5 Winter Driving Tips to Stay Safe

Winter driving, for experienced northerners and inexperienced southerners alike, can be a tricky and dangerous task. Driving in snowy/icy conditions should be avoided when possible, or at least postponed until after the snow plows and sand trucks have treated the roads. For those times when driving cannot be avoided, try these safety tips for winter weather driving:

1. Decrease your speed by 50 percent to increase your reaction time. Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you, as stopping can take longer in the snow.
2. Use your headlights to increase your visibility to other drivers. Keep you lights and windshield clean.
3. Practice driving in an empty parking lot to learn how your car handles in the snow.
4. Drive cautiously on bridges and overpasses, as they freeze first.
5. Plan your route ahead of time, including current weather and road conditions. 

Get 5 more safety tips for winter driving, then call us at 720-457-1101 to get a Colorado car insurance quote.

8 Car Insurance Tips for Drivers

People are often unaware that there are ways to reduce their auto insurance premium. There are certain habits you can practice, things you can add to your car and things you can avoid in order to keep your insurance premium affordable. Below are eight basic tips that every driver should know about their auto insurance policy.

1. Safety devices lower your premium - Safety devices such as a steering wheel lock or car alarm can reduce the risk of your car being stolen. A stolen car is a nightmare scenario for both the policyholder and the policy provider. Not only will the insurance company have to pay out the entire policy to cover the car, but because you made a claim, they may be inclined to increase your premium. The less money an insurance provider is likely to pay out for a claim, the lower your premium will be.
2. Read the exclusions carefully - During the next super storm, you may want to be well versed about your insurance policy. Some insurance policies specifically exclude damage to a vehicle due to an act of nature such as a branch falling on the car or hail damage. 
3. Obey the law - This goes without saying, because you'll want to avoid getting points on your license, but obeying the law can also help decrease your insurance premium. People who get multiple tickets for even minor things such as failing to yield the right-of-way will see their insurance premium go up. Bad driving habits show an insurance company that you are more likely to make a claim because you're more likely to get into a car accident.
4. Get familiar with gap insurance - If you just bought a brand-new car, there's something you should know about your insurance provider. It depreciates the value of your car faster than you can pay off the car loan. What this means is that you may not receive enough insurance money to replace your new car if it is totaled in an accident. Instead, you will have to use gap insurance to cover what your insurance provider doesn't.
5. Do not let uninsured drivers drive your vehicle - Uninsured drivers are not just a nuisance on the road, but they're also a nuisance to your insurance policy. If you let an uninsured or unlicensed driver -- or one that is otherwise excluded from driving or from being covered -- drive your car, your insurance coverage could be canceled out completely. This is a nightmare scenario that you don't want to find yourself in. Having no coverage means having to take an SR-22 or limited liability policy that won't likely give you adequate coverage.
6. Keep your car locked and secure - Keeping your car adequately locked and parked in a place that is not highly visible will make your car less likely to be stolen. If your insurance company finds that your car was stolen due to your own negligence, don't be surprised if they completely refuse to pay out your claim.
7. Take your iPod with you - iPods, iPads and other electronic equipment are not a part of your car and therefore, are not covered on your car insurance policy. If you leave an iPad or a similar device in your car and it's stolen, you will not be able to make a claim for it.
8. Decide on commercial or personal auto insurance - If you use your car for transporting goods, to run errands for your home business, or to taxi people around, you need commercial auto insurance. If you make a claim for any accident or damage to your car during the time you were using it for business, your personal auto insurance will not pay out the claim.

For more information on ways that you can stay on your insurance company's good side and therefore, reduce your premium, or even to get a Colorado car insurance quote, give us a call at 720-457-1101.

Know your State's Minimum Insurance Requirements

When choosing an automobile insurance policy, it is very easy to rely on an agent’s knowledge of state-mandated specifics and recommendations. The best way of knowing about your state’s minimum insurance rates is to research it for yourself. Here is why:

Different States, Different Rates
There truly are different rates for different states. Every state has its minimum insurance requirements. These figures are based on statistical collations of accident reports and other types of data. You do not need to take a course in statistics to understand the particulars of the process. However, what you do need to understand is that this sort of analysis affects how the state you live in determines the base price of what you need to pay to insure your vehicle. Understanding the basic amounts lends you a knowledgeable base of realizing what you are paying for and why you are paying it.

Click to learn more about what to do with changing requirements.

If you have any questions about state minimums or if you want a free Colorado car insurance quote, give us a call at 720-457-1101. 

Insurance as a Budget Guarantee

Every day it seems that different events, retailers, and even people conspire against your ability to keep your spending on target, turning budgeting into a sport for which you must play the offensive position. But all hope isn’t lost; there are many ways you can keep your expenses on track and your bank balances in the green. Among all of the tricks out there, the purchase of insurance is one of the most deceptively simple and often overlooked.

Insurance Can Prevent Additional Expense

During a car accident, if your vehicle suffers any damage you'll likely need to get it fixed. In fact, you may not be able to go to work without doing so or renting a car in the interim. A Colorado auto insurance policy may not only provide payment for repairs in excess of the deductible, but it can also provide a loss of use benefit that pays for a rental during a certain period.

Likewise, a home insurance policy can pay to have the contents of your home replaced when they are damaged during an insurable incident and may pay for a hotel room or other temporary lodging.

Without insurance, both these events would quickly devastate your budget and could make it next to impossible to get back on track for the near future.

Level Premiums and Deductibles

It would be almost possible to accurately predict the amount that you need to pay for car repairs caused by accidents and then to budget for those expenses. Additionally, it would be impossible to predict all the other property you might lose over the course of a year and the cost to replace it. Insurance policies offer affordable premiums and deductibles that you can easily plan and budget for in advance.

Whether you're completing a midyear budget checkup or getting ready to start your 2013 budget planning, it’s time to allow insurance policies their place in your financial plan as a budget guarantee. Give us a call at Premier Group Insurance today and we can help you review your current insurance portfolio, identify any gaps in coverage and help you set out on the right foot for the future.

Do You Have Gaps In Your Insurance Coverage?

There is nothing worse than thinking that your insurance policy will cover your damages after a certain disaster, and then finding that a planning gap in your insurance portfolio has left you needlessly exposed to financial loss. Luckily, if you know how to identify these gaps, you can get coverage to fill them and avoid the devastating financial consequences they can create.
Take a look at a few of the areas many people find gaps in their coverage and see if you share this needless overexposure.

• Floods and Earth Movement: Your home insurance policy may pay for a lot of things, but it won’t pay for damages that occur as the result of flood or earth movement. Instead, you need a separate policy or, in the case of earth movement, a special endorsement should your insurance company allow it.
• Un- and Under-Insured Drivers: Insurance may be required in your state, but that doesn’t mean that every driver is compliant, and if you don’t have un- or under-insured motorist coverage then you may be paying out-of-pocket for damage to your vehicle caused by one of these non-compliant drivers.
• Theft and Vandalism: Having the state-required auto coverage is great, but who pays if your car is stolen or vandalized? And what about if you have a collision? Comprehensive and collision coverage ensures that you get what you deserve after an accident and that you can keep driving, but they aren’t required by your state, so you’ve got to identify the need for this insurance and fill it on your own.
• Preventative Care and Prescriptions: If you have a major medical insurance policy then you might be covered for emergency events and major surgery, but what about your preventative care and pharmaceutical needs? A health insurance policy that covers your everyday medical care would fill that gap and help you get care before you desperately need it.

We know how to find gaps in your insurance portfolio before they get the best of you. Don’t let your savings fall into one of these planning snafus—instead give us a call at Premier Group Insurance and get fully covered by your Colorado Car Insurance and anything else you may need.

Colorado Car Insurance: Teaching Teens to be Better Drivers

There is no question that most teens lack the experience to make them ideal drivers and decision makers behind the wheel, but that doesn’t mean that parents have no choice but to “take their lumps” when it comes to teen drivers and accidents. Parents actually have a lot of power to help make sure that their teens learn how to be better drivers.

Be a Good Example

The first step in ensuring that your teen is a good, safe driver is to always be an example to them whether they are riding in a car with you or you are driving alone. If they hear about your tickets and traffic court dates, they might assume that they can ignore traffic laws and simply ask for forgiveness after the damage is done, if they even get caught. So make sure your driving is as stellar as you want your child’s to be, at all times.

Safe Driver Discount

Most Colorado car insurance carriers offer good driver discounts for teens that stay accident free but it will also depend upon their driving record. It is important to avoid accidents, but you should also steer clear of speeding and reckless driving offenses, DUI or DWI convictions, and other infractions that can tarnish your record.

Read the Handbook Together

There are two ways a would-be driver can read the DMV handbook before taking the test; the would-be driver can read it like someone who wants to temporarily memorize it or as though they want to actually learn something. Many teens, blinded by the all-encompassing goal of getting a driver’s license, work diligently to memorize the handbook and then dump the info from their brain before the plastic cools on their newly minted license. When you work with your teen driver and study the manual together, you can be there to explain the concepts in the manual to them in a way they won’t forget, and you can ensure that the education they receive 

is a lifelong one.

Don’t Lose Patience

Driving with a teen is not a fun experience for most parents and it is a difficult time to actually teach. Often, teens get embarrassed and defensive when their driving behavior is corrected and this makes it difficult for them to actually take in what you are saying. Don’t lose patience and don’t take the offensive with your teen. Always remember that you were once in their seat, and try to communicate driving critiques in a manner you would have appreciated.

Watch Videos

There are many videos available online and at your local library that help people improve their driving ability. Watch these videos with your teen and talk about the different topics and situations that are found in the video. You can even bring these lessons out into the real world when you go driving with your teen.

Teaching your teen to be a better driver is something that takes a big commitment from both of you. If you work together, you can ensure that your teen walks away with knowledge he or she will apply and that will keep them safe when they’re on their own behind the wheel. 

Call us at 877-430-0092 for a comprehensive Colorado car insurance quote.