The Concerned Insured: Winter Advisory

Baby It’s Cold Outside…

It has truly been an interesting winter so far, and it’s only the beginning.  Up here in Vermont, we’ve had more rain than snow, and that has made it difficult for people living on dirt roads to keep traction while driving.  Snow tires can only do so much, but when the road is sheer ice, that’s where the problems start.

Maintenance

We know that there are quite a few things to monitor during the winter time when it comes to your car.  You have to make sure your windshield wipers are clean and fresh and that you have enough wiper fluid for the mix of slush and mud that gets tossed up by other cars.  It is also important that your tires have the right amount of pressure and traction.  But the biggest thing you can watch for is weather.  Weather conditions change all the time.  One day it could be sunny, the next it could be raining, sleeting, snowing, etc.  That is why you should check the local weather service before you head out to work to make sure that when you get out, you won’t be faced with treacherous roads unprepared.

Look Out Your Window

If you have a computer and the Internet, you can find your weather information the fastest for your area.  If you don’t have a computer, your local news station should have a weather program that will warn you if conditions are going to worsen throughout the day.  No computer or cable?  Sure, you can look outside and take a chance, but if you have a cell phone (not a smart phone) you can still find out what the forecast will be like for the day.  Google has an SMS service that allows you to do a whole variety of mini searches, including weather, to help you find what you need.  You just need to send a text to GOOGLE (466453), first stating what you want to find and then your zip code or city.  For instance, we want to know what the weather’s like in San Francisco, you would type “weather san francisco” and in a couple of seconds, you will have weather conditions sent in the form of text to your phone.  Let’s also say you wanted to go out to a movie tonight but you don’t know what’s playing or where.  Type “movies” and your zip code, and a list will be sent to you.  The same works for pizza, restaurants, dentists, all kinds of things!

Where Am I Going With This?

You are driving down the road from work, it had just rained earlier, but the thermometer at the bank is blinking 32 degrees.  Water is starting to freeze, the road is getting more and more slick, and you don’t see that patch of ice in front of you.  Now your car’s tires are spinning faster and your car begins to slide off the road.  Then you hit a guard rail.  You aren’t hurt, but neither you nor  your car is happy.  An incident like this, although an accident, is still an at fault accident to the insurance company.  They will deem it at fault because you are supposed to have control of the vehicle at all times, and since you lost control and slid off of the road, you are technically at fault.

Many insureds will argue this with claims adjusters and their agents, but it is how insurance companies classify this type of accident.  As long as you have collision coverage on your vehicle, you can pay your deductible and your insurance company will pay for repairs or replacement.  But just when you thought it was over, you get a bill from the State for damaging the guard rail in the collision.  They need to replace it to ensure that it is safe to hold against other drivers that may make the same mistake.  Not to worry.  The Property Damage Liability coverage pays for damages to all types of property, including other vehicles, telephone poles, guard rails, street signs, etc.  Your insurance has you covered.

This ties into what was said earlier.  Check conditions before you decide to travel.  It can be dangerous to you, your vehicle and your family if you do not take the proper precautions.  And try that Google Text thing, it’s pretty neat!

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