Breaking down on a busy street or highway can be dangerous. Roadside assistance is an add-on coverage that’s at your service 24/7 to help you get back on the road safely if you are left stranded due to an accident or car problems.
Whether you run out of gas, a tire blows out, or you are experiencing any other kind of car or engine trouble, roadside assistance has your back. Instead of spending money on an expensive tow, you can rest assured knowing that you are covered when you choose to add it on to your auto insurance policy.
Plus, when you add roadside assistance to your coverage you will pay as little as around $1 a month. This is a coverage you can’t afford to NOT have!
And you won’t even have to remember to make additional payments to keep roadside assistance. Your cost of coverage will be rolled into your monthly premium to help make payments more convenient for you.
Talk to your insurance agent to understand what is covered. Ask about additional services and the exclusions and limitations when adding roadside assistance to your policy.
Why Do I Need It?
Roadside assistance offers you fast, reliable service available to you when you need it most. Here’s why everyone should add this coverage on to their auto insurance policy.
Affordability. With annual prices as low as $1 dollar a month, you won’t even feel like you’re paying for additional coverage. Rates at these prices can’t be beaten even by other big-name clubs or associations like AAA.
24/7 hour service. No matter if your car breaks down at 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. you will never be stranded, roadside assistance will come to you at any time of day or night to help service or tow your vehicle.
Peace of mind. If your car is older, or starts having mechanical issues you can have peace of mind driving to your destination (no matter how far) knowing that roadside assistance is a phone call away.
Towing. Car tows are very common and can be costly if you do not pay for roadside assistance. The average cost for a car tow without roadside coverage is $109.
Teen Driver Safety. If your family has a teen driver on the road, as parents you can breathe easier when handing over the keys knowing your young driver can call roadside assistance for help if the unexpected were to happen.
If you have an auto policy without roadside assistance, what are you waiting for? Call and add-on this cheap and essential coverage today at: 1.800.800.9410
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.
No one likes getting cut off in traffic or the feeling of a tailgater trailing closely behind. When those feelings cross the line from irritation to retaliatory action, that’s road rage. Road rage, as most of us know, is significant anger and/or aggression directed toward one driver by another. It can be in the form of insults, gestures, physical attacks, and even dangerous driving maneuvers that can run you off the road.
Road rage is a form of distracted driving that can lead to collisions, injuries, and even death. Knowing how to keep your cool behind the wheel, and what to do if you are targeted by road rage, will help prevent accidents and bring you safely back home.
Road rage is more common than you think.
The majority of American drivers – almost 80 percent – admitted to aggressive driving or feelings of road rage in 2019, according to the AAA Foundation. The Foundation’s analysis of 10,000+ road rage incidents over 7 years revealed 12,610 injuries and 218 deaths. Road rage is a factor in more than half of all fatal collisions.
Know the causes of road rage.
There are many triggers for road rage. Most often, aggressive behavior stems from angry emotions that get out of hand due to situational circumstances, such as traffic conditions, or the driver’s own mental state.
Road rage can be a habitual or learned behavior. Drivers may be in the habit of yelling at cars that cut them off. They may perceive the behavior as normal.
Cars provide a layer of anonymity that makes it easy to “rage.” In road rage incidents, drivers do not see another person; they see a vehicle. As a result, they don’t think of the individual/family they will be affecting when they lash out at another driver.
Drivers who “rage” may have a disregard for the law. They may be speeders and tailgaters, and have the perception that they are above the law.
Traffic congestion and delays can cause road rage. Drivers who are running late are more likely to get upset during heavy traffic conditions.
Distracted driving may prompt road rage. Drivers on their cell phones could contribute to road rage reactions when they don’t move as planned through traffic.
Know how to prevent road rage.
You don’t have to be an aggressive driver to experience road rage. It can happen to anyone! Here are some ways to stay cool behind the wheel.
Make sure that you’re well-rested and ready to drive. Get enough sleep. Limit alcohol intake. If you’ll be traveling long distances, take time for regular stops to recharge.
Leave plenty of time for your trip. Drivers who leave early are less likely to be stressed about traffic congestion or angry at other drivers who may delay the journey.
Play soothing music. Set the mood for a relaxing trip with a soothing soundtrack.
Don’t honk or yell. Raising your voice and honking your horn only serves to escalate a situation.
Don’t tailgate. Leaving enough space between you and other cars helps prevent incidents that can lead to road rage.
Remember to show some empathy. Everyone has a bad day now and again. Give your fellow driver the benefit of the doubt. He/she may not have meant to cut you off.
Know what to do If you’re a victim of road rage.
It can be frightening if you are the target of road rage. The most important thing to remember is to keep your cool, and follow these suggestions.
Don’t return gestures. Don’t make eye contact. Engaging with an angry driver only escalates the potential for road rage. Keep your eyes on the road and, if possible, distance yourself from aggressive drivers.
If you’re being tailgated, switch lanes. Try to move out of range of the other driver. Do not slam on the brakes to get them to back off. That tactic is dangerous.
Stay behind an aggressive driver. Being in front of an aggressive driver puts you in their field of vision. Moving behind, and lengthening your distance, can help.
Don’t pull over and stop. Unless you are stopping at a stoplight or stop sign, do not stop. Stopping your car is the precursor to engaging with the other driver—something that you do not want to do.
If the harassment continues, pull into a police station. There may be times when you cannot shake the aggressive driver. In those cases, the best tactic is to head to the nearest police station.
Look out for road rage during these high-travel months.
Any time there is traffic and congestion on the roads is a time that could trigger road rage. The summer months, and especially August, have been shown to be prone to incidents of road rage. Similarly, holiday travel in December with its associated congestion, traffic delays, and inclement weather, can produce the conditions ripe for road rage.
Plan your travel accordingly and follow these tips to help keep you and your family safe.
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.
A tire blowout is a rapid loss of air that causes your vehicle to lose control. It’s a dangerous surprise that can happen anytime your car is in motion. If you are driving down the road and suddenly hear a loudPOP or THUD and feel your car begin to jerk or pull to the side, odds are you have just experienced a blowout.
Tire blowouts can be frightening, especially for young or inexperienced drivers, and can cause you to feel like you’re losing control of your vehicle. Blowouts cause 78,000 crashes a year, so keeping your cool and knowing how to proceed after a blowout is vital.
Here’s what to do if a blowout happens to you.
Step 1: Don’t panic. The most important thing you can do during a blowout is to stay calm. Don’t try to immediately overcorrect or press on your brakes- this could cause you to lose even more control.
Step 2: Grip the steering wheel firmly. Keep both hands on the steering wheel and keep the car moving forward in a straight line. You may feel the need to try and steer off to the side of the road or overcorrect if it starts to fishtail- don’t. To avoid an accident keep the car as straight as you can.
Step 3: Tap your gas pedal. If you are trying to regain control of your vehicle, accelerating lightly will help you because you are keeping your forward momentum. Braking immediately will only cause the car to become harder to control and could lead to an accident. Gently press the gas pedal and adjust to how the car moves. Once you’ve regained full control, slowly remove your foot from the accelerator and let the car slow.
Step 4: Brake Slowly. When your speedometer reads 30mph, it’s safe to slowly begin braking. After you have slowed enough to begin hitting your breaks it is safe to steer the vehicle into the rightmost lane or shoulder of the road (if possible). Continue braking steadily until your car stops completely.
Step 5: Put on your hazards. Put it in park and turn on hazard lights or put out reflective triangles and collect yourself. If you are still in the middle of the road, you should exit your vehicle and get to safety- out of the way of a collision.
Step 6: Change your tire or call roadside assistance. If you can safely change your tire and there is no damage done to your rim, now is the time to do so. If you cannot safely change your tire or don’t have a spare call for roadside assistance.
How to Avoid a Future Blowout.
A tire blowout may happen due to a number of circumstances: underinflation, too much weight in the vehicle, hitting a pothole or other debris, and even over-wear.
To avoid a future blowout, try to miss potholes & debris- when you can safely do so- and make sure to maintain your tires. You can do this by routinely checking your tire pressure, monitoring your tires for wear and tear (even small cuts and other minor defects can lead to a blowout), and most importantly keeping up with getting new tires.
New tires can generally last you anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 miles. You will want to refer to your owner’s manual for recommendations on what tires you can put on your vehicle and their lifespan. A great way to keep your tires in check is to monitor their tread. You can do this by using the quarter test. If you are unfamiliar with the quarter test, here’s how it works- place a quarter in the center of the tread (thickest part of the tire), with the head facing you, in a new tire the quarter will easily fit and you should be unable to see the hair on the top of the head. If the hair is partially visible, you should think about replacing the tires. If you can see the very top of the head, the tires need to be replaced right away.
What About Insurance?
So, are you covered if you experience a tire blowout? Your auto insurance policy may cover sudden or accidental damage to your tires, like a blowout, depending on your policy.
Before an unexpected blowout happens to you make sure you’re covered. Check with your auto insurance provider or call in to review your policy.
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.
To many police officers, a degree of hostility from suspects and others is par for the course while on the job. However, recently the degree of animosity toward police has grown and collectively many officers are now facing a rising tide of threats. Some are even going as far as targeting off-duty officers in their personal lives.
These threats are not just physical. Due to the availability of personal information being used online and the increase in web traffic due to the pandemic, many cybercriminals and scammers are also targeting police officers online. Unfortunately, there may not be a way for officers to make these threats disappear, but there are many steps you can take to reduce danger for yourself and the people you love. Here are seven ways you can protect yourself and your family from physical, psychological, and financial threats – in person and online.
1. Secure your premises. It should go without saying, but personal safety at home starts with securing your property and your possessions. The best way to make sure you and your family stay safe from threats at home is to invest in a monitored home security system. A security system will give you 24/7 access to who is entering (or trying to enter) your home. To further protect your belongings from uninvited guests, you should avoid giving out your home address, properly secure your home – doors, windows, locks, etc. – and invest in scheduled personal property coverage.
2. Keep a low profile at home and online. Avoid any kind of threat to your home or family by maintaining a low profile.
At home: Steer clear of displaying overt symbols at your home that could indicate a police officer lives there. Avoid driving marked cars home, or leaving them parked in your driveway, change into civilian clothes when off duty, and enlist trustworthy neighbors to be on the lookout for suspicious cars or pedestrians.
Online: Do not put your department name or badge number anywhere online. Be cautious of posting any photos of yourself in your uniform on any personal profiles, and never give out any personal information to anyone on the web.
3. Communicate with your family. As much as you may try to shield your spouse and children from fear and worry, it’s important to make and share a safety plan with them. Sit down together and discuss what to do (or not do) if they feel unsafe or if they encounter a threat online.
You can also take other measures to ensure your family’s safety, like location tracking and phone monitoring apps.
4. Use social media wisely. The internet has made it easy for hostile individuals to find personal information about police officers and their families, a process known as doxxing. The data they dig up can be used to harass officers and their family members online and in person.
The best way to deal with doxxing is to be smart about what you share on social media. Avoid posting in uniform, never share personal information, and tell your family to be cautious about what they are sharing as well.
Should harassment occur through any social media platform, take immediate action and report it to these outlets, as well as to your own commanders.
Identity theft happens when your personal identifiable information (PII) becomes compromised. Identify theft can happen to anyone at any age and can completely ruin your credit. ID theft scams and fraudulent unemployment claim scams are on the rise amidst the pandemic. To avoid identity theft here’s what you can do:
Never share Social Security numbers, PINs, and other numeric data linked to your identity and logins.
Do not put credit card numbers in emails.
Avoid opening emails from people you don’t know, and never click on links or attachments unless you be can be sure that they are legitimate
Use complex and unique passwords for each of your online accounts that include a mix of letters, numbers, and typographic symbols in upper and lower case.
Do not use birthdays, anniversaries, or pet names.
Stay away from online quizzes asking for facts about your personal life events and preferences.
California Casualty offers all policyholders access to free ID theft resolution services from CyberScout. In the event you or a family member has their identity stolen and used for fraudulent transactions, the service can help limit damage, gather evidence against fraudsters, and help restore damaged credit.
6. Protect Your Finances. While monitoring your credit for any changes or signs of identity theft, you should also be keeping a close eye on all of your financial accounts for suspicious activity. You should check balances on all of your accounts as often as possible for any changes. And if your provider offers suspicious activity alerts, sign up! But be aware – some telephone scammers pose as credit card companies that will call you to try and get your account information. Never give anyone your personal information or credit card number over the phone, even if they claim they are with your provider. Instead, hang up and check for yourself.
7. Plan for your future. Having an insurance policy in place from a trusted provider can help mitigate the devastating financial challenges families can face after an auto accident, burglary, natural disaster, or more. California Casualty has been protecting police officers across the nation since 1969 and offers discounted rates and exclusive benefits including off-duty firearm coverage and the Fallen Hero benefit.
It is an unfortunate reality that the people sworn to protect society are facing these threats themselves, but police officers are no strangers to danger. As always, stay safe and be prepared.
Looking to protect your gear?
To help police officers secure their gear and their peace of mind, California Casualty is sponsoring the Safe and Secure Giveaway. This year, three first responders will win a brand-new Liberty Safe filled with 5.11 gear. Enter here for your chance to win.
Millions of Americans choose to rent over buying homes and apartments each year, and there are a ton of advantages. For instance, if a window starts leaking or the stove dies, you don’t have to pay for repairs or replacements. You have the flexibility to move when you want (subject to your lease), “try out” new cities, and avoid the big costs that go along with mortgage loans and homeownership.
To be a good tenant and start your rental out on the right foot, here are some important renter do’s and don’ts.
Do’s
Understand your lease – Make sure you and your landlord review the lease together and that you ask any questions you have. For example, does the lease allow subletters? What’s the duration and does it change after the first year?
Write an inventory – Make sure to document and log all existing damage or broken/non-functional items before you officially move in. Take photos and indicate any damage on a floor layout/ diagram. You don’t want to be on the hook for these repairs when you move out.
Understand your responsibilities – As the tenant, you may be required to do things like shovel the walk, keep the lawn mowed or hire a pool service.
Document problems – If there are ongoing issues or needed repairs, make sure you write down what happened, take pictures, etc. Alert your landlord to issues right away so they can take action. Keep a paper trail and keep it all in one place.
Keep it clean – Neglecting to bring the garbage bins in from the sidewalk or to keep the yard clean or tidy can quickly create an enticing environment for pests and rodents.
Check-in with your landlord – For minor repairs or maintenance, such as unclogging drains or replacing caulk or window screens, it’s best to check in with your landlord about how they want to address it (even if you’d like to just take care of it yourself). if you are unsure of anything or have questions regarding the property, like painting rooms or changing landscaping, reach out to your landlord.
Give them a heads up – On things like leaks, structural or foundation issues, and pest problems, alert your landlord as soon as possible so they can act on a problem that could get worse quickly or cause costly damage.
Protect your deposit – Besides treating your place well while you live there, when you move out, do a quality deep clean and don’t leave furniture or anything else behind that they’ll need to deal with.
Be a good communicator (and neighbor) – Good communications can prevent or de-escalate miscommunications and disagreements with your landlord as well as neighbors.
Know your rights – It’s important to know your rights as a tenant. They vary by state and city, so go here to learn more.
Get renters insurance – Renters insurance protects your belongings from theft and damage (nope, your landlord’s insurance won’t cover your things). It’s surprisingly affordable – get a quote today.
Don’ts
Hide a pet – If your lease specifies no pets, stick to the agreement (hiding a pet won’t work over the long term). Also make sure to adhere to animal weight limits, which are often established to allow only cats and small dogs in an apartment complex. Consequences for breaking these rules can include a hefty fine or even lease dismissal.
Undertake big renovations – We all want to make our homes more home-y, but complex projects such as adding ceiling fans or replacing cabinetry should only be undertaken by the property owner.
Fall behind on the bills – Depending on your lease agreement, you may end up being responsible for bills such as utilities, water, garbage, recycling, gardener, pest control or pool maintenance. Keeping those accounts current will ensure smooth maintenance as well as strengthen your credit.
Create a mildew problem – One of landlords’ most frequent complaints is about tenants not keeping moisture levels in check. To prevent mold and mildew formation, make sure to use vents and fans in bathrooms during (and after) every shower.
Cause damage – Treating your rental with care and respect will mean lessening the chances of inflicting damage such as stained carpets, scratches in hardwood, broken windows or fixtures, large holes in the walls, and water damage from plants. It will also ensure you get more (if not all) of your security deposit back. If accidental damage does occur (we’re only human, after all), make your landlord aware of it ASAP.
Landlords choose their tenants very carefully – especially those with nice properties. By taking care of your rental home and maintaining a good relationship with your landlord, you will set yourself apart as a responsible tenant. This will positively affect your credit score, help you get your whole security deposit back, and ensure you have a good reference for that next great rental.
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.
