Massautoquote Driving Tip of the Day: The Three Second Rule

www.Massautoquote.com recommends we all practice good driving in Massachusetts.

In order to get the best auto insurance rates in Massachusetts, it’s important to have a good driving record. If you have no at-fault accidents and no moving violations over a 6 year period of time, then you will be rated as a state best, 99 driver.

www.Massautoquote.com Driving Tip of the Day:

Use the “three-second rule” to help prevent rear-end accidents!

The “three-second rule” accounts for your reaction time to the movements of the vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s stopping distance.

You should add more time if the road is slippery, if you’re being crowded by a tailgater, if you’re towing a trailer or if you’re driving a large truck.

The three-second rule:

When the vehicle ahead of you passes a stationary object, start counting:  1,001 … 1,002 …

The first second is your reaction time; the next two seconds account for your braking distance

You should not reach the object before you count to … 1,003. If you do, you are following too closely.

At a vehicle speed of 55 mph, the three-second rule creates a gap of 243 feet between cars.

MA Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage

Often overlooked on the MA auto policy are Parts 3 & 12, Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage.

These limits are important. So important, we recommend coverage be equal to your Part 5 coverage which, hopefully, is at least $100,000 per person/ $300,000 per accident.

Uninsured & Underinsured coverage protects you and occupants from other drivers. Coverage also extends to you and household members involved in an accident as a pedestrian. 

A recent report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) shows that there is a remarkable correlation between unemployed and being uninsured.

Please click or call to discuss your Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist coverage limits.

Massachusetts Comprehensive Auto Insurance Coverage

Your personal MA auto policy can include Collision coverage for damage to your vehicle in a crash or by an upset, such as rolling over.

Other than collision coverage – also called Comprehensive Coverage – protects against the things that can happen to your car when you’re not in a crash, such as:

  • Broken Glass
  • Damage caused by missiles or falling objects
  • Fire
  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Explosion 
  • Earthquake
  • Windstorm 
  • Hail 
  • Water, or flood damage
  • Riot
  • Contact with bird or other animal.

Comprehensive coverage is certainly worth having unless you drive a real clunker. If your car has little value, it’s probably not even worth it to carry Collision coverage, even though the premium may be low. Full Comprehensive Insurance Coverage in Massachusetts includes, first dollar, or “free” glass coverage. 

You’d be better off spending those premium dollars on higher Liability limits.

MA Auto Insurance Driving Records

Massachusetts Insurance Companies utilize the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) to adjust insurance premiums based on the operator’s driving record.

As explained by The Massachusetts Department of Transportation – RMV Division:

The Safe Driver Insurance Plan is a point-based system. Each operator is assigned an Operator SDIP Rating based on the operator’s driving history record within the 6-year policy experience period.

Operator Surcharge Point Range: 00 through 45
An operator’s SDIP Rating is the sum of the surcharge points of the surchargeable incidents in the operator’s 6-year policy experience period.

The total number of surcharge points is 00 if there are no surchargeable incidents in the 6-year policy experience period, unless the operator is eligible for one of the following discounts:

Excellent Driver Discount Plus: Credit Code (99)
This discount is for operators who have been licensed and incident-free for 6 or more years.

Excellent Driver Discount: Credit Code (98)
This discount is for operators who have been licensed and incident-free during the most recent 5 years.

An operator may be eligible for the Excellent Driver Discount (98) with one surchargeable incident. Learn more in SDIP Incentives and Your Policy.

An incident-free year is a year in which your driving record contains no surchargeable incidents. This is different from a year that contains no surcharge points. For example, you may have a year with a surchargeable incident, but there are no surcharge points assigned to this incident because an SDIP incentive or forgiveness factor applies.

For the purposes of the SDIP, you are considered an experienced operator if you have been actively licensed for the 6-year period immediately preceding your policy effective date. Experienced operators with clean driving records benefit from SDIP incentives. To learn more about SDIP incentives, go to SDIP Incentives and Your Policy.

Massachusetts Drivers: Texting Laws

  • It is illegal for all drivers in Massachusetts to use a mobile phone or other handheld device to compose, send or read electronic messages while behind the wheel. What most drivers may not know is that the ban includes these activities while at stop signs and red lights, too.
  • Drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones, even with hands-free devices, at all.
  • If a driver is caught texting while driving, the penalties include:
    • First offense: $100 fine
    • Second offense: $250 fine
    • Third and subsequent offense: $500 fine
    • Drivers under 18 will also face license suspensions for violations.

MA Operator Crash Report

MA drivers involved in an accident must fill out a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report if (1) any person was killed or (ii) injured or (iii) in which there was damage in excess of $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property.

When the report is completed copies should go to:

  • The local police department or state police in the city or town where the crash occurred.
  • Your Insurance Company
  • Registry of Motor Vehicles – Crash Records; PO Box 55889; Boston, MA 02205-5889

 Your friendly, helpful, Independent MA auto insurance agent should be able to assist you with the claim process!

 

 

 

To Gap or not to Gap …

What is Gap Insurance?

If a car is stolen or declared totaled, the auto insurance company will pay actual cash value for the car.

The actual cash value can be a lot different from what is owed on the vehicle.

Without gap insurance the lender will hold the individual responsible for paying the difference between the actual cash value and the amount left on the loan. Gap Insurance covers this amount.

Once a relatively expensive purchase, many Massachusetts auto insurance companies now offer Gap coverage as part of their insurance programs they offer to preferred drivers.

For instance, Vermont Mutual offers their “Advantage” endorsement for step 99 & 98 drivers. For $49 this endorsement includes, among many things, “Auto Loan/ Lease Gap Coverage.”

This endorsement reads:

This coverage applies to Optional Insurance:

a. Collision (Part 7)

b. Limited Collision (Part 8); and

c. Comprehensive (Part 9).

In the event of a covered total loss to your auto shown in the Coverage Selections Page, we will pay any unpaid amount due on the lease or loan less:

a. The amount paid under Collision (Part 7); Limited Collision (Part 8); or, Comprehensive (Part 9) of your policy.

b. Any:

  1. Overdue lease/loan payments.
  2. Penalties.
  3. Taxes.
  4. Interest or charges resulting from overdue payments at the time of the loss.
  5. Financial penalties imposed under a lease for excessive use, abnormal wear and tear or high mileage.
  6. Security deposits not refunded by the lessor
  7. Costs for extended warranties purchased with the loan or lease.
  8. Cost for Credit Life insurance purchase with the loan or lease.
  9. Cost of Health, Accident or Disability insurance purchased with the loan or lease.
  10. Carry-over balances from previous loand
  11. Carry-over balances from previous leases.

Call or click us today to get your free, full, comprehensive Massachusetts auto insurance review!

What To Do In Case of a Massachusetts Auto Accident

Here are some suggestions, courtesy of Arbella Insurance, of “what to do in case of a MA auto accident:”

  1. Stop– Turn off ignition. Do not smoke
  2. Protect– Guard the scene from further damage.
  3. Assist– Render only what first aid you are qualified to give. Don’t move injured unless absolutely necessary. For serious injury, call a doctor and an ambulance.
  4. Call– Notify a law officer. In many states it is unlawful to leave the accident scene without permission. Cooperate with the authorities.
  5. Obtain– Get all necessary information for an accurate report.
  6. Report– Notify your Independent, Massachusetts insurance agent as soon as possible.
  7. Avoid– Do not accept responsibility or discuss the accident exept with your agent, your claim representative, or law officer.

Massautoquote recommends you fill out a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report. 

To print a MA Operator Report you can click:  MA Crash Operator Report 

Once completed you will want to forward a copy to:  your Massachusetts auto insurance agent, a copy to the police department in the town that the accident occurred, and a copy to the Registry of Vehicles (Crash Records, Registry of Motor Vehicles, PO Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205-5889).

Eight Gas Savings Tips:

  1. Go easy on the brakes and gas pedal. Avoid “jackrabbit” starts. Try to anticipate stops to avoid sudden braking.
  2. Avoid long idles. Turn off the engine if you expect a lengthy wait. Idling burns more gas than restarting the engine.
  3. Avoid carrying unneeded junk in the trunk. More weight equals worse gas mileage.
  4. 4. Avoid driving at high speeds. Mileage improves by 15% if drive 55 instead of 65mph.
  5. Keep air conditioning to a minimum. Try rolling down the windows instead.
  6. If you have overdrive, use it. It’s more economical at high speeds.
  7. Keep tires inflated properly.
  8. Get regular tune-ups and maintenance checks, both of which improve mileage.

 

Have You Checked Your Liability Limits Lately?

The heart of your Massachusetts auto insurance policy is your liability limits.

Specifically, Part 5, Optional Bodily Injury to Others.

Part 5 is the coverage available to an injured party to make them whole again, if you are in an at-fault accident.

This is your lawsuit coverage, the amount your insurance company will pay out before you are on your own. In addition to coverage limits, insurance companies provide legal defense. When you purchase improved liability limits you, in essence, also purchase improved legal defense.

Our independent, MA insurance agency (Johnson & Rohan Insurance) recommends you carry at least limits of $100,000 per person/ $300,000 per accident and suggest you consider $250,000 per person/ $500,000 per accident limits and personal liability umbrella coverage.

In addition, we recommend you match your Parts 3 & 12, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Protection, to match your Part 5 limits.

Parts 3 & 12 protect you and guest occupants from other drivers that are either uninsured or those that carry lesser limits than you carry.