| NOTE: This article was rewritten specifically for each of the papers that carries it in Georgia and Tennessee since conditions differ regarding the use of sirens or reverse 911.
INSIDE INSURANCE: Hazard warning sirens should be heeded
By David Colmans
Those of us who were around in the '50s and '60s often call them air raid sirens. The younger generation knows them as tornado warning or severe weather warning sirens.
But both groups are wrong.
These loud pole-top gadgets are actually "All Hazard Warning Sirens." I recently spoke with Clayton Scott, Chatham Emergency Management Agency director, and he explained their function.
They are usually tested the first Wednesday of every month at noon as long as the weather is good. Each siren generally can be heard within a mile radius. The sirens are meant to warn people outdoors that a hazardous situation is either about to occur or has already occurred. When they go off, they sound a continuous wail for several minutes.
"We have outstanding support from our county commissioners, who clearly understand the importance of this early warning system's benefits to Chatham County," Scott said.
The county emergency management agency, working in conjunction with the state's emergency management agency, broadcast news media, and the National Weather Service weather alert radio system provides warnings to the public.
When you hear the warning sirens you should do the following:
Tune in to local TV stations or radio stations to hear details of the alert provided by the Emergency Broadcast System.
Listen to your weather alert radio for audio instructions and look on the display panel of digital alert radios for the type of alert.
If you're outside and the sirens are your only source of warning, get inside a sturdy building and tune to a radio or TV as soon as possible to get details of the situation.
Although the sirens are likely to go off when the weather bureau issues a severe weather warning, there are other situations where the sirens may be used. A hazard situation with medical implications, such as a chemical plant explosion, may have occurred.
Highway crashes, train derailments, industrial plant fires or explosions, plane crashes or maritime emergencies such as may occur in a sea port or on a river with barge traffic all pose the potential for non-weather emergencies.
These hazards are another reason why family disaster drills are important, just as they are for school children.
When an emergency situation arises, quickly taking the correct action can save both time and lives.
INSIDE INSURANCE: A Real Life Lesson
By David Colmans
The tornado that struck Atlanta earlier this month wasn't a typical disaster in that tornadoes are rarely seen in the downtown area of major cities like Atlanta, and that so much of the insured damage was focused on one location: the Georgia World Congress Center and surrounding buildings.
Upwards of $250 million in insured damage occurred statewide according to Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine. Several insurers set up a joint insurance claims center in the parking lot of an Atlanta MARTA train station to assist with claims handling.
The shared area for insurers was, as a department of insurance official noted, “a real-time exercise for the planning process between the commissioner’s office, the Georgia Insurance Information Service and the emergency management agency in Savannah/Chatham County in the event of a hurricane strike.
It wasn’t difficult for first responders to handle what ultimately became a statewide situation with multiple weather events, which speaks volumes for constant training and disaster plans that can be put into action on a moment’s notice.
But it should serve as a reminder that while 2008’s severe weather season in Georgia is one to remember so far, we are slightly more than two months away from the start of the 2008 hurricane season. We have the potential for not only the huge storms, but the tropical storm aftermath that can reach virtually anywhere in Georgia and surrounding states. As newspaper and broadcast reporters spoke with witnesses to the severe weather across the state, the usual "it sounded like a train coming" was a common theme.
What was particularly troubling were the numerous comments from these individuals who said they were awakened by the storm. It's not because they were asleep, but because they should have been awakened earlier by the alarm of a severe weather radio going off in their homes or apartments.
The news media gives good information if someone is listening, watching or on the Internet. In the middle of the night, only warning sirens and weather alert radios can help save lives other than pure luck.
This was not an event to dismiss as one-time. These two storm days should clarify how important it is that:
· Families and businesses have disaster plans for sheltering in place or evacuating
· Weather alert radios that are county-specific are a must-have for all households and businesses
· That any place in the state is subject to the anger of Mother Nature
This is the time to seriously think about what you and your family should be prepared for and that an awareness of weather conditions is very important regardless of where you live or work.
David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at 770-565-3806 or by e-mail at dcolmans@giis.org.
INSIDE INSURANCE: Flying Cars Don't Get It
By David Colmans
Just a few weeks ago, four young men in a very exclusive neighborhood in Florida died in a highly unusual traffic crash. Note: I said crash, not accident.
They were riding in a 2008 BMW on the runway from which actor John Travolta flies his jet plane. These poor souls were trying to race a plane down the runway at three something in the morning.
The car took off like the plane, but its flight path was 200 feet generally in a downward direction, slamming into a tree and cutting the car in half, lengthwise. The men, all between the ages of 18 and 20, died in a moment of really bad judgment.
I just read yet another Florida news account that three are dead and a fourth is hospitalized following, you guessed it, an early morning crash, this time on I-95 in Broward County.
Our boys were headed north on I-95 -- right again-- in another high-powered car --this time it was a Jaguar and again during the 3 a.m. hour. The driver tried to exit onto a state road but he struck a concrete barrier wall. The Jag then hit a concrete median, took off and flew over a wall only to fall 100 feet onto the interstate.
Three were ejected and died immediately. One was taken to a local hospital.
Are these extreme cases? Sure. But, every day in every city and town across the state there are vehicle interactions (I just make that up) that, in the long run, are far worse. Why?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 3,490 drivers in the15-20 age group died in motor vehicle crashes in 2006, and an additional 272,000 were injured.
Drivers age 15- to 20 accounted for 12.9 percent of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 16 percent of all the drivers involved in police-reported crashes.
Twenty-five percent of teen drivers killed were intoxicated.
In 2002 (latest data available) the estimated economic cost of police-reported crashes involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 was $40.8 billion, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And that just addresses the really young drivers. And there’s this:
All these really cool, flashy cars that we keep buying cost more and more to repair
Health care costs continue to rise at an alarming rate, especially trauma care
Then the lawsuits start where liability insurance gets a workout
Auto insurers tell me that collision, bodily injury, and other parts of the overall insurance rates have been on the rise for at least the last two quarters. News reports indicate the rate of increase for auto insurance may be about five percent in some areas, a lesser percent in some, and competition may hold the line on price for a while.
If we see gas prices hit four dollars by spring, as some are predicting, that may have an effect on some of us, but others will pay whatever to stay on the road.
Bottom line: the incremental cost of every fender-bender to the worst pile-up you ever saw has a cumulative effect on all motorists, sooner or later, through the cost of auto insurance. Here’s the really big picture just on vehicle crashes:
Falling auto injury claim frequency (the number of claims) and rising claim severity (more expensive to resolve) have created an unsettled auto injury claim environment countrywide, according to a new report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC).
The report examines recent trends for three major auto insurance coverages: property damage liability, bodily injury liability, and personal injury protection. From 2000 through 2006, property damage claim frequency (the number of PD claims per 100 insured vehicles) decreased 11 percent; bodily injury claim frequency decreased 19 percent; and personal injury protection claim frequency fell 14 percent. These declines in claim frequencies mirror national trends in fatality and injury rates.
However, there is an increase in claim severity, or the average cost of claims. From 2000 to 2006, property damage claim severity increased 18 percent; bodily injury claim severity increased 22 percent; and personal injury protection claim severity rose 19 percent. On an annual basis, increases in claim severity from 2000 to 2006 averaged 2.9, 3.3 percent, and 2.9 percent respectively. The increases in claim severity are largely attributable to the rising cost of automobile repair and medical care.
In Georgia, there are competitive forces in play that work to hold down auto insurance rates, but drivers should be aware that if the number of traffic crashes starts to increase, along with increased claims cost, that will be reflected in the price of auto insurance regardless of competition.
David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at 770-565-3806 or by e-mail at dcolmans@giis.org.
Road Warrior Favorites
By David Colmans
As I drive on just about any road, almost anywhere in the state, here’s a snapshot of what I see on any given day:
• The vehicle in front of me turns with no warning or the driver decides to flip on the turn signals while making the turn. That really helps.
• The speed limit sign shows 35 mph while the traffic is moving at 45 mph or faster. School zone flashing lights, especially on major roadways, don’t seem to count for much.
• Just last night (as I write this) a police vehicle with blue lights and siren, in the left lane on a four-lane road, had to pass a car on the right because the driver would not move over for the emergency vehicle.
• One of my personal favorites is the driver who is going much slower than everyone else.
Guess why? He’s on a cell phone with no ability to multi-task.
The Georgia Driver’s Manual is not, contrary to popular belief, CliffsNotes to pass the driver’s test at the Department of Driver Services. The manual contains the rules of the road in Georgia. That means you might think about it as one-half of the crash prevention equation.
What’s the other half? Defensive driving. Pure luck is always nice, too. You have a lot of company on the roadways, so it’s not just about you. More to the point, it’s all about accident avoidance.
What fills the pages of accident reports more than any other roadway incident? Following too closely. See the manual’s section on breaking distances. At 50 miles an hour, a motorist simply cannot stop in time if the vehicle in front is one or two car-lengths away.
In second place on the law enforcement “hit” parade is improper turns, also known as failure to yield the right of way. See the section in the manual on turns and entering traffic.
We go to a private driving school or take a driver training course in school. We read the driver’s manual and learn just enough to pass the written and road test.
As several studies have shown, after about six months, we begin to settle into our habits we learned from our first driving instructors, aka mom and dad.Remember all those years you spent in car seats and later buckled-up as you grew older in the back seat? What our parents did behind the wheel was actually driving school 101 that lasted for nearly 15 years.
So what can you do if you want to get out of old habits, save money and avoid as many bad traffic situations as possible?
Most auto insurers will provide a discount that may be in place for up to three years if you take a defensive driving course. Check with your insurer for details.
Short of getting a job as a first-responder, defensive driving is a very good way to get back to safe driving habits. Defensive drivers watch for others’ actions; they anticipate what might happen; and keep his or her vehicle under control.
Driving accident-free also can save money on your auto insurance.
To download the 2008 Georgia Drivers Manual, go to: http://www.dds.ga.gov/docs/forms/FullDriversManual.pdf
David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at 770-565-3806 or by e-mail at dcolmans@giis.org.
Don't Wait Until It's Too Late
By David Colmans
The deadly tornadoes the swept across the South last week clearly caught many people off guard since this is mid-winter. Even those who paid close attention to radio and TV and knew there was a high chance of very bad weather were, in many cases, blasted by the killer tornadoes.
A woman interviewed on TV talked about the really great home evacuation plan she and her family had just created. Of course, the plan was developed after their home was destroyed by a tornado.
I talked to a home-based-business owner who lost not only the home, but also the two family cars in the garage.
It was sad that so much in the home for both personal and business use was destroyed. Since he didn’t have a home inventory, the family had no proof of all their losses.
Ironically, it was Severe Weather Awareness Week across Georgia when at least 55 people died from the killer tornadoes in the Southeast.
What made me just shake my head was the college student who told a reporter she and her friends heard the tornado sirens “but didn’t think too much of it” until someone saw the tornado coming that destroyed her dormitory. She was very lucky.
The thing is, there were tornado watches and warnings, and no one had a weather alert radio or even commercial radio or TV on at the time to get their attention.
These are stories that we hear over and over. Another disaster hits, people die or are seriously injured, homes, buildings, schools, churches and commercial facilities are torn to shreds, and all people can talk about is what they didn’t have and how thankful they are to be alive, or how devastated they are that “everything was lost.”
Although you can’t keep the storms away, there are things you can do to keep you and your loved ones safe and replace as much of your property that can be replaced:
• Keep a weather alert radio on at all times (they have a silent mode that only activates when there is a weather warning)
• Change the batteries every six months in smoke detectors and weather radios so everything works properly.
• Keep battery powered and/or crank-powered flash lights easily accessible around the house.
• Keep a hand-crank radio handy so even if the power goes out you can say informed.
• Write and practice an evacuation plan for your family before something bad happens.
• Create a home inventory and store the information in a safe place away from the home or apartment before disaster strikes. You can download for free a home inventory program
While the recent tornadoes were called a freak winter storm system, Spring is not far away and that’s the time for more frequent tornadoes, hail storms and high wind events.
Just when we’re done with spring, the summer hurricane season gets underway and the Gulf Coast states are again in harm’s way for high winds, flooding, tornadoes and serious power outages.
David Colmans is executive director of Georgia Insurance Information Service. Contact him at 770-565-3806 or dcolmans@giis.org.
Disaster poll
How prepared are you in the event of a disaster or emergency? Go to giis.org and participate in the poll. There’s also free home inventory software available on the same page.
Take inventory of valuables today to avoid headaches tomorrow
By David Colmans
Can you name all the valuables in your home? You may remember Grandma Betty's pearls and the antique dresser in the foyer, but what about the make and model of the kids' computer? Or how much would it cost to replace all the tools in the garage?
An inventory of your belongings is vital if you have homeowners or renters insurance and you want to recover your losses from a fire, tornado, flood or burglary.
Just ask the 1,800 homeowners and renters in the Southern California hills devastated by the recent brush fires, or the victims of the tornadoes that have ravaged the Southern and Mid-Western states this year. Think of how many apartment complex fire occur every year.
Here's what you should know to protect your finances and to rebuild your home after a major loss.
A detailed home inventory should include an itemized description of your belongings, room-by-room and photos or video of the items in each room.
Home inventory software is available free from the Georgia Insurance Information Service at http://www.giis.org. Find the blue button on the left-center of the screen, click on the "download" button, and follow the directions.
Once the software is installed, a separate section can be created for each room in your home. Identify each item, and fill in the information about its description, initial cost, where purchased and manufacturer, make and model and serial numbers, if possible. Once your items are entered, you can also add digital pictures of each item.
At the low end of the technology scale, just use a letter- or legal-size note pad and list each room. Then list columns with the same headings as discussed in the inventory program.
Remember to take pictures all the way around the outside of your home to document how the building looked prior to the incident so it can be rebuilt the way it was.
Under a renters or homeowners policy, your belongings can be covered in two ways: actual cash value or replacement cost. There is a significant difference between the two.
Actual cash value is less expensive when purchasing your policy, but each item claimed in your loss is depreciated based on its age and condition. For instance, your reimbursement for a 5-year-old 26-inch TV would be pennies on the dollar.
Replacement cost coverage would allow the policyholder to replace the item and then be reimbursed by the insurer for its cost.
Just keep in mind that a 26-inch TV is replaced with a like model, not, for instance, a 46-inch plasma TV. The reimbursed amount would only be for the current day value of the 26-inch TV.
Now here is where the inventory becomes so important.
This is your best proof to the insurance adjuster of what belongings you had before the incident.
While many items may be close in price, some of your belongings may actually increase in value such as antiques, certain jewelry or collectables.
The best proof you can have of your belongings is a detailed inventory along with photos and/or video.
In the case of replacement cost coverage, your insurer may initially pay you the depreciated cost of the items until you purchase the replacement items.
When the receipts are provided to the insurer, the difference will be paid. The inventory is invaluable as you replace lost or stolen items.
Attempting to reconstruct your home inventory from memory is very time consuming (and virtually impossible).
Just a few weeks ago I was interviewed by an Atlanta TV station about a family that lost its home from a direct lightening strike. Like so many people, they did not have a home inventory of any kind. Even worse, the mother's home-based business was reduced to ashes in the fire. Fortunately, her data was saved on her Web site, but they are still trying to reconstruct a list of their belongings.
Not only should a family have a home inventory, but it also must be updated periodically because people often have garage sales or otherwise sell some belongings and they acquire new ones. The accuracy of the inventory is very important, especially when making a claim to your insurer.
An inventory usually takes time to complete. Your ability to re-establish your home depends on how good your records are for what you had, what each item's value was then, and what it is now.
One last thing. Keep the original inventory, if it's on paper with pictures attached, in a safety deposit box or other very safe place, NOT in your home or apartment. Certainly it's a good idea to keep a copy at home. If you use software, send your data file to other family members, e-mail a copy to your office, or store it in a safe place online. If your home is destroyed, you don't want to lose your inventory, too.
David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service, a not-for-profit, non-lobbying trade association of property and casualty insurers doing business in Georgia. Contact him at dcolmans@giis.org.
Don't get into HOT WATER over your auto insurance ID card
By David Colmans
Heading down the road to celebrate the holiday with family you’ve remembered to pack your map, snacks for the kids and big Thermos of coffee for yourself. You may have forgotten one of the most important things, however, your proof of insurance.
In the event your pulled over by a police officer, you car tag is checked through the National Crime Information Center and through the Georgia equivalent database. The officer wants to know as much about the vehicle and its owner as possible before approaching you.
Among all the data that shows up related to the tag is the insurance status of the Vehicle Identification Number. The insurance data comes from the Georgia Electronic Insurance Compliance System. All auto insurers doing business in Georgia must report electronically to the state when an auto policy goes into effect and when it is cancelled.
The goal is to make sure that the state has as few uninsured motorists on the road as possible.
It is important to make sure the vehicle is insured (as opposed to making sure the driver is insured) because while most people drive their own vehicles, some lend their cars, SUVs or trucks to others from time to time. Keep in mind that when you lend your car, you are also lending your insurance unless your policy specifically names you, and only you, as the driver.
Georgia is a mandatory insurance state, with minimum limits required for any vehicle of $25,000 maximum liability to any individual you may injure; $50,000 total liability for all injuries to others in an accident and $25,000 liability for repair to the other vehicles in a crash if you are at fault.
The same VIN information is not only available to law enforcement, but also to the county tag and title offices. That means at tag renewal time or when obtaining a new license plate, no insurance means no tag.
So, you think that since Georgia has this really cool database, your insurance worries are over?
Not exactly. When you purchase your insurance, your agent or company provides you with an insurance card.
That card, according to state law, must be in your vehicle or on your person at all times even with the GEICS database.
Why?
• During police roadblocks, especially over holiday driving periods, there’s no time to continually run computer checks, therefore, your proof of insurance must be provided by the card.
• If you have to rent a vehicle for any reason, the GEICS database is not available to rental agencies, so your only proof of insurance is your card.
• If you get a loaner vehicle from your dealership while your vehicle is in for repairs, the car dealer cannot access the GEICS database so your insurance card must be presented before you can drive off the lot.
• If you are stopped by law enforcement in another state, the first question you will be asked by the officer is to present your driver’s license and proof of insurance. That state may not have immediate access to the GEICS information so your card is necessary.
Remember, if you cannot provide proof of insurance, at the very least you can expect a ticket and fine. Your car can be towed, even if you are not arrested. In a worst case scenario, you and your car can be taken away.
“I left my insurance card at home.”
“What insurance card?”
“My dog ate my insurance card.”
“I thought there was a database.”
These excuses can create more problems for the driver. Just make sure your insurance card, your driver’s license and vehicle registration is available at all times.
David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service, a not-for-profit, non-lobbying trade association of property and casualty insurers doing business in Georgia. Contact him at dcolmans@giis.org.
Dying On The Roadways And For What?
By David Colmans
All it takes is a few million people on the roadways over a 102-hour Thanksgiving holiday weekend and we are in the midst of a major league disaster drama. Only this is not a movie.
Across Georgia, 26 people died on our roadways between Wednesday evening and Sunday midnight. In Florida, 27 individuals are no longer with us due to roadway crashes.
That's 53 deaths in just two states over four days, and for what?
It's not that law enforcement didn't know it was coming. They did what they could and then some. Extra patrol cars were on the roads and three states, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, joined forces to put on an extra holiday push to get motorists to pay attention and follow the rules of the road.
Alabama state troopers wrote just under 16,000 tickets statewide involving the usual suspects, the intoxicated drivers, motorists and passengers not wearing seatbelts, and those who habitually don't know what a speedometer is for.
Nearly 13,000 tickets were written in Mississippi. It was an instant replay of Alabama's situation.
Florida police tallied up about 11,000 citations.
I was one of the gazillion people on the Georgia, Alabama and Florida highways over the weekend, and my wife and I rubbernecked just a bit as we passed a car on it's top in the center divider of I-65 south of Montgomery and the trailer it was pulling that was on its side blocking all the northbound lanes. Someone was being loaded on an ambulance.
I particularly appreciate the guy who, while we were traveling at 70 miles per hour, was about four feet off my back bumper trying to push me along. When we passed the car in the right lane that was going slower then we were, I moved over and let the all-American boy speed on.
It's not that I didn't want to salute him as he went by or do some other stupid thing "just to show him," but I have enough to do just to manage my driving, so he can just get his somewhere else down the road.
It's like a football game when you have a five-hour drive. D E F E N S E all the way! Between watching the other vehicles and what they might do, the possibility of a wild animal charging out from the trees or raindrops falling on my head, there's no time to try and teach other motorists a thing or two about how to drive or what I think about their driving habits.
When 26 people die in a plane crash or a building collapse, that's big news and it goes on for days. When 26 people die on the roadways in just one state, we hardly notice and it rarely, if ever, crosses our minds that more than 1,000 people die on the state's roadways each year.
It is difficult to get our minds around the enormous costs to repair or total and replace the various crashed vehicles. Don't forget the costs associated with those injured or killed. In fact, the injury costs tend to continue over a significant period of time. Lest we forget, here comes the court and legal proceedings that can continue for years.
This is just one holiday weekend that affects vehicle operators, passengers, insurers, healthcare providers, law enforcement, lawyers, body shops, and, when all is said and done, eventually our auto insurance rates.
That said, this is about personal responsibility behind the wheel. It's about defensive driving and keeping your cool. It's about the realization that getting there at all beats going straight to the emergency room or the funeral home.
That 3,000 pounds of metal, plastic and fuel is in my hands. It is up to me to say in control both personally and as the driver. My life, that of my passengers, and the others on the road around me depends on it.
Next: Christmas and New Years holidays. Think about it.
It's All About Reducing Your Risk
By David Colmans
If you're in the market for a new or previously owned home, you're probably focusing on the amenities, i.e. a two-story great-room on the coast; a two- or three-car garage; granite countertops in the kitchen and bar; a home theater; maybe an in-law suite.
But how safe is this house when the big storm comes? Is the roof going to stay on when the wind howls? Can your windows and doors stand the impact of heavy debris slamming into them?
You may know the house is not in a flood plain, but is it susceptible to flooding because a marsh or a creek is nearby, or the area is really flat and a huge downpour will make your new home theater an indoor pool.
As of 2004, Georgia had $73 billion in coastal insured business and residential properties subject to severe weather and various forms of flooding vs. $1,235 million in total insured property across the state. That's about 6 percent of the state total.
Various studies indicate that over the next several years, more and more people worldwide will live in or near coastal cities. Two of the most vulnerable by 2070 will be New York City and Miami. Worldwide, coastal peril is expected to increase from $3 trillion today to $35 trillion in less than 70 years.
With the U.S. population shift heading toward the Atlantic, Gulf and western coasts, our homes should be thought of in many ways like our vehicles. It's not the cool features that protect us. Rather, it's how the properties are constructed, how closely they follow strong building codes and how many safety features are added beyond building cost specifications.
Remember what south Florida looked like after Hurricane Andrew, or what New Orleans looked like following Hurricane Katrina? Remember what Greenberg, Kansas looked like after the huge tornado leveled it, or how about Enterprise, Ala. after their tornado earlier this year?
We and other countries are creating a man-made disaster that too many officials will simply blame on the forces of nature. Then we fund reconstruction with government money. We call the damage caused by hurricanes and floods "acts of God," but when we voluntarily place our homes and businesses in harm's way, aren't we really tempting fate?
Homes and businesses depend on the strength of their structures to withstand the onslaught of wind, water, fire, ground movement and whatever else can go wrong.
What can you do for new and existing properties? A great deal if you know where to look.
The Institute for Business and Home Safety http://www.DisasterSafety.org has two programs for homes under the umbrella of "Fortified…for safer living." There is a process for builders to construct a home from the ground up that will add considerable strength to the home and qualify it for the "Fortified" designation. There is also a retrofit program for existing homes that will add significant strengthening to the property.
For small businesses, there is the "Open For Business" program for disaster planning.
The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) http://www.flash.org also has excellent information about how to make your home better prepared to withstand various hazards.
It's always better to properly reinforce a home as it is built, but retrofitting has considerable benefits to help keep your home in one piece.
Remember the three little pigs? Each had a house, but only one withstood the Big Bad Wolf. It really is all about reducing risk, increasing safety and being prepared.
Don't Get Lost; Get A Hand-Held GPS Device
By David Colmans
The newscasters were all excited.
A news flash just cross the wire that four missing members of a California family were found alive and well on a snow-covered mountain. It was the perfect Christmas story in the making. The rescue helicopters were on the way.
So what was wrong with that story?
What wasn't reported that could have made a real difference in the lives of those four very lucky people, and anyone else who gets an idea to go hiking in the woods to cut down a Christmas tree or do anything in a remote area?
Two of the four family members had a cell phone, but no signal could be sent.
None had an inexpensive, hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) device to help figure out where they were or which way they needed to go.
So many new vehicles are equipped with GPS and many vehicles have the latest portable GPS devices stuck on their windshield. They all work very well.
The major safety feature of a hand-held GPS device for hikers is that you can start tracking your movements on the ground as you travel on foot.
Now here's the hook, the big enchilada. When you are done, you can backtrack exactly on the route you took. Bottom line: You don't get lost. You will end up right were you started. Just you, your hand-held, battery-powered GPS device and a sky full of satellites that will tell you what you need to know:
- Coordinates in longitude and latitude accurate to about 20 feet every step of the way
- What direction you are facing
- Your altitude from sea level
- Moving time
- An odometer if you use it in your vehicle
- Even your current and average speeds
Remember when the space shuttle blew up over Texas? Searchers with hand-held GPS devices were easily able to provide the exact location of the wreckage pieces to NASA.
The safety of you and your family is certainly worth $100 to $150 and the devices are about the size of cell phone. They travel well and they can save your life.
Help Put Arsonist Behind Bars
By David Colmans
State and local authorities continue to work on solving a burglary and arson that left the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia heavily damaged.
In Alabama, two “professed spiritual Satanists,” as they describe themselves, have been arrested for setting several church fires in eastern Alabama.
Unfortunately, arson has been around for a very long time and it costs homeowners, business owners, houses of worship and insurers a great deal of money every year.
Who are the individuals who will set fires that sometimes result in the death of people in the torched properties?
Here’s a list of some of the usual suspects:
- Perpetrators of insurance fraud
- Angry individuals bent on revenge, often family members of the victims
- Serial arsonists suffering from a mental illness
- Thrill seekers, usually young trouble makers
- Criminals attempting to cover up a murder or other crime
- Criminals who set a fire in one place to distract law enforcement while they commit a crime somewhere else
Arsonists don’t get away with their nasty deeds as often as one would think.
Why?
Arson investigators at local fire departments, state arson investigators based at the office of the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner; investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and private investigation firms all have very sophisticated techniques for tracking down the bad guys.
Then, there’s the faster and equally effective way to ID arsonists: Reward money.
The Georgia Arson Control Program, funded by Georgia’s property and casualty insurance companies, offers up to a$10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of one or more people responsible for the commission of arson.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the GACP, I have seen the full range of individuals from teens to senior citizens who thought they could get away with an arson crime only to be arrested and jailed because one or more people saw enough to place them at the scene of the crime or provide information useful to investigators.
Since its inception in the 1970s, more than $1 million in reward money, involving more than 450 arson cases, has been approved for people willing to step up and do the right thing. Arson reward programs are also available in South Carolina and other states.
Arson is a cowardly crime with little regard for the safety of others.
Anyone can call 800-282-5804 to report information about an arson case. Calls are kept in strict confidence. The website is: http://www.georgiaarsoncontrol.com. Information can also be submitted on-line.
What Affects Your Auto Insurance Rate?
By David Colmans
My auto insurance went up several dollars a month after I was involved in an accident a few years ago, but over a three-year period the increase eventually went away. Did I say involved in an accident? I was the at-fault driver.
My insurer added a surcharge on my bill that decreased some the second year and was even lower the third year. As if the accident itself didn’t get my attention, the surcharge made an impression, too.
My insurer took care of the damage to my car and the other vehicle and everyone was pleased. That incident made me curious about how many ways there are for me to increase or decrease the cost of my auto coverage. While some factors are not directly under your control, many are.
Where your vehicle is “garaged” (industry term) is a good starting point for rating purposes, and that’s based on the history of driver incidents of those who also live in your area, and includes auto thefts and several other factors.
Your age is a factor because the youngest and the oldest drivers tend to have the most difficulty on the roads.
Here’s where you have some control on your rating. If you don’t have a driving record, as is the case with first-time drivers, you will likely have a higher rate for a while, but discounts are available for authorized driver training courses either through a public school or a private company.
Experienced drivers are likely to have a history that insurers obtain from state government, the motor vehicle record (MVR). That can be a major factor as to your auto insurance premium. The MVR tracks the number and type of moving violations you have had over several years and detailing any arrests for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident or other significant offenses.
It’s not just you the insurer considers; it’s also your vehicle. How does it score in safety ratings? Is it a “muscle” car or a 4-door sedan? A sports car, an SUV, a light truck or a minivan all can rate differently. Also, insurers consider the value of the vehicle and how much it costs to repair.
By the way, the color of the vehicle doesn’t matter contrary to urban myths. A fire-engine red Mustang is not rated differently than a light blue one, but that doesn’t mean law enforcement isn’t attracted to a fast-moving red any-kind-of-car.
The longer you are with your auto insurer, the better as you proven yourself behind the wheel.
Running a red light equipped with a camera system may or may not show up on your MVR and it could cost you, but causing a t-bone accident is much worse so remember, the yellow light doesn’t mean speed up.
Yes, you can lower the cost of your insurance by selecting higher deductibles. The more you share in the risk with your insurer, the lower the cost for the insurance. Multi-policy discounts are available if you have more than one policy with your insurer such as homeowners, umbrella liability or renters insurance.
One more thing: Financial responsibility is important. When you are late with your payment, your policy may expire, even for only a few days. That leaves you without insurance and it’s a violation of state law.
Talk with your agent or insurance company regularly and take advantage of as many discounts as you can.
How safely you drive and how you avoid potential roadway trouble has a great deal to do with the price of your auto insurance.
David Colmans is executive director of the Georgia Insurance Information Service. He can be reached at dcolmans@giis.org or by phone
at 770-565-3806 | 
