Safety Tips 2

At the Scene of an Accident
Knowing what to do if you are involved in an accident can save lives and also make the claims process easier.

Call the police. Tell them how many people were hurt and the types of injuries. The police will notify the nearest medical unit.

Try to protect the accident scene. Take reasonable steps to protect your car from further damage, such as setting up flares, getting the car off the road and calling a tow truck.

Ask the investigating officer where you can obtain a copy of the police report. You will probably need it when you submit your claim to your insurance company.

If necessary, have the car towed to a repair shop. But remember, your insurance company probably will want to have an adjuster inspect it and appraise the damage before you order repair work done.

Make notes. Keep a pad and pencil in your glove compartment. Write down:
- the names and addresses of all drivers and passengers - involved in the accident
- license plate numbers
- the make and model of each car
- driver's license numbers
- insurance identifications
- the names and addresses of witnesses
- the names and badge numbers of police officers, or
- other emergency personnel.

If you run into an unattended vehicle or object, try to find the owner. If you can't, leave a note containing your name, address and phone number. Record the details of the accident.

Car Breakdown Safety
If you are in an accident or your car breaks down, safety should be your first concern. Getting out of the car at a busy intersection or on a highway to change a tire or check damage from a fender bender is probably one of the worst things you can do. The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) recommends the following precautions when your car breaks down:

Never get out of the vehicle to make a repair or examine the damage on a busy highway. Get the vehicle to a safe place before getting out. If you've been involved in an accident, motion the other driver to pull up to a safe spot ahead.

If you can’t drive the vehicle, it may be safer to stay in the vehicle and wait for help or use a cell phone to summon help. Under most circumstances standing outside the vehicle in the flow of traffic is a bad idea.

Carry flares or triangles to use to mark your location once you get to the side of the road. Marking your vehicle’s location to give other drivers advance warning can be critical. Remember to put on your hazard lights!

In the case of a blowout or a flat tire, move the vehicle to a safer place before attempting a repair—even if it means destroying the wheel getting there. The cost of a tire, rim or wheel is minor compared to endangering your safety.

Child Safety Seats
If you have children it's important to make sure they are secured properly when you drive with them. They are almost always safer when riding in the back, in a car seat that is appropriate to their age and weight.

Using a car seat correctly can prevent injuries, but wrong usage is very common. Even a small mistake in how the seat is used can cause serious injury in a crash.

Tips to ensure you are using a child car seat correctly:
1. Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag.
2. Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level.
2. Keep harness straps snug and fasten the clip at armpit level.
3. Make sure the straps lie flat and are not twisted.
4. Dress your baby in clothes that allow the straps to go between the legs. Adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of your child’s clothes. Do not use bulky clothes that could increase slack in a crash.

To keep your newborn from slouching, pad the sides of the seat and between the child’s legs with rolled up up diapers or receiving blankets.

Put the car seat carrying handle down when in the car.

Infants must ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. This offers the best protection for your infant’s neck.

Recline the rear-facing seat at a 45-degree angle. If your child’s head flops forward, the seat may not have reclined enough. Tilt the seat back until it is level by wedging firm padding such as a rolled towel, under the front of the base of the seat.

All new car seats are now required to come equipped with top tether straps. A tether strap is a belt that is attached to the car seat and bolted to the window ledge or the floor of the car. They give extra protection and keep the car seat from being thrown forward in a crash. Tether kits are also available for most older car seats. Check with the manufacturer to find out how to get a top tether for your seat. Install it according to instructions. The tether strap may help make some seats that are difficult to install fit more tightly.

Do not use a car seat if any of the following apply:
It is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If made before January 1981, the seat may not meet strict safety standards and its parts are too old to be safe. Some manufacturers recommend using seats for only 6 years.

It does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls.

It has been in a crash. If so, it may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks all right.

It does not come with instructions. You the instructions to know how to install and use the car seat properly. Do not rely on the former owner’s instructions. Get a copy of the manual from the manufacturer.

It is missing parts. Used seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

To find out if your child safety seat has been recalled, you can call the Auto Safety Hotline ( 888-DASH-2-DOT ). If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions for the recall or to get the necessary parts. You should also get a registration card for future recall notices from the Hotline.

For more information about infant or toddler car seats, go to the Web site of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or Transport Canada. Also check out the National SafeKids Campaign which offers a free Child Car Seat Locator which allows you to enter your child’s age and weight, and get back a list of recommended car seats. Another good source of information on car seats is the American Academy of Pediatrics website, which offers a detailed shopping guide to car seats.

Is your child ready for a regular seat belt? Keep your child in a car seat for as long as possible. When he or she is big enough, make sure that seat belts in your car fit your child correctly. The shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and flat across the hips, not the stomach. The child’s knees should bend easily over the edge of the vehicle seat. Seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he or she should stay in a booster seat until the belt fits.

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind their back. Use lap belts only as a last resort. Try to get a lap-shoulder belt installed in your car if it doesn’t already have one. If you must use a lap belt, make sure it is worn tight and low on the hips, not across the stomach.

Cell Phones & Driving
Drivers who are distracted by talking on a cell phone or dialing numbers while they are driving are causing more and more accidents. Some municipalities have banned using cell phones while driving because it has caused such a major problem.

If you must talk while you drive, the safest way is to have a hands-free cell phone cradle installed in your car so you can speak while driving with two hands. Even so, remember to stay aware of what is going on around you on the road. It’s easy to get so engrossed in conversation that you miss exits or don’t notice what other drivers are doing. Better yet, wait until you have arrived at your destination or pull over to the side of the road to begin your cell phone conversations.

Road Rage
Increasingly crowded highways and traffic backups cause many drivers to lose control and become extremely aggressive.

If you encounter aggressive drivers, don’t challenge them, and stay as far away as possible. You may want to take down the license plate number and report their behavior to police so they won’t hurt themselves or someone else.

Elderly Drivers
People 55 years or older are less likely to drive aggressively or too fast. That’s the reason that most insurance companies offer discounts to drivers over 55.

Still, older drivers are more likely to have impaired hearing and slower reflexes, or to be using prescription drugs that might slow down their reaction time. Older drivers’ eyesight deteriorates, so they need more light to see, are more sensitive to glare and have a narrower peripheral field of vision. So if you are having problems driving at night or in difficult conditions, use common sense and try to avoid driving when it is dangerous. If you drive when you are not physically able to do so safely, your insurance company may not renew your coverage. You may also want to take a defensive driving class designed for seniors. Inform your insurer that you have taken the class and you may be eligible for a discount on your insurance premium

Preventing Carjacking / Theft
Thousands of unsuspecting motorists are carjacked every year. To minimize the danger of being carjacked:
Think of saving your life first. Only then, think of your car and what's in it.

If another car bumps your car, stay inside with the windows shut and the door locked and drive to the nearest police or fire station.

Stay alert to people lurking near or moving toward your parked car.

Always keep the windows of your car shut and doors locked, whether you’re in or out of your car.

To prevent your car from being stolen:
Keep your registration card in your wallet instead of your glove compartment.

Use paint or an indelible marker to put the vehicle identification number (VIN) under the engine hood and trunk lid and on the battery. This number is usually found on the dashboard on the driver’s side of the car.

Use a security device like a steering wheel lock or a gear shift column lock.
If your car is stolen, have the following information ready to give to the police:
The year, make, model and color of the car.

The approximate time the car was stolen.

A description of anyone you may have seen loitering around your car before it was stolen.

The names of any witnesses.

Driving in Bad Weather
Driving in bad weather is a major cause of accidents. When you are driving, particularly on a long trip, make sure to stay tuned to radio reports about weather conditions. If you hear that an ice storm, hurricane, tornado, flood, hail or other severe weather is expected on the route you are taking or at your intended destination, change your travel plans. Whatever reason you have for going where you are going cannot be as important as saving your life.

If you are already in an area that is being hit by bad weather, don’t try to drive your way out of it. Seek shelter for both you and your car and wait for the storm to pass.

Avoiding Deer / Car Collisions
The explosion in the deer population has lead to a continuing increase in deer-car collisions. This trend will only increase as the deer population grows and urban habitats continue to encroach upon rural environments.

According to the National Safety Council, there were 530,000 animal-related accidents in 2003 and these collisions resulted in 100 deaths and 10,000 injuries.

The average cost per insurance claim for collision damage is $2,800, with costs varying depending on the type of vehicle and severity of damage. When you factor in auto claims involving bodily injury, the average rises to $10,000.]

Be especially attentive from sunset to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. These are the highest risk times for deer-vehicle collisions.

Drive with caution when moving through deer-crossing zones, in areas known to have a large deer population and in areas where roads divide agricultural fields from forestland. Deer seldom run alone. If you see one deer, others may be nearby.

When driving at night, use high beam headlights when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will better illuminate the eyes of deer on or near the roadway.

Brake firmly when you notice a deer in or near your path, but stay in your lane. Many serious crashes occur when drivers swerve to avoid a deer and hit another vehicle or lose control of their cars.

Always wear your seat belt. Most people injured in car/deer crashes were not wearing their seat belt.

Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles, deer fences and reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not been proven to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.
If your vehicle strikes a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road, if possible, and call the police.

Contact your insurance agent or company representative to report any damage to your car. Collision with an animal is covered under the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance policy.