Insurance for teenagers is and can be high. Did you know that there are a few tricks and tips that you could use to keep your teenagers insurance down? Check out this video and get a few of those tips and hints now. Teenagers can not wait until the day that they turn 16 and they can hit the open road on their next adventure. It’s freedom that they long for, but at what price does that freedom come? Well, insurance doesn’t have to drain your bank account. Take it from me! If you have any tips and hints you would like to share feel free to send them over to me.
Car accidents are a money grubbing business. They cost a lot of money. Money for you, money for states, insurance providers and more! As a matter of fact car accidents cost this country 99 billion annually!
It should be no surprise to you that this is the point where I tell you that you should be wearing your seat belt. It doesn’t matter if you are just driving around the block you should put your seat belt on the first second you sit down in the car.
Consumer Reports‘ Lisa Barth wrote a great article about how much money car accidents cost and I wanted to share it with you. Have you been in a car accident lately? How much did it cost you?
Every 10 seconds someone is injured in a car crash and every 12 minutes someone dies. Now, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finds that in a one-year period, the cost of medical care and loss productivity from motor-vehicle injuries is more than $99 billion. This averages to nearly $500 for each licensed driver in the U.S. That $99 billion breaks down to $70 billion for fatal and nonfatal injuries in motor vehicles, $12 billion for motorcyclists, $10 billion for pedestrians, and $5 billion for bicyclists. Medical expenses account for $17 billion of the total.
This data was based on 2005 numbers, which were the most current available on injuries and cost.
The study also found that more men were killed or injured (70 percent) than women (52 percent) in motor-vehicle accidents; injuries and deaths in men represented 74 percent of all costs. Teens represented 28 percent of fatal and nonfatal injuries and 31 percent of the costs. Motorcyclists represented six percent of fatalities and injuries, but accounted for 12 percent of the costs due to more severe injuries.
Overall, the number of fatalities caused by vehicle crashes has declined in recent years. In 2008, 37,261 people were killed, which was the lowest number in decades. And it looks like the number of fatalities will be even lower for 2009. Still, there is more that can be done to prevent motor-vehicle accidents, deaths, and injuries. The CDC notes a few policies that would help reduce costs and save lives, including:
Improving teen driver safety with programs such as graduated driver licensing (GDL), which limits the time and conditions under which a teen can drive in the early stages.
Increasing safety-belt use by making laws that mandate usage primary. This means that a driver or passenger can be pulled over solely for not buckling up. Currently the safety belt usage rate is 84 percent. The CDC notes that if the rate were to increase to 90 percent in all states, the country would save more than $5 billion in costs.
Improving child passenger safety by strengthening the laws governing the required use of child seats, educating parents on their correct use and installation, and distributing seats to those who can’t afford them.
Reducing drunk driving deaths by implementing stricter policies, such as increased sobriety checkpoints and the use of ignition interlock devices for those convicted of DUI.
Well it seems like we are getting closer and closer to manufacturer’s putting black boxes in our new vehicles. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it’s to big brotherish or do you think it’s for the better of the community? Well here’s the latest report from AutoBlog.
Intel is currently hard at work on the next generation of vehicle event data recorders, the infamous black boxes that Congress has clamored for since Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems dominated headlines earlier this year. According to The New York Times, these new black boxes may do a lot more than just record things like vehicle speed and whether you’re wearing your seatbelt. Intel’s prototype will incorporate GPS and all of a vehicle’s onboard cameras for real-time mapping of the road conditions.
As if that’s not intrusive enough, Intel proposes that the EDRs record up to 30 seconds of interior video as well. While this level of information would likely prove helpful in determining who’s at fault in an accident, there’s the prickly question of who owns that information once it’s stored in the vehicle. Does it belong to vehicle manufacturers as it does now? Should the government be able to lay claim to it without a warrant? Will insurance companies be able to use EDR data any way they see fit, or does it belong to the owner of the vehicle? This could get ugly, and it probably will before all’s said and done.
I came across this article the other day and it got me thinking. It’s not that it’s not a bad idea but is it a good idea? I wanted to hear your thoughts on what congress is thinking about. Is this too big brotherish or is this the smartest thing ever? What are your thoughts? Yes you should NEVER drink and drive in your new or used car but could this be too far? Let’s discuss.
The New York Times reports that the U.S. Congress is considering a six-fold increase in the annual funding of in-car devices to detect drunk drivers. The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program’s budget would increase from $2 million per year to $12 million for the next five years, likely expediting the development of an effective device.
296diggsdiggHistory suggests that such a device would save thousands of lives. In 2008 alone, nearly 12,000 people died in alcohol-impaired car crashes. Many of those deaths would likely be preventable if there were a way for a vehicle system to seamlessly detect elevated alcohol levels in drivers. Scientists are working on a device that could instantly detect a driver’s blood alcohol level by reading alcohol levels on the breath or use a light beam to assess alcohol levels on the skin.
Program Director Susan Ferguson says that said device should be “very fast, very accurate, highly reliable and precise,” adding that achieving a high level of precision is going to take a lot of money. Ferguson feels that the alcohol detection system could be the safety equivalent of the next seatbelt, suggesting that it could save 8,000 to 9,000 lives per year.
A total of 13 automakers are behind the project as well, and the goal is for drivers to voluntarily add the mechanism to their vehicles as an added safety measure. We’re guessing that adding such a system could greatly reduce the cost to insure the vehicle, giving drivers a financial incentive to add the device. Of course, adding the cost of the device to new cars will likely cost automakers (and in turn, consumers) a fair bit of money, but the hope is that reduced insurance costs could cover the difference. – AutoBlog
Let us know what you think. Leave a comment. We’re taking a poll. Is this good? Or bad?
Ok ladies and gents this one is a doozy. Another one of those silly human errors while driving. A woman in Dallas was leaving the Dallas Fort Worth International airport a little intoxicated and decided she wasn’t going to pay her toll to get out of the airport. So what did she decide to do? Jump the toll booth!!! Luckily enough no one was hurt. She even got out of her car and tried to make a phone call as the car caught fire. All I have to say is please don’t try this in your new or used cars Cincinnati! We are not all stunt men from the Dukes of Hazzard and we certainly don’t all drive the General Lee!! Ha ha. Watch the video it’s quick but it’s funny! Thanks to AutoBlog for sharing this one with us all.
So you are getting your first car? Well this is very exciting! I remember when I got my first car! The excitement of driving, the freedom, no more riding the bus, the popularity, the chance to finally prove I was maturing. Well those are all great feelings but let’s face it I didn’t know the first thing about taking care of my car. Had it not been for my parents I would not have known when I needed new tries, or an oil change.
The first thing you should do is get insurance on your vehicle! Hopefully your parents will help you out with this but should you need assistance you need to shop. Shop a few different insurance companies. I would shop at least 3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and do your research. So you can get the plan that is right for you and the price that best fits you.
The next thing to remember is that keeping your new or used car properly maintained is key. You should never forget to get your oil changed regularly. You should get your oil changed at least every 3,000 miles. It’ll keep your engine running properly and keep your car out of the shop.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on those tires. Proper tire inflation is key to keeping your car in good shape. It can also help reduce the cost of fuel. Keep an eye out for any wear and tear, under inflation, nails, screws etc. Make sure that you are getting your tires rotated on a regular schedule. Usually every other oil change is a good way of timing it out.
Can you think of anything else that’ll help first time drivers? Have any good stories from your first car?
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The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
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