car accidents – Adam's Auto Advice

What? Men Pay More Than Women for Auto Insurance!

In preparation to write this story, I did an Internet search for “men or women” and the auto-complete feature suggested “better drivers” as the top choice. Apparently, I am far from the only person who seeks answers to the age-old question of who makes better drivers — men or women? As my headline suggests, the news isn't good: Men have poorer driving records than women and, therefore, we pay more for auto insurance.

Men vs Women: Driving

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), men drive more miles and are more likely to engage in risky behavior such as speeding, not wearing seat belts and driving under the influence. I know I'm being a real downer, and here's one more stat you won't like: Accidents that involve men drivers tend to be more severe. In 2010, motor vehicle deaths with male drivers behind the wheel were over 22,902 in the U.S.; while deaths involving women drivers were much lower at 9,979.

That's just a fact, and where you live greatly affects how much men may pay in premiums. (For instance living in Baltimore city vs Baltimore county is a huge difference!) That doesn't mean men can't find coverage that is inexpensive it just means they have to do a little bit more homework. Many auto insurance companies lower rates for safe-driving records. Keep a clean-driving record or move to a city or state where it's cheaper to drive with insurance to help decrease premiums. Driving eco-friendly hybrid or electric vehicles can also result in lower auto insurance rates. Along with many auto insurance providers, Kemper is full of great online resources to help you find a better deal.

Shop Online Insurance Providers

Some online sources offer monthly payments significantly lower than traditional providers. Of course, there's an app for that: Apps that find and price insurance on your smart phone simplify the process, as they can run the numbers and provide comparisons from wherever you are. As with so many things nowadays, there are apps for this. The Cheap Car Insurance Finder helps find you insurance quotes and lead you to the right coverage. If you want another app be sure to read user reviews to find the best app for you.

You Have to Shop Around

Don't grab at the first policy that looks good on paper. Some insurance companies may not charge you up-front for your policy but might get you on the backside through the deductible. Read the fine print. Know what your deductible is, what your payments will be, how often you have to make those payments and what is actually covered in the event of an accident. Don't get caught holding your pants up with rope because your policy doesn't cover medical bills or damage to the other driver's vehicle.

Look for Discounts

If you are a homeowner, combine homeowners' policies with auto insurance and bundle premiums. Your age, your career, whether you have a clean-driving record, who else will be driving your car, and a host of other factors affect how much you pay and and the total amount of your discounts. Young male drivers are more expensive that young teenage women drivers, so letting your son drive your vehicle will cost you more.

The good news is in the last five years, the number of fatal automobile accidents involving both men and women drivers has decreased about 75 percent, according to the IIHS. Unfortunately, that's not reflected in our premiums. The Insurance Research Council looked at claim payouts in Michigan, which has the highest premiums in the country, and reported that while the number of accidents has decreased, the payouts have increased. Twenty-two percent of 2011 payouts were more than $250,000; in 2002, only 5 percent of payouts exceeded $250,000.

5 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In

Driving can have its share of dangers, but there are certain countries where drivers have to take special care. These places have roads and other conditions that make them more of a challenge when taking to the road. If you are traveling to these countries, be sure that you are aware of traffic laws, safety precautions and prepared for any emergencies that could arise. All figures in this article are for the period from 2006-2007.

1. United Arab Emirates
This country is in the top ranks of the most dangerous countries to drive in. It has more than a million vehicles that are registered to drive on the roads. The United Arab Emirates also has an astonishing 1,056 car-related deaths, with a rate of deaths in accidents at 37.1 per 100,000 residents in the country. This number of accidents also leads to a higher rate of filing auto insurance claims.

2. Gambia
Gambia has a large population of over 1,000,000 people with over 14,000 vehicles that can legally be on the road. There have been at least 54 deaths in vehicle accidents, with an accident death rate of 36.6 individuals out of 100,000. This makes for a lot of traffic and busy streets while driving, so if you are visiting, watch for possible accidents on the road.

3. Niger
This is a beautiful, prospering country that boasts a population of over 14,000,000 people who drive over 76,000 vehicles on its roads. The busy traffic has led to a total of 570 deaths in car accidents, with a vehicle accident death rate of 37.7 per 100,000 people.

Iraq

4. Iraq
Iraq's population of over 28,000,000 people has had to contend with war over the years, and have also garnered a top spot on the list for being dangerous to drive in. There are over 2,000,000 vehicles on the road daily, with a total of 1,932 deaths from accidents. Every 38.1 out of 100,000 people die in vehicle crashes.

5. Egypt
Egypt is a country that is popular with tourists, since it has the pyramids, its history and beautiful cities to tour. It has one of the highest spots on the list of dangerous countries to drive in with a total of 15,983 deaths from automobile accidents. This is possible with over 75,000,000 people in the population and more than 4,300,000 cars on the road. There is a mortality rate of 41.6 per 100,000 people.

If you are planning to travel overseas, make sure that you are prepared for the possibility of an accident. Preparation includes knowing the traffic laws, having good car insurance and being aware of the heaviest traffic zones. This knowledge is vital to making your drive overseas smoother and safer.

Written by Christina Jones

Watch it in Wet Weather!

I am sure everyone in the Baltimore area and Maryland experienced the rather quick switch in weather from sunshine, to heavy rain, some sunshine, light rain, sunshine, heavy rain! It was a little bit ridiculous. It's a good reminder to be prepared for anything when driving and to stay alert. You need to be constantly aware of the driving conditions you are dealing with, espicially in wet weather.

A few weeks ago when I was headed to the Baltimore Grand Prix Economic Press Conference, it was raining like nobody's business! Not far from my house these was this accident. It was pretty serious as you can see from the pictures. These two small SUVS did a lot of damage hitting each other, at what I assumed was relatively low speeds. This was most likely due to the fact that one of the drivers did not adjust their driving for wet conditions. Since they were relatively the same size and type of vehicle, it seemed nobody was seriously injued. (Actually both were Honda CRVs). Consider if one of the vehicles was a truck hitting a compact car. Not good!

Jalopnik Rates Baltimore 2nd Worst Driving City in Country, DC 1st

Baltimore GP 160 — The Grand Prix in Baltimore

Baltimoreans… our humble city has been rated the 2nd worst driving city in the country! Why such a rating? Apparently drivers of Baltimore get into 88% more accidents than the rest of the country. “Charm City residents apparently see their vehicles as just another crustacean waiting for its shell to be cracked open” is the way Jalopnik put it. Somehow there is some truth to that statement. The rankings were taken from Allstate's data, which insures 10% of all US drivers. Jalopnik sorted through the data to compile the list. It's hard for me to believe we are the 2nd worst in the country, but I guess the numbers speak for themselves. No wonder insurance is so expensive here!

The first city on the list is Washington DC. All the super yuppies (as I like to call them) are apparently twice as likely to get into an accidents as the rest of the nation. “There are so many possible reasons — the city's cross-hatch street layout, it's population of drivers with diplomatic immunity, tour-bus related congestion — that it's hard to assign blame, exactly the kind of problem Washington excels in creating.” commented Jalopnik. Essentially this means the Baltimore-Washington Metro area is the worst driving area in the country!

I would definitely like to hear people opinions on this. Do you agree or disagree?

Ten Worst Driving Cities in the US!

Washington DC
Baltimore
Glendale, CA
Newark, NJ
Providence, RI
Philadelphia
Hartford, Conn.
Jersey City, NJ
San Francisco
Alexandria, VA

http://jalopnik.com/worst-drivers/

Driving Skills for Life, Working to Save Young Lives

What's the number one killer of teenagers? You might be surprised to hear it's not drugs, guns, or alcohol. It's vehicle fatalities. One car manufacturer that is making an effort to combat this problem is Ford with it's Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program. With DSFL, Ford aims to educate new drivers about safe driving principles. “We want to get the numbers down” says Jim Graham, Manager of DSFL.

DSFL events, which are held around the country, have overwhelming demand. The events put teenagers behind the wheel with a professional race car driver to learn emergency maneuvers and how to handle dangerous road conditions and situations. The hands-on instruction teaches the four key principles of DSFL: hazard recognition, speed management, space management, and vehicle handling. You would think that teenagers would be excited at the opportunity to get into a car with a race car driver. To some people, like a particular writer, it would be awesome to do this. “At first they don't want to go.” says Graham but, “Once they get into the car they want to do it again. We use young teachers that are considered cool and that the kids respond well too.” Not only do teenagers love DSFL but parents have positive experiences as well. “Parents get in the cars with teens. For the most part they have not had professional driving safety training either. They learn a lot as well. Parents love the program.”

The program has saved lives in Illinois. Outside Peoria 15 teenagers died in 1 year period. DSFL went in to help address this issue. They worked with the state and community and thus far there have been no new fatalities in the county. They are now operating in the whole state and now there is a 50% reduction of teenage vehicle fatalities in the state of Illinois. Great work!

DSFL also has help from celebrities to get the word out. Kate Voegele, a musician and singer, talks with teenagers about safe driving habits through DSFL programs. Colin Braun, a NASCAR driver, and Toby Keith, a country musician, have also contributed. Braun spreads the message at tracks and through his social media network. Keith made a Public Service Announcement (PSA) “No text message is worth your life” for DSFL. The newest celebrity addition to the DSFL arsenal is Courtney Force, drag racing champion, and daughter of legendary drag racer John Force. Courtney will be speaking with teenagers about safe driving habits around the country.

Ford not only aims to have DSFL events to teach teenagers and parents about driving, but to bring updated information right to you with their website. “Learning to drive successfully is a life long learning experience.” says Graham. This is reflected in the vast content on the website which includes a safe driving simulator, educational materials, tips, videos, etc. There are even downloadable school programs for teachers. It's an all around resource for updated information regarding safe driving and how to develop better habits.

Driving Skills for Life is fully funded by Ford Motor Company. The company even developed the program and will continue with it for a long time to come, as the number of newly licensed drivers grows every year. In short, DSFL is a great service to the community that is saving lives.