by California Casualty | Educators, Safety, Travel |
Back-to-school means back to hectic schedules. Between sports, clubs, and other after-school events it feels like you are being pulled in all directions. Considering that other parents are making the same hectic trek, there’s an opportunity to lighten the load. Carpooling.
Not only can carpooling free up your schedule, but it can also help you save on gas. (Definitely a bonus!) Follow these tips to set up your carpool experience for success.
1. Find your carpool buddies.
It’s best to carpool within a trusted network of fellow parents. Don’t worry about coordinating around age or gender. The goal is to make your life easier and not simply offer car time for your child and his bestie.
That being said, start with your child’s friend group and see who might be joining the same activities. If they live nearby, that could be a match. Otherwise, ask the coach or coordinator for a parent contact list and reach out to those who live close to you. Also talk to parents at activity pickup, at school PTO meetings, or at your local religious services. Even friends of friends might be good carpool candidates.
Pro Tip: Pick the right number of kids for your carpool. Younger children need more attention and so their carpools should be smaller.
2. Set the schedule.
It’s important to make a set schedule so that kids aren’t left waiting. Using a carpool app can help you organize, and some apps even come with reminders. Some popular apps include Carpool-kids, Waze Carpool, and GoKid. You can even use Signup Genius or Google sheets. (If you use Google, you will want to download the sheets app to your smartphone.) You also can do an email or text chain.
Choose the system that works for your group and make sure everyone is comfortable with it. Also, it’s important to make sure you can communicate with other parents in the case of an emergency, accident, sickness, or unexpected change of plans. (Anyone who has forgotten an early dismissal day knows the importance of communication.)
Pro Tip: Post a copy of the carpool schedule near the door and include it in your child’s backpack. This way, he or she knows who is picking up.
3. Set expectations.
If possible, schedule an in-person meeting with your carpool participants. Not only does it make it easier to create the schedule, it helps you come to an agreement on rules and expectations. For example, how many minutes late is too late? What is the policy if you’re picking up a child who is not ready? Verify schedules and conflicts. Determine food allergies if any. Inquire about health-related concerns.
Pro Tip: Important point for discussion: Don’t let anyone outside of the carpool cover the route (e.g. babysitter, grandma) unless every parent is aware and agrees.
4. Stay safe.
Don’t forget to discuss the safety rules. For example, children must enter and exit the vehicle from the curbside. Only kids who are 13 and older may ride in the front passenger seat. Students who do not meet the necessary height and weight requirements must ride in a booster seat.
For carpools, consider harness-style options that move the seatbelt down, rather than boost the child up, such as the WhizRider. These lightweight accessories can travel with your child and fit right in their backpack for easy access for carpooling.
5. Do a practice run.
You know the route to your child’s activities but you may not be familiar with the addresses where you are dropping your carpool kids. Do a practice run with the kids. Take a trip to the local ice cream parlor or head to the library. This will help you to work out any issues before you start.
6. Bring snacks.
If you’re shuttling kids from school to after-school activities, snacks and drinks are a must. Even if you’re just taking them home, you’ll find that food and drinks help to keep them happy. Greet kids with healthy portable snacks that don’t create too much mess. Chilled water in reusable bottles make a great choice because if they’re spilled, there won’t be too much mess. Keep any food allergies in mind when selecting snacks; alternatively, you can ask parents to pack their own child’s treat.
Pro Tip: Have a cleanup pack on hand that includes paper towels and baby wipes. Put a trash bag in the backseat where the kids can put their trash.
7. Don’t forget entertainment.
Even a short car ride can be made more enjoyable when the occupants are entertained. This may include car karaoke with their favorite songs or taking turns reading aloud from a joke book. You also may want to provide games with magnetic pieces. Just make sure you have a place to store them, such as with a backseat organizer. For older kids with different musical preferences, headphones work well as they listen or watch on their devices. Finally, if you’re going to be waiting in the car, keep the things that entertain you. Bring a favorite book, a relaxing playlist, and a charger, and enjoy some much-deserved quiet time.
8. Check in with your child.
Things may be going well on your end, but you don’t know what happens when the other parents are driving. Check-in periodically with your child. Get his or her perspective on the carpool, and make adjustments as needed. It’s also a chance to determine if you need to rethink participating in a carpool.
Finally, if you’re transporting precious cargo, you’ll want to ensure that your vehicle is carpool ready. Keep your car well maintained. Protect your vehicle with the right insurance for peace of mind.
Safe travels.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Auto Insurance Info |
You got a new car—or a “new” used car. Now you have to figure out your car insurance. Here’s what you need to know about the most common types of auto coverage: liability and coverage for damage to your auto (comprehensive and collision).
Liability Coverage – What is it?
If you cause an accident, you are liable (responsible) for damages. Liability coverage is used to pay for those damages that you caused. Importantly, it does not cover any damage to your own vehicle; that’s covered by collision. It also does not cover injury to you and your family; it only covers the people in the other car. Liability coverage is required by law in most states.
There are two types of liability coverage:
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- Bodily injury coverage helps pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering for the driver and passengers in the other vehicle.
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- Property damage coverage helps pay for repairs for the other vehicle or for repair/replacement of property, such as a fence, damaged or destroyed in the collision.
We say “helps pay” because it depends on how much coverage you choose. The costs of an accident can be more than your insurance policy limit.
You choose a coverage limit.
Each state sets a minimum amount. The main goal of liability insurance is to protect your assets, and so you may choose a higher limit than the state specifies. You’ll want to take into account the amount of medical expenses that could be incurred in an accident. You could be responsible for lost wages for the driver. Even if he or she dies, you could be providing lost wages for the driver’s family.
Your insurance will only pay for the amount that you’ve designated. The rest comes from your pocket.
Example: Let’s say your liability limit is $50,000 per person. The driver of the car you hit has $40,000 in medical expenses. His passenger has $60,000. You would be responsible for paying $10,000 of medical costs for the passenger.
California Casualty offers a Package Discount where you may actually pay a bit less for carrying above state minimums and a discount if you carried 100/300 with your prior carrier. It doesn’t always cost a lot to bump up your coverage.
Most auto policies have three liability limits:
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- Bodily injury liability limit per person
- Bodily injury liability limit per accident
- Property damage liability limit per accident
Limits are usually listed as follows: 30/60/15 describing $30,000, $60,000, and $15,000 of coverage respectively for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage. Some insurers offer a combined single liability limit that covers both bodily injury and property damage.
Liability coverage can protect you in a lawsuit.
The driver of the other car may decide to sue you. If that’s the case, your home and savings could be at risk. Liability insurance could help protect these assets by covering the cost of the lawsuit, lawyer’s fees and court costs.
Collision Coverage – What is it?
Collision coverage helps to pay to repair your vehicle or get one of equivalent cash value if yours is totaled. This applies both to accidents with other drivers and collisions with objects such as a fence or mailbox. It also covers vehicle rollovers. Unlike liability insurance, collision coverage is not usually required—unless you’re leasing a car or paying off a loan on a vehicle. However, it may be good to have.
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- If you’re in a crash with another driver, and they were totally at fault, their property damage liability insurance will pay for your car’s repair or replacement.
- Your collision insurance kicks in if the other driver does not have enough property damage insurance—and if you don’t have underinsured (UI) or uninsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
- UI and UIM coverages are for injuries that you sustain if hit by an at-fault uninsured or underinsured motorist. You would either need to carry collision or uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) coverage. This coverage often has a maximum limit (for example, $3,500). Most people carry one or the other but not both.
- If you were at fault in an accident, your collision insurance will cover the costs of your repairs.
Your coverage limit is the value of your car.
The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value of your car. If you total a used car, you’ll receive a total loss settlement that will go toward replacing your car.
With collision coverage, you will have a deductible. This is the amount that you have to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance kicks in. Choosing a higher deductible is one way to lower your insurance premiums. In most cases, you can’t buy collision-only coverage; you have to buy comprehensive coverage, too.
Comprehensive Coverage – What is it?
Comprehensive coverage is for damage to your vehicle other than collisions. Therefore, it’s not for accidents. It is for natural disasters, fires, vandalism, theft, and animals that damage your vehicle. Think of it as “bad luck coverage.” Comprehensive coverage is not usually required unless you’re leasing a vehicle or paying a car loan.
As with collision, your coverage limit is the actual cash value of your car.
Comprehensive coverage pays as much as the total value of your car—but not more. It makes sense to cover a new car. If your car is old and has little value, you may opt not to have comprehensive coverage. Just make sure if you do, that you have the funds available to repair or replace your car. With comprehensive coverage, you usually have a deductible. California Casualty does offer a policy with a zero deductible.
Do I really need comprehensive coverage?
Let’s say you have an old car, paid in full, that isn’t worth much. Car and Driver offers the following formula to determine If you need comprehensive insurance.
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- Calculate your vehicle’s value.
- Subtract the deductible on your insurance policy.
- Subtract the cost of a six-month policy for comprehensive coverage.
- If you get a negative amount, it’s probably not worth it to continue to pay for this coverage.
Where you live may influence your decision.
If you live in a high-crime area, a wooded area with lots of deer, or a place with severe weather or flooding, you will want comprehensive insurance. It offers additional peace of mind for some likely scenarios.
Liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage are the main parts of a vehicle insurance policy. You can check the declarations page of your vehicle policy to see how much you are paying for each. For an overview of the car insurance you need, contact your insurance agent.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Firefighters, Peace Officers, Safety, Travel |
You hear sirens and see flashing lights. There’s only one thing to do. Pull over.
There’s a reason you’re moving out of the way.
Even a few minutes delay can be a matter of life and death when you’re traveling by ambulance. The same holds true if a first responder can’t get to the scene of an accident, a fire, or disaster. Emergency vehicles need to get to the place where they can help people. If you’re on the road where they are traveling, you can help them get there by giving them a clear path to their destination.
Your moving car is dangerous to stopped vehicles.
You may have noticed a police officer, a roadside worker, a car pulled over on the side of the road, or even a wreck. Driving by them or rubbernecking at high rates of speed is dangerous. According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), “making a traffic or emergency stop on the side of our nation’s highways is one of the most dangerous things law enforcement officers do in the line of duty.”
Every two weeks, a first responder or roadside worker loses his/her life, reported AAA. The agency recommends slowing down to a speed that is 10-20 mph slower than the speed limit and changing lanes to be further away.
Pay attention so you’ll hear and see emergency vehicles.
If you have the radio blaring, if you’re texting, or otherwise distracted, you may not see or hear an emergency vehicle approaching. You might not know that you have to pull over until that vehicle is right there. Not only is that stressful, but your quick actions might also cause a collision.
Here’s what to do when you see lights and hear sirens.
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- Put on your turn signal and slow down.
- Check your mirrors and make sure the way is clear.
- Move over to the shoulder and park your vehicle.
- Wait until the emergency vehicle has passed. You will want to stay at least 500 feet behind it.
- Check your mirrors, put on your turn signal and carefully pull back into traffic.
Importantly, don’t slam on your brakes. Don’t travel through a red light. Don’t stop in the middle of your lane. And never try to outrun an emergency vehicle.
Where you are, and the direction you’re traveling, matter.
Emergency vehicles don’t always come from behind you. Sometimes they are traveling in the opposite direction, on the other side of the road. Do you still have to move over? Check your state laws for the rules regarding moving over for emergency vehicles.
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- If you are traveling in a high-speed lane, and there is no room to stop, slow down.
- If you are traveling in the left lane, go right as traffic on the right moves over.
- If you are stopped at an intersection, stay there.
- If the emergency vehicle is traveling on the opposite side of a divided highway, you don’t need to pull over.
- If the emergency vehicle is traveling on the opposite side of the road, and there is no divider, pull over to your right. That vehicle may need to use your lane to get by.
Every state in the U.S. has a move-over law. Most people don’t know about it. Check your state’s law and learn what you need to do to keep everyone safe.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Auto Insurance Info, Homeowners Insurance Info |
Your student is headed to college out-of-state – or across the state. It’s a milestone, and you’re helping them set up all of the necessary items associated with that big move, furniture, textbooks, food, cleaning supplies, etc.
In the midst of all of your preparation, don’t forget one of the most important items – insurance. Whether they stay on your policy or decide to get one of their own, you want to make sure your son or daughter is fully covered in terms of car and home/renters insurance.
Auto Insurance
Here are some common auto insurance questions for parents of college students.
My student won’t have a car away at school; do I still need to keep them insured?
Some students drive thousands of miles away so they can have their car with them, but others would rather keep their cars at home, and opt for flying in and using public transportation when they arrive. To avoid overcrowding, some schools even set limits on who can have cars on campus.
If your son or daughter will not have a car at college, you should still keep your student on your auto policy. This will avoid a lapse in coverage, and he/she may need to drive in an emergency and also will be coming home for breaks. (If your child has a car that will be kept at home and not driven while he/she is at school, ask your insurance company whether you qualify for a discounted rate.)
Do I need to change my insurance coverage to the state where the college is located?
Since college is not considered a permanent address, your student can keep his state driver’s license and the car may be registered and insured in your home state. However, you will want to check the insurance requirements where your student is attending college—and make sure that your state’s policy meets their minimum standards in the event of an accident. Either way, make sure that you notify the insurance company that the car will be kept in a different state so that they may update their records.
Should my student get his/her own auto policy?
As long as your son or daughter is still living with you, and you own the car he/she is driving, there is no need to get them their own car insurance, unless you would like to. There also is no specific age where you have to make that transition. A common time to switch to their own policy is when young adults move from the family home to their own first apartment.
If your student is living off-campus, and maintaining that address year-round, you may consider a separate auto policy.
Are there any discounts that we qualify for?
Your student may qualify for a good student driver discount, available from many insurance companies with proof of grades. Ask your insurance agent for other discounts that may be available.
Don’t forget! If your student is enrolled in school full time, was a resident of your household before moving out to attend school, and is a relative 24 years or younger or 21 or younger and in your care, your California Casualty homeowner’s policy offers the personal property protection they need as well.
Whether your child stays in a dorm on campus or resides in a leased residence off-campus, 10% of your homeowner’s personal property coverage (coverage c) extends to their possessions while they are away. If you believe they need more than that 10% coverage – for expensive musical instruments or computer equipment – then consider adding a scheduled personal property endorsement to your policy. With computers, tablets, smartphones, gaming systems, furniture and clothes, you would be spending thousands of dollars to replace your student’s possessions without this layer of protection.
You can’t be with them at college, but you can still protect them—with the right insurance.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Auto Insurance Info |
It’s tempting to look when you drive by an accident. You slow down and glance back, taking your eyes off the road for a brief moment. It’s a practice called rubbernecking, and it is a form of distracted driving.
The term rubbernecking dates back to the late 1890s, to describe people who turned their heads to listen to other people’s conversations. By the early 1900s, rubbernecking was used to describe tourists striving to see everything from their seats in wagons, cars, and buses. Today, it is a term for motorists who slow down, craning their necks to see an accident, usually on the other side of the road.
Why do we rubberneck?
Blame it on our natural curiosity. Those flashing lights attract our attention. We may be concerned about the people involved in the accident. We want to find out what’s going on. We can’t seem to look away, a reaction that may be tied to our fight-or-flight instinct. Our brain is evaluating the threat.
While rubbernecking may be a natural response, it is not a safe one. Here’s what you need to know about rubbernecking, including how to keep yourself safe on the road.
Rubbernecking…
Is distracted driving.
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- A glance away of just 5 seconds when you’re traveling 55 mph means you have traveled the length of a football field without looking at where you were going!
Delays your response time.
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- When you take your eyes off the road, you miss seeing brake lights, traffic lights, and pedestrians. By the time you see them, it may be too late to avoid a car accident.
Causes accidents.
Can also cause traffic jams.
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- Rubbernecking starts a chain reaction of braking, which slows everyone down even though there is no real barrier on the road ahead.
Tips to Prevent Rubber Necking
Follow these steps to keep you and your passengers safe.
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- Keep your eyes on the road. Resist the urge to look.
- Turn on your blinkers so cars behind you know you are slowing down.
- Ask your passengers to refrain from rubbernecking or taking photos or videos of the accident. Their movements in the car to get a good picture could cause added distractions or a blind spot for you, the driver.
- Be extra careful driving by a crash. Know that other drivers may not be paying attention because they’re rubbernecking.
- If you don’t have to be on the road during busy times, you may be able to avoid the holiday traffic and the potential for rubbernecking.
Using crash screens can also help reduce rubbernecking. A University of Florida study found that screens that blocked the view of an accident were effective in reducing rubbernecking.
We are still in the 100 Deadliest Days, so remember as you get on the road this summer, travel safely. And if you see an accident, try your best to keep your eyes on the road ahead.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
