Falling snow can be picturesque, but it can also wreak havoc on the roads. While no one enjoys driving in snowy or slippery conditions, there are steps you can take to help improve your safety with these winter driving tips. Here are some guidelines that can help you stay safe when driving in adverse winter conditions:
2 Comments
As winter nears, make sure your home is prepared to withstand another season of cold temperatures, driving winds and icy conditions. The maintenance that you do today can help prevent more costly emergency repairs in the height of a storm, when it can be difficult to find supplies and licensed contractors.
Download the Winter Home Maintenance Checklist Following are five important categories to focus on for this winter: Your Heating SystemBefore you give your heating system a workout this winter, take the time for preventive maintenance. It may help extend the life of your system and identify potential problems. Before winter:
One morning, I was driving along a back road to one of my college classes when a deer suddenly jumped directly into my path. By a sheer miracle, the deer, my car and I all escaped without injury. (Although I did pull off the road to calm my nerves.)
Not everyone is lucky enough to avoid a collision. The Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that there are around 1.25 million deer-vehicle collisions each year. Before you get too concerned, here are some helpful tips on how to avoid deer-vehicle collisions and how to handle hitting a deer. What are the odds? Hitting a deer is most likely to occur around sunrise and sunset. This is when deer are the most active—and that’s especially true during the final few months of the year. Drivers in northeastern states also have a higher risk of hitting a deer due to exploding deer populations. To give you an idea, drivers in West Virginia have a 1 in 41 chance of hitting a deer. Other high-risk states include Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina and South Carolina, to name a few. How to avoid hitting a deer Nobody wants to end up with a crushed fender or a broken windshield. You can decrease your chances of hitting a deer by following these tips:
Taking the above precautions can help you avoid hitting a deer. Yet they don’t entirely rule out the possibility of having a run-in with a deer. If a deer does dash in front of your vehicle, don’t swerve in an attempt to avoid it. Swerving often does more harm than good since you could hit a tree or an oncoming vehicle. If there’s no way around the deer, maintain your current speed or try to slow down. Never speed up. This can cause the deer to hit your vehicle with more force, which will only cause more damage. Pull over as soon as it’s safe. Be cautious when examining your vehicle—injured deer can still lash out and hurt someone. It’s best to call the police and get a police report for evidence when you make an insurance claim. If you can’t make a call, take photos if possible. Finally, in instances in which the deer is dead, you can often request to keep the carcass for meat. (Deer burgers anyone?) Don’t let deer get you down. Deer-vehicle collisions are covered under the optional comprehensive portion of your auto insurance. Talk with an insurance professional like an Erie Insurance agent to make sure you have the right coverage for your car. - See more at: https://www.erieinsurance.com/Blog/2015/hitting-a-deer?utm_source=eriefacebook&utm_medium=eriesocial&utm_campaign=general#prclt-WBAwYSh1 If you are a snowbird heading south for the winter, there are several key things you can do to help protect your vacant home. Taking these steps can help protect your home from theft, water damage, heating or electrical system malfunctions and other possible threats while you are away for an extended period of time. Download the Winterizing Your Home Checklist PDF 1. Make Your Home Appear as Though It Is Continuously Occupied
2. Take Steps to Protect Your Home from Thieves
3. Protect Your Pipes to Avoid Water Damage by Turning Off Your Water Supply
4. Keep Your Home and Plumbing Warm if Your Water Supply Stays On
5. Perform Routine Maintenance Before You Leave
6. Make Your Home Unattractive to Pests
7. Be Ready for Emergencies
Falling leaves may be pretty, but disposing of them can get ugly. Plus, options (or laws) for burning, bagging, and composting are different in each area. Here’s what to know:
Don’t burn Many local governments are banning leaves and other yard trimmings from landfills, and you may be tempted to burn the leaves in your yard. Leaf burning, however, becomes a fire hazard that can lead to air pollution and health problems. The open burning of leaves produces particulate matter and hydrocarbons that contain toxic, irritant and carcinogenic compounds, such as carbon monoxide. Burning leaves is not recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—nor is it legal in most states. Do bag If you’ve got a lot of time and a strong back (who has either, right?), bagging leaves is one option. This moderate physical activity helps build upper-body and core strength and gives you the opportunity to get outside for some fresh fall air. Remember, sticks, rocks, pine cones, limbs and other debris should not be mixed with loose leaves. Also, check with your municipality or borough to see what, if any, weight limit or bag color has been specified for leaf-filled bags, Then, when they’re ready to go, put them at the curb on your regular trash collection day or as directed. Try composting Composting is an environmentally-friendly form of recycling that helps soil retain moisture and nutrients and increase fertility. When leaves are composted along with nitrogen-filled grass clippings, the resulting compost becomes organic fertilizer or mulch for flowerbeds, gardens or around shrubs. The EPA’s Web site offers a free detailed guide on how to create your own compost pile in your backyard. The most important thing to note is what can and cannot be composted. Stay away from meat trimmings and bones—they may attract pests. What you need to know about the law Laws for leaf disposal vary depending on where you live. Visit your city’s Web site or call your local public works department for more information. - See more at: https://www.erieinsurance.com/blog/2009/dont-leave-leaves?utm_source=eriefacebook&utm_medium=eriesocial&utm_campaign=general#prclt-dd5rrc81 The annual apparition of spooky skeletons, broomstick-riding witches and carved pumpkins is a sure sign fall is well under way. Second only to Christmas in terms of how much consumers spend on decorations,¹ Americans of all ages seem to love celebrating Halloween. The Halloween spirit has spread to the inside and outside of the home as well, with homeowners setting up elaborate displays that range from haunted houses in the basement to graveyards on the lawn, as well as high-tech LED lighting outdoors. When planning and setting up your Halloween decorations, it is a good idea to consider any potential risks involved. Taking steps to prepare your property and to protect any visitors can help spare you from a truly frightening night. Be Aware of Dangers that Might Not be Visible During the Day
Remember that Welcoming the Neighborhood Inside Also Invites Risk
Be Smart about Where You Place Decorations
Set Up Spooky Lighting with Caution
Choose Decorations Wisely
Do Not be Frightened by the Risks
Sources: ¹ https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/ghouls-and-ghosts-galore-158-million-people-celebrate-halloween-this-year When thinking of the cause of a kitchen fire, it is common to think of cooking. But not all kitchen fires start because of cooking hazards. Non-cooking related fires commonly involve refrigerators, freezers or dishwashers. The following tips can help prevent non-cooking related fires from occurring in your kitchen.
What to Do If a Kitchen Fire Flares UpBy exercising caution at all times in your kitchen, you can help reduce the risk of a kitchen fire. But if a fire does flare up, you need to be prepared.
Hurricanes are most prevalent from June 1 to Nov. 30, and can inflict serious damage to homes and businesses, especially in the form of extreme wind and water damage. Fortunately, careful planning and organization can help you better prepare for and manage the damage and costs associated with the aftermath of dangerous hurricanes.
Here are some helpful tips for preparing for and managing potential loss before, during and after a hurricane. Before the hurricane, you should:
Preparing the Outside of Your Home If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should:
When a hurricane watch is issued, you should:
When a hurricane warning is issued, you should:
If officials issue a mandatory evacuation, you should:
After the hurricane, you should:
- See more at: https://www.erieinsurance.com/home-insurance/disaster-safety/ Life insurance is something people in many different situations and stages of life should consider. Even knowing this, you may still wonder why life insurance would be a good fit for you. Check out the following list to understand what kinds of expenses life insurance can cover. You and your loved ones will have greater peace of mind knowing exactly why life insurance could play an important role in the future. 7 things life insurance can cover 1. An income stream. Your family depends on your income to meet daily needs like food, medical care, utilities, car payments and much more. If you pass away without a means for replacing that income, their current standard of living could be in jeopardy. 2. A mortgage. Could your family afford your home’s mortgage without your paycheck in the picture? If not, an already sad situation would be compounded by possibly losing the house they love. This could also mean your children could no longer attend a school in their current district or maintain the friendships they currently have. 3. A college loan. College tuitions have grown faster than inflation—and so has student loan debt. Many private lending institutions do not forgive education loans in the event of death. That means the debt may reduce the amount of assets available to pass to the beneficiaries of a decreased student’s estate. It could also trigger repayment obligations for anyone who agreed to be a cosigner on the loan. 4. A child’s needs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it costs $245,340 to raise a child who was born in 2013. Making sure that there’s enough there for each child is something both employed and stay-at-home parents should consider. 5. A business. The right life insurance is critical if you own a business. This is especially true if a business has partners. If one passes away, it is advantageous to have funding in place for the surviving partner to buy the deceased partner’s interest in the business. Funding also needs to be in place to help a business survive after a key partner passes. Finding the right person may take time and resources the business may not have without life insurance. 6. A retirement. Many experts recommend you need to bank 11 times your annual pay in order to retire at age 65. (You’ll need even more if you don’t work until age 65.) Without enough savings or life insurance, your surviving spouse might not have such golden years. 7. Funeral expenses. The median price of a funeral is more than $7,000. Funeral directors say families without enough funds are forced to cut back on the service or ask friends and family for donations. Life insurance needs vary from person to person. If you’re interested in learning which one is right for you, contact a professional like an Erie Insurance Agent in your community. They can tell you why life insurance might be a good option for you and help you find the right protection at the right price. |
Contact Us(570) 344-5150 Archives
May 2017
Categories |
Navigation |
Connect With Us |
Contact UsNortheast Insurance & Financial Consultants
2121 Shoppes Blvd. Moosic, PA 18507 (570) 344-5150 Click Here to Email Us |
Location |
Website by InsuranceSplash