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Show Fall CAR CARE, 2009, Fall 2009 Page 9 Protection while driving includes insurance It’s all about protection -- for yourself and for those you come in contact with. You are responsible for any damage you may cause while driving your car, and a good insurance policy can protect you, your family and the things you’ve worked hard to have. But how much protection do you need, and what can you do if you can’t afford it? Most states have minimum guidelines regarding insurance, and carrying insurance is mandatory in most of the United States. (Alaska has several territories where insurance is only required for registered vehicles, and registration is not mandatory.) Minimum limits vary from state to state -- Florida requires minimum bodily damage per person of $10,000, while Texas requires $20,000. Vermont mandates minimum property damage coverage of $10,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident, while South Carolina requires $25,000. In the “Anatomy of an Auto Policy,” distributed by State Farm Insurance Company in Bloomington, Ill., customers are advised, “When shopping for insurance, it’s important to look at more than the total cost. Become familiar with the amount and type of coverage that is being offered. “Also, note what isn’t being covered, who is covered while driving your vehicle and the quality of customer service in the event of an accident. The bottom line is that you should understand your policy and buy the amount of insurance you think you need.” There are some basic terms you need to know about automobile insurance when picking your policy. Each provide coverage for different elements of an accident: * Bodily Injury Liability - Covers claims and lawsuits by people injured as a result of an accident you cause. * Property Damage Liability -- Used in claims and lawsuits for property damaged as a result of an accident you cause. * Personal Injury Protection -Coverage for injuries sustained in an automobile accident by you or other persons covered under your policy. * Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage -- This pays for property damage or bodily injury if you are in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist (a driver Insurance is vital in protecting yourself and your assets, but the price can go up with senior and younger drivers./Creators Syndicate who does not have the minimum level of insurance required by law) or a driver who is insured, but coverage is optional. Collision and have higher liability limits than their who has less coverage than your comprehensive is almost always at assets.” underinsured motorist coverage. the buyer’s discretion -- however, if Variables such as age, gender, * Collision -- Covers damage your vehicle is financed, it may be a personal driving history, region, to your vehicle as the result of a requirement of the finance company. the car itself and even the driving collision with another car or other There are other optional coverages records of others with the same risk object. that are nice to have, such as rental factors will play an important part * Comprehensive -- This is used reimbursement in the event your in premium rates. “If a person can’t for damage to your vehicle that vehicle is damaged in an accident. afford what they think they need, is not a result of a collision, such When it comes to picking your I work with my policyholders and as theft of your car, vandalism, policy, Becky McMenomy, a licensed prospects to find coverage they flooding, fire or a broken agent with Ike Tolks in Petaluma, can afford,” she said. “We can use windshield. It also pays if you Calif., said, “To know what liability higher deductible options, lower collide with an animal. limits a person should carry, they liability limits and take off any fringe Most coverages, particularly need to do a quick financial analysis coverages. Then we can increase those that ensure damages to to determine what assets they have things back up to where they should someone else will be paid, are that can be at risk in a lawsuit be as the customer can afford to.”— mandatory. In some states, -- equity in a home, savings, even Chelle Cordero, Creators Syndicate additional underinsured motorist their paycheck. A person should Preventative maintenance is an easy money saver If you’re of a certain age or older, a part of growing up meant becoming at least somewhat familiar with performing basic maintenance on your car. It wasn’t enough to be able to change a flat or replace the wiper blades. Almost all high school students (at least the males) had to take an auto shop class, which would teach you the basics of maintaining a car and how to perform common roadside repairs. Many high schools eliminated auto shop classes from their curriculum long ago, and the complicated technology that controls just about every system in today’s cars can be intimidating to the average car owner. We don’t even change the oil ourselves anymore -- a simple task many people used to do in their garage, before drivethrough oil changes became popular in the early 1980s. Cars last much longer now and suffer far fewer breakdowns, resulting in a more hands-off attitude toward preventive maintenance for many car owners. However, preventive maintenance is actually more important than ever, warned David Rogers, chief operating officer of Keller Bros. Auto in Littleton, Colo., and founder of mondaymorningmechanic.com. “Today’s cars are very different in the fact that their tolerances are much less than our previous cars for a lack of maintenance. Conversely, if you do the maintenance, today’s cars will last quite a bit longer that we’re used to a car lasting,” Rogers said. One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of checking the tires regularly. Check the air pressure at least once a month -- a decal on the inside of the driver’s side door will list the proper pressure. Forget using the tire gauge found on many air hoses at gas stations -- many give inaccurate readings after being dropped or run over. Rogers recommended getting a dial tire gauge, one that has a speedometer-like meter. They’re the most accurate and usually sell for less than $10 -- and unlike the new, fancy gauges with digital readouts, they don’t run on batteries that tend to die off at the worst possible time. Also, check the tire pressure before driving, while the tires are cold. Checking tire treads is even easier. Take a YSee PREVENTATIVE, page 11 |