We printed this Q&A column in the April 10, 2021 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: Does Idaho have a new cell phone law? A: Yes, Idaho is now enforcing the “hands-free cell phone” law passed last July. The Idaho...

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We printed this Q&A column in the Aug. 10, 2020 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: What is Classic Car Insurance? A: Classic cars aren't just antiques, they also include restored cars, street rods, low riders,...

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Beginning Wednesday, July 1, 2020, drivers throughout Idaho will be responsible to follow a new law meant to keep drivers safe and engaged while behind the wheel. The new Idaho State Code 49-1401A requires electronic...

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Uninsured vehicle compliance begins January 1, 2020 Starting January 1, 2020, vehicle owners without auto insurance coverage for two consecutive months will receive a warning and be given 30 days to provide proof of...

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Idaho law has required mandatory auto liability insurance since 1988 by means of the owner’s signature of compliance when registering a vehicle. Despite that, about one out of every eight drivers do not carry auto...

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“After an auto accident, what optional coverages – other than comprehensive and collision – do most people wish they had purchased?” That was the question posed to the insurance company claims adjusters and agents at a...

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A new report finds that in 2016, 44% of fatally-injured drivers with known test results were positive for drugs, up from 28% just 10 years prior, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). More than...

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Chances are roughly one in eight that a driver is uninsured, according to new estimates from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). After a seven year decline from a high of 14.9 percent in 2003, the countrywide...

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Idaho and Washington among states that see small decline this year. - Reversing a trend of sharply increasing motor vehicle deaths in 2015 and 2016, the first half of 2017 is down 1% from the corresponding period in...

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Violations are now reported to your insurance company. - Washington state has defined its Distracted Driving law that just took effect on July 23, 2017. These changes include: No Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving...

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We printed this Q&A column in the July 10, 2017 edition of The Lewiston Tribune Q: When I rent a car, do I need to buy “Collision Damage Waiver”? A: Your Personal Auto Policy (PAP) extends auto liability, uninsured /...

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We printed this Q&A column in the March 10, 2017 edition of The Lewiston Tribune. Q: When should I re-shop my auto insurance? - A: Right now many companies are taking large increases in their auto insurance rates. A...

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There are three things you can do this Holiday Season to be a survivor when driving. Here's why extra caution is necessary this year... The 2015 traffic fatality estimate for the US is up a shocking 8.1 percent higher...

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Half of all teens will be involved in an automotive crash and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 14- to 18-year-olds, according to the National Safety Council. Even though driving is the biggest...

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Auto injury claim costs per insured vehicle have continued to increase across the United States according to a new study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). Long-term reductions in highway injuries and fatalities...

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Your odds of hitting a deer, an elk or a moose are twice as high during the 4th quarter months of October, November and December as in the other nine months of the year. U.S. drivers are just as likely to have a claim...

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If you want to pay the lowest auto insurance rates in the USA you'd better move to good ole Idaho! Yes, Idaho has the lowest auto insurance rates in the nation according to the National Association of Insurance...

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Philip Sullivan, Insurance Agent and Personal Lines Manager at AMERICAN INSURANCE, fell in love with his first car, a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback. Through his access to and abilities with the car, he spent his teenage...

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About 65 percent of on-the-job deaths of truck drivers in 2012 were the result of a motor vehicle crash. More than a third of the drivers who died were not wearing a seat belt. This troubling fact has the National...

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From April 10 to 15, 2015, law enforcement personnel will be using a combination of traditional and innovative strategies to crack down on motorists who text while driving. This effort is a part of the national U Drive....

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Can we keep drunk drivers off the road? Must they kill someone with their car after being arrested 10, 20 even 30 plus times for driving drunk before we find the answer. The answer may be a technology that has been...

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Improved vehicle designs bring down death rates (IIHS). The chances of dying in a crash in a late-model vehicle have fallen by more than a third in three years, the latest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)...

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How many drivers are uninsured? Across the United States, the estimated percentage of uninsured motorists trended down in 2010, 2011 and 2012, according to new estimates from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). In...

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Five small cars, all 2014 models, earn an acceptable rating in crash tests by the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety. Two earn marginal and four earn poor ratings for occupant protection in a small overlap crash in...

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Which models of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs) were top theft targets? The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released a new report that examines thefts of SUVs and CUVs reported...

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"I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather did, not kicking and screaming like the passengers in his car." No one wants this old joke to become a tragic reality. Is it time to ask your aging parent to...

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Motor vehicle crashes in the US had an $871 billion economic and societal impact, according to a new study by the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The study,...

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Is hands-free cell phone use safer when driving than hand-held? That's the question the National Safety Council asked in a public opinion poil. The new findings indicate 80 percent of drivers across America incorrectly...

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From small business delivery to large transportation fleets, distracted driving issues are a major liability to employers. Due to high profile crashes, large jury verdicts against employers, and a changing regulatory...

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Nope – not texting or distracted driving. Day or night, the leading cause of auto accidents is...driving while tired, according to a study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The 100-car...

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The US Auto Insurance industry will post a statutory underwriting loss in private passenger auto for the fifth consecutive year in 2012, according to a report by Fitch Ratings. Spurred by several years of weaker segment...

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Premiums for insurance is expected to continue a modest rise in 2013. By John B Sullivan, CIC President, AMERICAN INSURANCE Like our political climate "more of the same" is expected. Loss experience improved over 2011's...

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By Mike Everett, agent I've had a love affair with vintage cars for most of my adult life. It grew out of necessity (fixing my cars) and turned into a hobby by my thirties. Cars, trucks - anything old - is gratifying to...

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Now through August 13th Idaho law enforcement is targeting aggressive drivers and motorcycle riders on Idaho's roads. Speeding, failure to yield, following too close and disregarding traffic signals are all aggressive...

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The rumble of thunder, the crack of lightening, the rush of windstorm, the clatter of hail stones - thunderstorms can bring devastation to your property and your autos in a flash. How does your own insurance respond to...

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An alarming spike in traffic fatalities is being studied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A statistical projection shows a 13.5 percent increase in traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2012....

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More children and young adults die of this than any other cause. Perhaps it is no surprise that motor vehicle traffic crashes continue to be the leading cause of death in the group of age 8 through age 24, according to...

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Corvettes...we love to look at them and thieves love to steal them! The Chevrolet Corvette holds the title as America's oldest, continuously produced sports car. According to a National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)...

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Benjamin Franklin's famous quip "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" has a closer connection than he knew. A 30-year study of traffic accidents in the United States has found that...

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The most common "check engine" light repair is "replace Oxygen Sensor." A faulty O2 sensor costs less than $250 to fix, but can lead to as much as a 40% reduction in gas mileage if ignored - immensely important to note...

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Traffic deaths due to hand-held cell phone use by drivers have dropped 47% since California enacted a ban in July, 2008. The analysis, conducted by the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) at...

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The headlines of 2011 mark the worst year ever recorded for insured losses across the globe. Worldwide natural disasters - earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, winter storms, and unusual freakish...

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"Cell phone usage is only one of many bad habits that are distracting American drivers," said Robert Passmore, senior director of personal lines for Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). "Distracted...

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A ban on driver use of cell phones is urged by National Transportation Safety Board. The safety recommendation specifically calls for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ban the non-emergency use of portable...

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On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in non-hybrid models. Hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to shielding...

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Widespread flooding this fall in the eastern US has created a pool of more than 15,000 vehicles damaged by flood waters. The National Insurance Crime Bureau is warning consumers to beware of undisclosed flood damaged...

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Five minivan models have earned the 2011 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, standing out from competitors for superior protection in rollover crashes. The 2012 Chrysler Town &...

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Just today I was sitting in a coffee shop when a jacked-up and tricked out black Toyota pickup pulls up with the engine roaring and the music thumping. Out jump three young men to buy energy drinks and smokes. They pile...

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Hot Wheels-the list of the 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States was released today by The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Nationally, for the first time since 2002, thieves preferred domestic makes over...

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Organized Scams Defraud Consumers and Insurers Alike, Costing Billions of Dollars Annually If you have been involved in an auto accident that just didn't feel right, it might not have been an accident at all. More and...

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The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf earn the highest safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the first-ever U.S. crash test evaluations of plug-in electric cars. The milestone demonstrates that...

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Toyota was found "not guilty" by a New York jury in the 2005 unintended acceleration case brought by Dr. Amir Sitafalwalla. The case had prompted a massive recall of 8 million vehicles, a cascade of similar product...

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DOT estimates a 3% drop in 2010 fatalities over previous year's record low. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the number and rate of traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to the lowest levels since...

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Finances cause one in seven parents to delay teen driving. With high unemployment, concerns over rising gas prices and inflation, plus the cost of auto insurance for young drivers, the expense of getting a teen behind...

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Red light cameras saved 159 lives in 2004-08 in 14 of the biggest US cities, a new analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. Had cameras been operating during that period in all large cities, a total...

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What vehicles are the top safety picks for 2011? To check out a specific 2011 vehicle before you buy - click on TOP SAFETY PICKS 2011 The 2011 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 earned the "Top Safety Pick" award. The...

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Should you pay a fee for emergency response services following an accident? A resounding three out of four adults said "no" when recently surveyed by telephone in a Harris Interactive poll. The majority surveyed believe...

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a final rule aimed at decreasing occupant ejections in passenger vehicles. The new U.S. Department of Transportation standard, which will help reduce the number...

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Higher auto insurance rates for New Yorkers is blamed on rampant fraud by unscrupulous medical providers. Health care costs for automobile accident victims in New York increased 42 percent faster than overall medical...

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2009 saw the lowest traffic fatalities ever recorded according to the US Transportation Department. Highway deaths fell to 33,808 for the year, the lowest number since 1950. In fact, fatalities declined in all...

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Which vehicle is safer in a crash test - a 1959 Chevy Bel Air or a 2009 Chevy Malibu? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety celebrated their 50th anniversary with a crash test to demonstrate that car...

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New survey says 38% of drivers say they have been hit or nearly hit by people “driving while distracted” (DWD). Read more – survey, facts & figures, safety tips. http://www.nationwide.com/newsroom/safety.jsp

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