Posted by Michael McDermott on Tue, May 08, 2012 @ 10:59 AM
May is National Bike Month
May is National Bike Month, and just because we sell car insurance doesn’t mean we don’t love to get outside and ride our bicycles, too.
Why ride a bike? This is a great time of the year to do something—anything!—other than drive everywhere. You may choose to ride to work for a change or explore an area by bike for fun. In many cases riding a bike is a faster and much more fun way to get around, especially after you factor in for traffic (and its accompanying stress levels).
Boston and surrounding towns Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville are rolling forward with more popular Hubway bike share stations this season. And wayfinding signs just for cyclists have popped up downtown, to help you find the best routes to ride—a good sign of what’s hopefully more bike-friendly infrastructure in the future.
Get out and ride. Many communities are also working hard to continue its efforts to make the city safer and friendlier for people of all ages and abilities to ride bikes instead of drive—an idea whose time has come, given our soaring rates of obesity (now the second largest cause of preventable death in America!) and its array of health-related problems. This interesting Fast Company infographic shows the many proven benefits of cycling—including those who bike instead of drive to work lose an average of 13 lbs in their first year. Not bad!
Think about it. Besides the obvious health and environmental benefits of biking, gas prices, traffic, and parking are three major hassles (and expenses) you avoid every time you choose to ride a bike instead of drive.
Stay safe. There’s much more work to do to make bicycling safer for all of us. Before you head out on the road, make sure you and your kids are ready to ride safely, with these guidelines from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Protect your melon. Wear a helmet and save your brain from injury. If you’ve ever fallen off your bike, you know it’s worth every penny. Go helmet shopping with your kids and have them pick out one of these cool new styles. And if you do fall of your bike and smash your helmet, get a new one immediately, even if it doesn’t look cracked or broken.
- Give your bike the once-over. Check your tires, brakes, seat, and make sure your bike is good to go before you hop on and ride off.
- Follow the rules of the road. Be a good bike ambassador. Stop at red lights, brake for pedestrians in crosswalks, and signal (you remember those hand signals from your drivers ed days, right?) before you turn to let others know what you’re up to and where you’re going. Ride with traffic, but watch out for opening car doors in urban areas—don’t ride too close to stopped or parked cars, but when you must, slow it down. Commonwealth Avenue along Boston’s Back Bay is a good option because it has bike lanes on the left, rather than alongside the parking lane. Which reminds us: be aware of cyclists when you do drive. Give them some room. If you park your car in the city, check your mirrors for oncoming bikes before you open your door!
- Be seen and heard. Get lights for the front and back of your bike. Get a good bike bell.
- Pay attention. Don’t wear headphones. Ride defensively. Be aware of what’s going on around you. Have fun and ride safely!
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Posted by Michael McDermott on Fri, May 04, 2012 @ 09:52 AM
Will it take a federal mandate to get people to understand the dangers inherent in combining cell phones and driving?
Will using your cell phone while driving soon be as frowned upon as driving under the influence?
We all know what a dangerous, even potentially fatal activity it is to text or talk on a cell phone while driving, yet we’ve all done it (be honest!)
Even after countless media awareness campaigns, public service announcements, and laws passed on the state level (so far more than 30 states have laws on the books limiting cell phone use behind the wheel), too many of us continue to use our cell phones while driving.
But now U.S. Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood wants to do something to stop this trend. LaHood is calling for a new federal law to make it illegal to use a cell phone while driving. In a recent article in Reuters by Jim Forsyth, Secretary LaHood was quoted saying cell phone use behind the wheel has become a “national epidemic” and that police need “the opportunity to write tickets when people are foolishly thinking they can drive safely or use a cell phone and text and drive.”
LaHood believes that a federal mandate is the only effective way to address this growing problem. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) estimated that in 2010, there were 3,000 fatal vehicle accidents caused by distracted driving. The agency also states that using a cell phone while driving gives you the same delayed reaction time as a .08 concentration of alcohol in your blood, the current legal limit. What do you think: should it be the federal government’s responsibility to mandate a no tolerance policy when it comes to driving and cell phone use? Or should it remain up to individual states? So far it’s proven difficult, if not impossible, to enforce these new laws—but so was seat belt use 20-30 years ago.
What do you think it will take to get us to put our cell phones down and just drive?
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Posted by Michael McDermott on Mon, Apr 30, 2012 @ 01:49 PM
Prom Season and Teen Driving: Staying Safe, Having Fun
When you think back on your teen years, maybe you’re more than a little amazed that you made it through without a serious scrape – or worse. Far too many of us remember losing high school friends to deadly car accidents, especially during prom season.
Science proves it: teens are bad drivers.
New research is coming out that proves what many of us have long suspected—teens are notoriously bad drivers (and poor decision makers). That’s because brain science has shown that teens’ frontal cortexes (the area that controls reasoning and understanding consequences) aren’t fully developed until adulthood. This may be a huge factor in why teens are involved in more vehicular accidents than any other age group.
Putting a stop to bad teen driving: what you can do.
And as much as we love our teenagers, their scientifically proven propensity for impulsive and dangerous behavior can add up to some seriously bad driving once they get behind the wheel. So what can you do to protect your teens, especially during those prom and graduation months of May through July, the deadliest time of the year for 16-21 year olds?
Communicate. And spring for a limo.
Know your teens’ friends, their friends’ parents, and where your teens will be—at all times, but especially at night. Let them know (and enforce) when they’re expected to be home, and that they’re not supposed to drink or use drugs, ever. There are many resources out there on how to talk to your kids about the dangers of using illegal and controlled substances. The unfortunate reality, however, is that most teens experiment with drugs (illegal and prescription) and alcohol—which means that planning safe transportation alternatives for your teens to special events like the prom are an expensive but extremely worthwhile option. Ask other parents to pitch in to save on the cost.
Model good driving habits.
Get your kids into the habit of wearing seat belts at all times in the car—as passengers and drivers—from a very early age. Don’t be a road rager: drive defensively. Don’t drink and drive. Be the model of good driving, so your kids have a good baseline on which to base their own good driving habits.
Driver's education alone isn’t enough.
High school driver education course is an obvious must for teens wanting their permits and licenses, but it’s not enough. As a parent or guardian of a teenager, check out the host of information provided by the National Safety Council pertaining to under-21 year olds and driving. And be sure to devote plenty of time to accompany your teens when they’re learning to drive. The more supervision they get from you, the better.
Don’t let your teen drive at night if you can help it.
More experienced drivers know it’s harder to drive at night than during the day. Most fatal crashes with teen drivers happen from 9 PM to midnight, a time when there’s an increased risk of drug and alcohol use—or just time for more socializing, which in turn encourages more distracted driving and more risk taking behaviors.
Image is (almost) everything for teens. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the final say in the type of car they drive. When it comes to teen drivers, bigger is better; smaller, faster cars are not. Giving your driving-age teens access to cars with the latest safety technology, like side air bags and electronic stability control, can’t hurt either.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Posted by Michael McDermott on Tue, Apr 10, 2012 @ 12:01 PM
Spring driving - snow and ice are behind us, time to think about April showers!
Here are a few safe driving tips for spring, for you and your teens:
Drive slow. Wet roads caused by spring rains can cause hydroplaning, and can be just as slick as black ice. Rain causes oils to create a slick surface on roads, so go slow on wet roads to keep better control over your car.
Check your tires. During your spring tune up, be sure to check for worn tire treads and replace all-weather or snow tires with fresh ones. It’s usually better to replace all four tires at once, to ensure even wear (and you won’t forget which ones you changed, and when). Make sure your tires are inflated properly—you’ll be safer, because you’ll have better control over your car, and you’ll get better mileage, which will save money on gas.
Replace wipers. Spring rains also mean worn out windshield (and rear window) wipers. Check that your front and back wipers are in good shape, and replace them if you need to—refill your wiper fluid while you’re at it, too.
Lights on for safety. Downpours can also make visibility tough for you and other motorists driving around you. Make sure your vehicle’s lights: headlights, taillights, turn signals, back-up lights, turn signals and brake lights are all in good working order. Once your lights are checked and ready to go, keep your headlights on when you’re driving for safety.
Spring is prom season. This is the time of year when teens are going to proms, and, unfortunately, are also tempted to drink and drive. Talk to your teenagers about the dangers of underage drinking and safe driving—the best time to do this is well before they get their licenses and start to drive. Make alcohol and drugs absolutely off limits, all the time. Consider arranging for a limo or taxi to take your teens to special nighttime events like the prom. For more information on how to speak to your teenagers about safe driving, click here to get the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration’s excellent website for tips that could save your teen’s life.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Sources:
Posted by Brenna Gimler on Fri, Apr 06, 2012 @ 11:40 AM
Spring is in the air and spring fever is everywhere.
This past winter didn't give New Englanders much to complain about, and as we head excitedly into spring we are beginning to see joggers, walkers, bikers and gardening gurus make the most of this beautiful weather. One thing that the warm weather also brings is the familiar smell of backyard burning. I personally love the smell of a backyard fire and relish the smell that lingers on my clothes long after the fire is extinguished. With all the enjoyment and good memories these backyard traditions bring, they also raise the caution flag for danger. Backyard fires can be quite enjoyable provided that they are managed with the utmost caution.
According to a report from FEMA, in 2009 outdoor fires accounted for approximately 41% of all fires that were reported to fire departments. On average, outdoor fires cause 875 civilian injuries and 50 deaths annually. Whether you are burning brush or just roasting marshmallows, safety is the most important factor in lighting and managing any backyard fire. Each community within a given state will have written rules on backyard fires available at the local fire department, which will tell you when your burning season begins and ends and indicates the telephone numbers to call to verify if burning is allowed on any given day.
Assuming that you have an approved day for burning, here are some safety tips to help you enjoy your backyard fire.
- Choose a safe spot more than 10 feet away from brush and trees in a 10 foot circle that has been carved down to dirt. Make sure the area is free from dry leaves, grass, twigs and pine needles.
- Use tinder, kindling and fuel (larger pieces of wood) in a Tipi formation to get your fire started
- Remember that a fire needs oxygen to burn so leave space for air flow between branches and kindling
- Light the fire with a match or a lighter.
- Discard used matches in the fire.
- Keep the fire small and under control once it is lit.
- Keep a considerable distance away from the fire to avoid sparks that may be thrown from splintering wood as it burns.
- Keep fire control tools such as a shovel, rake and water supply (in the form of a pressurized water fire extinguisher, a pump can or garden hose) nearby at all times.
- Be aware of the direction in which the wind is blowing. Sudden wind change is how most open burning gets out of control.
- NEVER leave a fire unattended.
- Do not fall asleep while the fire is burning.
- Never leave children unattended or allow them to play around a fire.
- Make sure the fire is completely extinguished before retiring for the evening.
Enjoy your family around the campfire as often as possible this spring, but take the necessary precautions to be safe. For more fire safety tips like these you can visit any of these websites:
http://www.smokeybear.com/build-campfire.asp
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/dfs/osfm/pubed/flyers/open-burning-fire-factors.pdf
http://firepitshelper.com/Fire_pit_safety.html
Brenna Gimler is the Digital Experience Coordinator at Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency in Taunton Mass. She is part of the Marketing team and manages Farrell's Social Media presence including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the company Blog. She holds a BA in Communication from Bridgewater State University and an MSM in Business Management from Lesley University.
Farrell Backlund is a leading Independent Insurance Agency serving the Southeastern Mass area. Farrell Backlund has 6 locations with a total of 75 employees and specializes in Personal Insurance, Business Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Workers Compensation and Employee Benefits. The agency is also the only local Independent Agent to hold a 5 Star designation.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Posted by Christopher Heylin on Fri, Mar 30, 2012 @ 08:37 AM
Thunderstorms & Lightening: 10 Safe Driving Tips
April showers bring May flowers—unless it’s New England, where unpredictable weather (remember the April Fool’s snowstorm last year? We blocked it out, too.) is the norm. This spring has been so warm that many of the flowers are already here, but the rains are not.
Flowers or no flowers, here are some driving tips that can help keep you and your family safe during flash thunderstorms and lightening that can cause flash flooding, downed power lines and trees, and make roadways treacherous in just seconds:
Check the weather in your area to stay up to date about approaching storms. If there is a severe storm watch, don’t drive unless you absolutely have to.- Turn your headlights on and slow down for safety. Give yourself plenty of space between cars for braking.
- If you’re driving in the middle of a storm, pull over to the shoulder of the road away from possible falling trees or tree limbs.
- Stay in your car with the hazard lights on until heavy rains and winds subside.
- You’re safer staying inside your car, which provides better insulation from lightening.
- During a lightening storm, don’t touch any metal conducting surfaces inside or outside your car.
- Use caution when approaching intersections; treat traffic lights as stop signs.
- Don’t drive on flooded roadways.
- Avoid fallen power lines.
- Make sure your windshield wipers and tires are in good condition and are ready for severe weather.
Anything we missed? Let us know in the comment section below!
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Source: Weather.com
Posted by Michael McDermott on Wed, Mar 28, 2012 @ 09:19 AM
How to Read a Vehicle History Report: 4 Warning Signs.
Full speed ahead?
Before you buy your next used car, it makes sense to take some extra time to study its vehicle history report. Before you make a purchase and drive off with a potential lemon, here are four major warning signs to look out for, courtesy of AOL’s comprehensive Autos website:
- Who drove it? The more owners the car you’re interested in has had, the greater the chances it has been a victim of abuse or neglect. Steer clear (sorry we couldn’t resist) of former rental cars or taxis, which are often much cheaper to buy but not to repair.
- Where did they drive it? New England is much tougher on cars than warmer, sunnier Southern climes, but so can floods, extreme prolonged heat, or cars that have spent too much time by the seashore can be hiding some serious damage.
- Is the report accurate? Check that the car in the report is the same one in front of you. Does it have the same model name, color and VIN number as the car described in the report? By reviewing the report carefully, you’ll be able to detect for things like VIN cloning, when thieves take the VIN number of a legally owned (not stolen) car and use it to hide the identity of a stolen vehicle that’s a similar make and model. A Carfax report will contain a detailed description of the car, so you can be sure the car you’re looking at is the same one in the report. Carfax’s database includes more than 8 billion reports from thousands of private and public sources, such as the DMVs in the United States and Canada, as well as inspection stations, car auctions, fleet and rental agencies, auto manufacturers, and fire and police departments.
- Any signs of body work? Besides the obvious dents and dings, check if the report mentions major body work, a potential signal of an unreported accident.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Sources:
www.carfax.com
http://autos.aol.com/article/how-to-read-a-vehicle-history-report/
Posted by Michael McDermott on Fri, Mar 23, 2012 @ 01:26 PM
Filling potholes offer a temporary solution...
Drive on any highway or heavily traveled road in New England, home to some of the harshest weather and heaviest traffic in the county, and you can see signs of dead and dying pavement everywhere. Filling potholes offer a temporary solution, only delaying the inevitable for a year or so. It’s plain to see that America’s infrastructure is crumbling. The roads, bridges and highways, upon which our economy depends, are in dire need of repair across the country.
As Congress debates on funding for a new, comprehensive transportation bill, National Public Radio’s recent piece, “Pounding Pavement In Search Of A Smoother Drive” explores how researchers at the University of Davis in California are trying to stretch their state’s transportation dollars by creating new types of pavements that reduce noise and increase fuel efficiency. Their research addresses an urgent need: while California’s transportation agency estimated in 2011 that it needs $7 billion for necessary freeway repairs, its state budget meted out just $2 billion.
It wasn’t always this way. The United States Congress funded the construction of the Interstate Highway System in 1956. Federal and state governments also set up gas taxes to pay for road maintenance, but revenues have fallen as cars became more fuel-efficient. If nothing is done, some analysts estimate the federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of funds completely by 2014. Still, the federal government spends about $100 billion a year on roads, which means making even small improvements in pavement technology can have a large impact.
For example, new concrete pavements, such as an experimental section on a Sacramento freeway, are porous. By squeezing the air out from passing car tires down into the pavement, the new technology significantly cuts down on highway noise—a big plus for densely populated communities near highways. These breakthrough pavements could also reduce the need for expensive sound barrier walls, which often cost more to build and install than the roads they shield.
Other technologies can save you money, too. Smoother roads cut down on the amount of fuel consumption, and save your car from wear and tear. To learn more about what’s next for America’s roads, click here.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Posted by Michael McDermott on Fri, Mar 09, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
Gas prices are up: 5 things you can do
The price of gas is going up: but we’ve experienced this before. The volatility we’re seeing in fuel prices is cyclical and is a result of a number of factors. However there are things you can do over the short- and long-term to save money on gasoline.
- Reassess your driving habits. Be thoughtful about where, what and when you drive—and with who. If possible, opt for a more fuel-efficient model instead of driving a giant SUV, minivan or other vehicle that gets less than stellar gas mileage. If you can, take alternative forms of transportation. Ride share or car pool. Walk. Take public transportation. Ride a bike—if you live or work in Boston, the popular Hubway bike sharing program is back this spring, and is expanding this year to include stations in Somerville and Brookline. And how about this statistic for riding a bike, from a fascinating recent FastCompanyx infographic: the average bike commuter loses 13 pounds during their first year of riding a bike to work. Not bad!
- Maintain your car. Check your tires, and schedule regular tune-ups. Taking good care of your car will help it run more efficiently. It will also save you money at the pump and on more costly repairs down the road (pun intended).
- Search online for the best prices. Websites like Plymouth Rock’s Gas Price Finder can help you find the best gas prices in your area, so you don’t waste gas (and time) driving around to hunt down the best deals.
- Use a gas rewards credit card. Save while you spend. This blog post from US News and World Report delves into some of the details on how, with a little legwork, using cash back credit cards with higher earning rates on gas purchases, or credit cards affiliated with certain gas stations can help you save money on gas.
- Drive more carefully. Don’t idle your car for long periods in the parking lot or by sitting in traffic (sometimes traffic jams are an unavoidable fact of life, but you get the idea). Try not to accelerate or slow down too quickly—one way to do this is to pay more attention to traffic stops and starts in your lane and the lanes around you, and drive accordingly—which means riding the brakes as little as possible. Avoid major tie-ups if you can by traveling during off-peak times. The constant speed-slow-stop cycle not only wears down your car, it puts a considerable dent in your car’s fuel efficiency.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.
Posted by Brenna Gimler on Thu, Mar 08, 2012 @ 09:19 AM
Introducing our Guest Blogger - Brenna Gimler
As a result of my daily reading of massive amounts of information (thank God for Google Reader!), I have a few words of advice for those attempting to engage their audience through Social Media. These tidbits of wisdom, which, no doubt, have been slung across your screen by others, bear repeating. I would even consider them cardinal rules because they are so important. I refer to them as the Five Deadly Sins of Social Media.
- Eye Catching Titles – You MUST have an interesting title that catches the eye of the reader. Ryan Hanley actually blogged about this recently – you have about two seconds to catch someone’s attention or no matter how great your material is, it will not be read. Your title is the most important component of anything you are writing, sharing or blogging about. Be creative. Think outside the box, use acronyms, clichés, humor or whatever you can think of to "Hook" your reader into reading your material. You can't drive your car if there isn't any gas in it right?
- Be Consistent – Don’t overpromise in your title and under-deliver in your content. There is nothing more irritating than reading this great title and being utterly disappointed with the rest of the material. Put as much work into the body of what you are writing as you do the title.
- Use SPELLCHECK – Please use spell check and then ask someone to read your article for missing words such as "a" or "the". As the writer your mind will fill these in, because you know what you meant when you wrote it. Your reader however doesn't have that luxury. Yes, they may be able to extrapolate (+5 points for use of a great word!) what should be written but they shouldn't have to.
- Be Social – One of the hardest things to do when implementing a good Social Media strategy is to BE social. Don't make every post on every day all about business. People do NOT want to be bombarded with work – specifically your work. This is especially true with the industry I am in, Insurance. I can post 100 very interesting and useful articles that discuss insurance inside and out. Explain the “how to’s” and helpful tips but that will NOT engage my audience as much as posting random things like quote of the day or “this day in history” facts. Don't be afraid to throw in fun things too. You are more likely to gain followers & friends that way.
- Watch Your Language - Nothing is worse than reading a blog post riddled with obscenities. It's not professional or funny or appropriate. One maybe, but every other sentence will cause me to hit the big "X" in the upper right corner sending you "directly to jail without passing Go, or collecting $200". It's the easiest way to watch your fan base hit the deck.
So there you have it, my “Five Deadly Sins to Social Media”. I will just add that these “rules” should apply to both readers and writers in most situations, so be aware at all times. What do you think? Are there others that you would like to add? Share them here.
Brenna Gimler is the Digital Experience Coordinator at Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency in Taunton Mass. She is part of the Marketing team and manages Farrell's Social Media presence including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the company Blog. She holds a BA in Communication from Bridgewater State University and an MSM in Business Management from Lesley University.
Farrell Backlund is a leading Independent Insurance Agency serving the Southeastern Mass area. Farrell Backlund has 6 locations with a total of 75 employees and specializes in Personal Insurance, Business Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Workers Compensation and Employee Benefits. The agency is also the only local Independent Agent to hold a 5 Star designation.
Headquartered in Boston, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation provides auto insurance to personal and commercial auto insurance customers in MA and CT. Plymouth Rock is the flagship carrier of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which together write and manage over $1 billion in auto and homeowner’s insurance throughout the Northeast.