W3 Insurance

Is Golf Cart Insurance Worth It?

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Is Golf Cart Insurance Worth ItIn recent years, golf carts have become a popular form of transportation.  Golf carts are great for short trips around the neighborhood or simply a Sunday evening cruise. This recreational trend has raised several coverage concerns for golf cart owners including whether or not they need golf cart insurance.

There are currently two types of golf carts available to a consumer.  The unlicensed golf cart is designed to carry up to four people on a golf course and not built to exceed a speed of 25 miles per hour. A licensed golf cart can exceed 25 miles per hour and meets the safety requirements of the state it is licensed in.  

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Do You Ever Text and Drive?

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Texting while driving makes you 6 times more likely to have auto accident than a DUI

distracted driving

Well wait until you hear this; the average time it takes to respond to a text message is 5 seconds; if you’re traveling at 55MPH that equates to the length of a football field.

Texting & driving continues to be an ongoing problem not only here in the United States but across the world. There are approximately 2.5 Million automobile related accidents every year in the United States alone. Studies show that 1.6 Million of these automobile accidents are related to use of cell phones while driving which accounts for 64% of auto accidents here in the US.

At this time no states ban all use of cell phones, but 46 States plus DC Puerto Rico, Guam & the US Virgin Islands have implemented bans on Text & Driving. There are also many groups out there that are working to end texing and driving including: The Distracted Driving Foundation, Stop Texts Stop Wrecks and Teens against distracted driving.

Here are some helpful tips provided by these organizations:

  • Designate a Texter-Have someone text for you or offer to text for them while their driving.
  • Turn your cell phone on silent so you’re not prompted to respond when you receive messages & notifications or better yet, turn your cell phone off.
  • Put your cell phone out of reach.

As technology advances and the popularity of the Smart phone increases so do auto accidents related to cell phone use. So why not download an app that will prevent you from texting while driving:

Here are some of my favorite FREE Apps:

  • AT&T DriveMode aka It Can Wait-Turns on automatically at 15PHM, Silences incoming calls & sends out auto-replies and has parental alerts. You don’t have to be an AT&T customer to use it.
  • Safely Go-Allows calls & text only from your 3 VIP contacts and sends an automatic reply to everyone else that you’re on the road and driving safely. Enables calls through your Bluetooth or other hands-free device. Gives you access only to your top 3 “Driving Apps” (like maps, navigation, or music)
  • Sprint Drive First-Similar to Safely Go but also has parental controls so you can keep your teen drivers safe.
  • ly-Enhances hands free safety features by announcing your incoming calls. The app is fully customizable so you and adjust features for optimum safety and convenience.

*Please note that data and message fees may apply.

Teens aren’t the only ones guilty of this distractive behavior however the statistics for teens tend to be much higher. It is important as adults that we always try to set a good example. Make sure your teens understand that it’s not only unsafe to text and drive but remind them that it’s illegal including texting while at a stop light. Share with them the Safety tips listed above and make sure they have a helpful app on their phone. We set rules and guidelines for our kids in other aspects of their life and texting and driving should rank near the top of that list.

Christina Takarewicz,  ctakarewicz@w3ins.com – Personal Insurance Advisor

Understanding the Florida No-Fault Law

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Understanding the Florida No-Fault Law

What is No-Fault Law?

The Florida No-Fault Motor Vehicle Law requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection coverage as part of their auto insurance; this No-Fault coverage pays the insured’s bills, regardless of fault, up to the limit of the insurance (minimum limit is $10,000). For example, after an accident, one’s No-Fault coverage would pay $10,000 towards personal recovery. Personal Injury Protection pays 80% of medical bills, 60% of lost wages, and 100% of replacement services costs (any service needed because of a loss of ability caused by the accident); also, PIP contains a $5,000 death benefit, should the driver die due to injuries sustained in the accident (Note that PIP claims must be made within 14 days of the accident). This law was passed with the intention of lowering the number of tort (civil wrongs, usually caused by negligence) lawsuits in relation to car accidents. So, instead of immediately suing each other, the two parties in the accident now have their own Personal Injury Protection, regardless of fault, with which to pay personal bills incurred by the accident. It is important to note that PIP is not liability insurance and it benefits the insured only. This coverage follows the individual around the state of Florida, whether driving an owned, borrowed, or rented vehicle.

What is Covered in my Auto Insurance Policy?

A personal auto policy contains sections on liability coverage, medical payments coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and other sections with general information regarding the policy (duties after an accident, general provisions, damage to your auto, endorsements, etc.). Typical liability limits are split into three categories: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident. The minimum limit in Florida is 10/20/10—this means that the insured would receive $10,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, with no more than $20,000 paid per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage per accident. Medical Payment limits apply per person per accident and act as primary coverage when the insured is driving an owned auto and secondary when the insured is driving a non-owned auto; typical limits are $500, $1,000, $2,000, and $5,000. Uninsured motorist coverage protects the insured if he is not at fault in an accident with an uninsured or under-insured driver; UM limits cannot be greater than standard liability limits.

Where does No-Fault Coverage fit into my Auto Insurance Policy?

Personal Injury Protection (No-Fault Coverage) is a required endorsement (added coverage) to auto policies in the state of Florida and takes priority in paying the insured after an accident, regardless of fault. If a driver holds basic PIP, $5,000 of Medical Payments coverage, PIP would cover 80% of medical bills up to $10,000, and then his Medical Payment coverage would pay the remaining costs, up to $5,000. Suppose that this driver incurred $25,000 in medical losses—the first $15,000 would be paid by his policy and the at-fault driver would be liable for the remaining $10,000 of medical bills. If the at-fault driver was carrying the required liability limits of 10/20/10, the at-fault driver’s policy would pay the insured the remaining $10,000. If the at-fault driver was not carrying the required limits, the insured driver is in need of Uninsured Motorist coverage for the remaining $10,000. Without UM, he could have to pay the remaining $10,000 of medical bills out of pocket—this is the benefit of Uninsured Motorist coverage. Uninsured Motorist coverage exists to pay the insured should his policy limits be exhausted and the at-fault driver be uninsured or under-insured; it serves as a precautionary measure to ensure that the driver is insured and covered should the other party not be.
Overall, No-Fault coverage protects and pays for the insured’s expenses in any accident; after No-Fault coverage is exhausted, the insured can turn to Medical Payments coverage; after Medical Payments coverage is exhausted and if not at fault, the insured can look to the other party’s liability insurance; and finally, should the opposing party’s limits be exhausted or nonexistent, Uninsured Motorist coverage can, within its limits, cover the rest.

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Auto Insurance: What Does 10/20 Really Cover?

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Two Cars Auto Accident Insurance LimitsDo you know your auto coverage limits? Do you feel comfortable with the limits that you have? You may be surprised when you learn the answers to these questions.

Florida law does not require individuals to carry Bodily Injury Liability, however many Floridians carry $10,000 per person/$20,000 per accident. If you carry only minimum personal protection, your assets and future earnings could be at risk if you were found at fault in an accident causing death or injury to another person. What you need to ask yourself is: How much liability insurance would protect my future?

Here is a real life tragedy to help put these numbers into prospective. A teenage son was driving his younger sister and her friend to the movies. He lost control of the vehicle, left the road, and hit a telephone pole. The friend permanently lost the use of her right arm and suffered severe brain injuries resulting in permanent brain damage. The claim was settled for $1.3 million. Minimum coverage on this claim would not begin to cover this tragedy. Your personal assets and future income would likely be taken to pay this claim.

Bottom Line:

Don’t take the chance on not having enough coverage. Limits of 10/20 is simply not enough coverage. They are called accidents for a reason and they can happen anytime. Competitive rates are available and may allow you to get better coverage without much more out of pocket cost. Contact one of our Personal Insurance Advisors to learn more.

 

Night Driving Dangers

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A little extra caution can go a long way while driving at night

Summer has ended, and while fall and winter have their own pleasures — including camp fires— longer nights mean increased danger on the roads.

You might think you drive just as well at night, but consider this: Even though nighttime driving accounts for just 23% of vehicle miles traveled, more than 50% of fatalities for vehicle occupants 16 and older occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to the National Safety Commission (NSC).

Because we’re big advocates for safety at WWW, we thought it would be helpful to take a look at why night driving is more dangerous, and what you can do to decrease that danger.

What’s dangerous about night driving?

  1. Decreased vision. We won’t go into all the biological details, but different parts of the eye (such as iris, pupil and retina) work differently at night. Your peripheral vision is actually slightly improved, but it’s more difficult to focus on objects ahead of you. And traveling between well-lit areas and darker roads creates issues as well.
  2. Driving too fast for your headlights. Depending on vehicle speed and headlight setting, many people “over-drive” their headlights. That means, by the time they see something on the road, it’s too late to stop in time to avoid it.
  3. Impaired judgment. Whether due to drowsiness or the use of alcohol or drugs, it appears that drivers at night often don’t use good judgment. According to the NSC, 66% of fatalities at night involve vehicle occupants who weren’t wearing seat belts.

So what do you do?

Sometimes, there’s no way around driving at night. So here are some tips to help you make a safe trip — whether you’re just running to the store, or you’re headed across town.

  1. Make sure your vehicle’s lights are in good working condition. And not just headlights, but turn signals, taillights, etc.
  2. Avoid speeding. Leave a bigger cushion between you and other cars than you would during daylight hours. Leave yourself more time for the trip.
  3. Be more aware of your surroundings. You shouldn’t be using your phone, messing around with the radio or trying to find something on the floor while you’re on the road anyway — and distractions are even more deadly at night. 

Of course, if you’re not comfortable driving at night, the best thing is to avoid it altogether if possible. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a ride from a trusted safe driver or waiting for the sun to come out!

Contact Us!

 At Wallace Welch & Willingham we can work with you to make sure you’ve got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable. Just give us a call at 727-522-7777. We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what’s important to you is protected!

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