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Safety Tips for Driving In Wintry Conditions
January 20, 2018
Slow Down, Be Properly Equipped and Leave Plenty of Room
Winter driving can be a challenge when you live in the part of the country with significant snow and ice each year. Dealing with snow is one thing, but ice is the real danger when driving. Knowing how to safely drive in icy wintry conditions can literally save your life.
- Get Snow Tires Don't let the label fool you. Good snow tires aren't just for driving in snow. They have deeper treads and more grooves to help with traction and gripping the road. This includes ice as well as snow. So living in our area, getting good snow tires for your car is essential.
- Take Your Time The best trick for driving in wintry conditions is to take it slowly. Allow yourself a lot of extra time to get from A to B, and don't try to rush.
- Leave Plenty of Room Don't let your car get too close to other vehicles or the guardrails. In winter conditions you can lose control in the blink of an eye and having an obstacle just a few feet from you is a hazard. Keep an extra couple of car lengths between you and the car in front, and don't cut your corners too tight as you make turns. Other drivers may not be as cautious as you are, so you want keep buffer space in case they are the ones to start skidding instead of you.
- How to Handle a Skid The first instinct if your car starts to slide is to hit the brakes. The problem is that you lose all control over the motion of the car when you do that, so you need to learn how to steer and slow properly instead of just trying to blindly stop. The old adage of "turning into the skid" is the way to go, providing you actually know what that means. You have to turn your steering wheel in the same direction that the back end of the car is heading. This will (ideally) prevent a spin and further loss of control. Ease up on the gas, and let the car slow down on its own rather than stomping the brake.
- Always Be Prepared Even if you are an old pro at winter driving, you can never control every situation. Being prepared in cold winter weather is the smart thing to do. Equip your car with a small shovel, bag of salt, sand or cat litter, and extra winter gear (like hats, and sturdy gloves), just in case you do end up off the road. Making sure that your auto insurance has you covered in the case of a winter accident is also important. Stop in and see us today - we would love to help.
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“Am I covered if I drive someone else’s car?” Or, “Am I covered if someone else drives mine?”
Many don’t realize that the insurance industry is one of the country's most regulated business segments, especially in New York State. The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYS DFS) wields significant control over the insurance business and has a stated goal of protecting consumers.
Most property insurance companies offer Actual Cash Value or Replacement Cost settlement options. Typically, insurance companies will require that you insure the property to the settlement value you choose. If you select Actual Cash Value, the amount you may be required to insure the property for will be less than the corresponding Replacement Value.
In that spirit, the Ryan Agency is sponsoring a Stearns BBQ Dinner pickup at our office on 57 Broadway Mall in Hornell on September 12th from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
Today, an individual’s credit history can play a more significant role than any one of those traditional factors. Good Credit Scores lead to a Positive Insurance score. A good Insurance Score greatly influences what someone will pay to insure their vehicles.
Insurance companies offer various discounts for which their policyholders may qualify.
Great Eight number Six (6) suggests taking a look at removing Comprehensive and Collision on Older Vehicles.
By reducing the number of claims in your insurance history, you can significantly affect your rates in the future.
Sometimes, this concept meets with resistance from policyholders. The thought of paying more in the event of a claim is off-putting to some. Even if that means I pay more for my insurance.
OK. Admittedly, this strategy doesn't benefit everyone, but it can be very beneficial for those it does. You may have unique home or auto insurance needs that prevent you from bundling with the same company. Alternatively… you might have a better rate without the bundle discount by splitting up your insurance between multiple carriers.
