nevada both have one. See a comparison chart of all states auto fatalities and fatality rates.

But New England drivers shouldn't relax. Nearly 60% of all highway deaths occur on rural roads, and two New England states appear on a 2005 report of states with the highest percentage of rural road fatalities:

• Maine (92%)
• North Dakota (90%)
• South Dakota (89%)
• Iowa (88%)
• Vermont (88%)
• Montana (86%)
• Wyoming (84%)
• South Carolina (83%)
• Mississippi (82%)
• Arkansas (81%)
• West Virginia (80%)
• Minnesota (72%)
• Wisconsin (68%)

If you'd like to check the safety of the roads in your neighborhood or on your commuting route, there's a terrific tool developed by University of Minnesota researchers which allows you to do just that. It combines information from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System with Google Maps to offer a visual representation of traffic safety across the U.S. You can enter an address and view the roads that have the highest number of traffic fatalities in a specified area, or you can view data for your state.

Most dangerous road in the world
As treacherous as some U.S. roads can be, they pale in comparison with Bolivia's Death Road, a 60 to 70 kilometer mountainous stretch between La Paz and Coroico, which is often cited as the most dangerous road in the world. It's been the subject of numerous televised reports - watch a 6 minute clip:

If you are risk averse, avoid driving on Saturdays in August. According to a recent article in Forbes, those are the most dangerous times to drive. The article is accompanied by a short slide show filled with interesting accident and fatality statistics.

But as Mark Twain was fond of saying, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." In reader comments about the article, several people point out that it is not the sheer number of fatalities that is significant but the relative risk. If numbers alone were significant, then motorcycles would be the safest means of transportation since the sheer number of fatalities is low in comparison to autos. As the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety notes: "Risk is characterized by the bad outcomes for a given level of exposure." To determine the risk, it would be more significant to determine the fatality rate in relation to the number of cars on the road at a given time or in relation to the number of miles driven.

That being said, the Forbes article sheds light on an important topic and notes one indisputable and sobering fact: auto accidents kill upwards of 40,000 people each year or about 110 per day, far too many by any yardstick one might care to use. And most accidents and related injuries are attributable to human error: distractions, speeding, drunk driving, failure to use a seat belt, driving too fast for the weather conditions, and failure to keep a safe stopping distance from other vehicles.

If you want to delve into the statistics yourself to learn the relative risk for specific factors such as geography, demographics, or day of the week, try Traffic STATS, an interactive website developed for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety by the Carnegie Mellon Research department. If that is more involved than you would like to get, John Tesh has collected some interesting data points on relative driving risks from Traffic Stats analysis:

• A cautious 82-year-old woman is more likely to die in a car crash than a risk-taking 16 year old boy. Why? Because the 82 year old is more fragile
• The second most likely group to die in a car accident, after little old ladies, young male drivers between the ages of 16 and 23. Their fatality rate is 4 times higher than average
• Drivers in New England are the safest. They get in the fewest crashes of any region
• The safest passenger in the car? A baby or toddler secured in a car seat during morning rush hour traffic
• The safest vehicle is a school bus
• The most dangerous vehicle is a motorcycle
• The safest driving day is Wednesday. There are the fewest crashes and fatalities
• Saturdays are the deadliest days on the road
• The safest driving month: February
• The deadliest month: October
• And the drivers with the lowest risk of death are adults between 40 and 50 years old

Fire caused 33.1% of all home insurers' losses over a three-year period, the highest of any source of loss, according to a report by American Association of Insurance Services.

That statistic leads into a topic that we've been planning to introduce: How much do you know about fire extinguishers? If you're like most people, probably not too much. But using the wrong type of fire extinguisher might be more dangerous than not using any fire extinguisher at all. Paul Caret of MEMIC Safety Blog has a great post on fire extinguishers that includes a chart on various types of fire extinguishers and their ratings, along with links o interactive sites that provide information on anything you might need to know about the selection, use and maintenance of fire extinguishers. We particularly liked the animated and interactive fireextinguisher.com, available in English and Spanish.

The Escondido Fire Department offers a quick one-page summary for fire extinguishers in the home, including where to put them, how to maintain them, and when to use them. But have you ever actually used a fire extinguisher? In this short video, Captain Joe Bruni offers a quick demonstration.

If you haven't disposed of that live holiday tree yet, this video is a sobering reminder that now is a good time. Experts say that live trees shouldn't be kept for longer than three weeks, even when properly watered. The best way to dispose of the tree is to recycle it ... either as wood for your own or a neighbor's wood stove or fireplace, or through a community recycling program - some communities offer pickup services and programs that will chip trees to make mulch. This site offers links to Christmas tree recycling options by state.

With a major ice storm under our belt, many area residents are just getting power and heat back and we are facing more potential adverse weather over the weekend.

The American Insurance Association offers handy tips to homeowners following the northeast storm, which include pointers on how to start the insurance process. And if your home has been damaged or destroyed, you may want to invest two and a half minutes to watch the Insurance Information Institute's advice on how to file a homeowner's claim:

Preparing for the next storm
With some advance notice, there are things you can do to prepare for winter storm emergencies. Here are a few good resources:

The American Red Cross suggests a list of supplies to include in a home emergency kit, covering such items as water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items.

Winter Power Outage Tips - an excellent resource on what to do before, during, and after an outage compiled by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Don't Freeze Up (PDF) - good tips for preventing frozen pipes.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After an Emergency - The Centers for Disease Control inform us that every year, more than 500 people die in the U. S. from accidental CO poisoning and, sadly, here in New England, we have had carbon monoxide-related deaths after the recent storms. In Massachusetts, the law states that you must have a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home, excluding unfinished basements, attics and crawl spaces. You may need more than one per floor because detectors must be placed within 10 feet of a bedroom door. This is good advice for homeowners whether or not your state has a law. Be sure to refresh your batteries periodically.

Many New Englanders are waking up to icy driving conditions today. In light of this, we bring you this noteworthy video clip shot during a January 2007 ice storm in Portland Oregon. One resident awoke to a racket outside his window and captured footage of an unplanned ice-top demolition derby involving at least 15 separate accidents in a span of a just a few minutes.

With experience, an abundance of caution, and good tires, snowy conditions can generally be navigated - but ice is another matter. It's generally best to wait until the sanders and plows have treated the roads before venturing out in ice storms.

Safe winter driving actually starts before a storm and before you even get in your vehicle. Check your tires and your tire pressure, keep your antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid and gas tank topped off, and store shovels, scrapers and an emergency kit in the trunk of your car - include a bag of sand or kitty litter to give your car traction if you get stuck. It's also a good idea to ensure that you and any drivers in your family review safe winter driving tips. AAA offers a good list of tips for winter driving. And who should know better than our neighbors to the north? The Canadian Center for Occupational Health & Safety has a comprehensive page of winter driving tips. RoadRagers also offers excellent tips specifically for driving on ice.

Tasty regional dishes have a way of migrating throughout the nation and that's been the story of deep-fried turkeys. What used to be largely a southern dish, much-beloved in Louisiana, has become a popular new way for adventurous chefs to prepare turkey - and no wonder, it's totally delicious.

But this Thanksgiving, L.A. firefighters have a question for the would-be turkey fryers : Your turkey or your life? They've produced some dramatic footage of exactly what can go wrong to highlight these dangers.

You can see that it is a dangerous endeavor. Dangerous enough that Underwriters Laboratories has decided not to certify any turkey fryers with their trusted UL Mark. If you decide to fry that bird regardless, please read the linked article to get some safety tips from the fire experts of the LAPD.

Thanksgiving fires are common
You don't have to be frying a turkey to run into trouble on Thanksgiving - cooking fires nearly double on the holiday, occurring more than twice as often as any other day. According to the United States Fire Administration, Thanksgiving sees an average of 4,300 residential fires resulting in 15 deaths, 50 injuries and over $27 million in property damage each year. Protect yourself, your loved ones, and your home this year - to prepare for a safe holiday, take a minute to review some best practices for cooking safely issued by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Did you replace your smoke alarm batteries last week during daylight savings? Traditionally, fire prevention authorities suggest that daylight savings is a good time to check your smoke alarms ... it's suggested that when you change your clocks, you also get in the habit of replacing your smoke alarm batteries, a simple bit of housekeeping that might just save your life. So if you remembered, you should be protected, right? Maybe not!

This year, you may want to go one step further because firefighters have some important new advice on smoke detectors. The nation's largest firefighter union is suggesting that you do more than just change your batteries - they are suggesting you change the type of smoke alarm that you use. Deputy Chief Jay Fleming of the Boston Fire Department states that around 50% of everyone who dies in a Massachusetts fire dies when the smoke detector operates, and in the vast majority of those cases, they are killed by smoldering fires

Most homes are equipped with ionization smoke alarms, which are good at detecting flames but photoelectric smoke alarms are more sensitive to smoldering, smoky fires. WBZ's I-Team reported on the two types of alarms, including video footage of testing various fire alarms. The clip dramatically demonstrates just how dangerous a smoldering fire can be before a traditional fire alarm will sound. Case in point: a recent smoldering kitchen fire that killed a Cleveland resident without tripping the smoke detector.

No home should be without a smoke detector. Some fire authorities suggest the belt-and-suspenders method of having both types of fire alarms installed. You can get insurance to protect your property but no amount of insurance can replace a life.