Busted!

As April comes to an end, so does the third annual National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, an initiative that aims to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving. We all share the roadways and collectively we can create a safer driving culture for ourselves and the generations that follow. Please take some time to explore this information and pass it along to those closest to you.

The Facts

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger and bystander safety. These distractions can include texting, using a cell phone, eating, drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading, using a navigation system, watching a video, and adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player.
Driving is a complex task that requires one’s eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and brain focused on the task at hand. According to the National Safety Council, drivers engaged in cell phone conversations, with either hand-held or hands-free devices, can fail to see up to 50 percent of their driving environment, including stop signs, pedestrians and red lights.

Do your part
Pledge to drive distraction-free on the National Safety Council’s website . Pledging means you will refrain from having a phone conversation or texting while driving your vehicle.

Spread awareness
In addition to taking the pledge, you can spread awareness of this issue using social media. Share what you know about the dangers of distracted driving on Facebook, Twitter or other sites.

 Here are some sample tweets you can use:
• I care about your safety and I want you to #drivecellfree
• Help save a life. #drivecellfree
• Roadway safety is everyone’s responsibility. #drivecellfree

Take action
There are several mobile applications that help eliminate or minimize phone usage while driving. Some target teens and families while others are tailored for commercial or fleet operations in an effort to monitor and control for driver behavior. Some popular apps include:

• Text No More (free)

• Drive Safe.ly ($13.95 per year, $34.95 per year for family plan)
• On the Move (free)

• ZoomSafer ($3 per month)

• Sprint Drive First ($2 per month added on to phone bill)

Learn more
For more information on distracted driving, check out the following resources:
• AT&T video “The Last Text”

• Advocates for Cell-Free Driving

• Distraction.gov

• National Safety Council

Source: Sagamore Insurance

Experience Level

How much riding experience do you have?

Be realistic, and assess your experience level. Beginner or novice? Experienced or an expert?

What if you’re riding with others?

It’s wise to take your experience level, and that of others, into account before heading out on a group ride. A novice rider should be careful of the situations that might arise when traveling a group of experienced riders. An expert, mixed in with a group of novices, should consider the needs and capabilities of the other riders when selecting destination, pace and following distance.

Knowledge Level

How much do you really know about motorcycle riding?

Ask yourself a few questions to assess knowledge level. If any of the following concepts are unfamiliar, these are critical skills that are beyond your reach without getting some training.

• Do you have a riding strategy? Do you use an active system to scan the roadway, identify hazards (and potential hazards) and manage your speed and position?
• Do you understand visual directional control? How skilled are you at using head and eyes to guide your motorcycle –– rather than your hands and feet?
• Do you know how to achieve maximum braking? If you avoid using your front brake, whether in routine or emergency situations, you are missing out on a very important technique for safe stopping.
• Do you understand countersteering? If you believe you steer the bike by leaning your body, and not by precise “opposite” inputs into the handgrips, you need instruction and practice in this lifesaving technique.
• Do you have a plan for every corner? Cornering smoothly is more than just point-and-shoot, steering and throttle. Cornering can be broken down into smaller skill components to increase safety and proficiency.
• Do you know how to swerve quickly? And do you understand the concept of traction management –– the relationship between throttle, steering and braking inputs that limit options in an emergency?
• Do you understand counterweighting? If low-speed or tight turns such as U-turns give you trouble, using this technique helps with balance and control in tricky situations.

Comfort Level

Comfort level plays a role in your ability to handle various riding situations. When you are comfortable with your mental and physical skills, you are able to react correctly and with precision to any hazard you encounter.

If you are uncomfortable in a situation –– for example, if you are stressed and distracted because surrounding traffic is moving much faster than you are –– you are prone to making mistakes and less likely to respond quickly when needed.

If you are not confident using the expressway at 65 mph, choose a route that uses smaller roads instead. If you are not comfortable riding in a large group, avoid organized rides and travel alone or with trusted friends. If you are forced into a riding situation that makes you uncomfortable, adjust your speed, position and following distance to give yourself more time and space to react to surprises.

Skill Level

How good are your physical riding skills? Have you ever taken a training course to improve your riding? Consider all the skills you need to ride safely –– are any of them giving you trouble?

• Steering quickly
• Slowing or stopping quickly
• Cornering lines and body position
• Lane position and smooth cornering
• Throttle control and speed management
• Coordination of clutch and throttle
• Shifting smoothly

If you doubt your ability in any of these areas, the solution is to set aside time to practice and improve. A training course is the best way to do it, but you can also practice riding techniques on your own. Spend an hour or two, at least once a month, on an empty parking lot working on your low-speed turns and braking skills.

You can also work on your skills while riding. Before you head out, ask yourself: “What am I going to practice today?” Pick one skill at a time such as front brake use, keeping your eyes up, or looking through turns, and focus on improving that technique.

There is an old saying among police motor officers: “Train at 100 percent, ride at 80 percent.” Your skill level should always be greater than your comfort level. Training will help you get there.

Office of Traffic Safety

A Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety ]]> http://www.heartman.com/minnesota-insurance-news/2012-04-24/motorcycle-riding-tips-are-you-ready-to-ride/feed/ 0 http://www.heartman.com/minnesota-insurance-news/2012-04-19/before-during-and-after-a-tornado/ http://www.heartman.com/minnesota-insurance-news/2012-04-19/before-during-and-after-a-tornado/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:30:40 +0000 admin http://www.heartman.com/minnesota-insurance-news/?p=70

Before the tornado

• Become familiar with the type of alarm or notification system your local government will put into effect to let you know if a tornado watch or warning is being issued. Above all, don’t wait until a tornado warning is issued to find out what to do. Make sure everyone in the family is fully prepared to take responsibility for his or her own safety.

• The best preparation for a tornado is to be alert to changing weather patterns. Pay attention to weather reports and rely on your own instincts and experience.

• Nature provides certain environmental clues that may precede a tornado. Look for a dark, greenish sky, a wall of clouds and pieces of hail sometimes as large as grapefruits. Eyewitnesses say a tornado produces aloud roar, similar to that of an approaching freight train.

During the tornado

• The safest place to be during a tornado is underground. If there is no basement in your home, a small room in the middle of the house is best. Stay away from windows.

• Get under a steady piece of furniture, such as a heavy table or desk. Hold on to it and use your arms to protect your head and neck.

• If you live in a mobile home, even if it has tie-downs, you should leave and seek shelter somewhere else.

• If there is no safe place inside, go outside and lie flat on the ground with your hands over your head and neck.

• If you’re in a car, get out and seek a safe shelter or lie down in a low area, again with your hands over your head and neck.

• If you’re in a high-rise building, make your way to an interior room on the lowest floor. Avoid windows.

After a tornado

• Check for injured or trapped persons. Do not move them unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.

Ouch!

In the most recent year with complete data, the US Coast Guard reports that there were 4730 recreational boating accidents in the U.S. and its territories in which 736 lives were lost. Almost 75% of the fatal accident victims drowned, and of these, 84% were reported as not wearing a life jacket. Seven out of every ten boaters who drowned were using boats less than 21 feet in length.

BWI (Boating While Intoxicated) is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 16% of the deaths. Operators with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent (for most of us, that means just one to three beers) are 10 times as likely to be killed in a boating accident as a sober boater.

What about the remaining four deaths out of every five? Additional contributing factors were operator inattention, operator inexperience, excessive speed and other improper operation, improper lookout, poor vision, faulty equipment, inadequate safety systems and devices, limited or inaccurate local knowledge, and ignorance of basic rules of the waterway.

ABA encourages every boater to be serious about boating safety, starting with the proper kind and amount of boater training. Remember, a boating mishap or fatality often involves innocent people who share in none of the blame, but all of the consequence. As a responsible boater, the life you save may very well be someone else’s. Remember, B E  S A F E* – KNOW YOUR…

Boat

Equipment

Safety devices and PFDs

Alcohol limits

First aid and emergency procedures

Environment (area and weather)

…BEFORE YOU GO!

* Source: National Safe Boating Council

Big businesses are not the only targets of data theft. Doctor’s offices, retail shops, contractors, salespeople, and most other professions store personal information electronically. Sometimes, businesses that lose personal information are victims of sophisticated hacking schemes concocted by the most crafty computer cons. More often, data theft comes from the inside—a dishonest employee seeking wealth or a disgruntled employee seeking revenge. Regardless of culprit, victims, including employees, customers and others shoulder the risk of someone else’s access to their information.

Information stolen from your business can result in significant costs, including the following:

• Expenses you incur to inform those who may be victims of the theft.
• Expenses you incur to replace the data and income lost during the recovery process.
• Victims will incur expenses to recover lost information and expect you to pay for it.
• Victims will likely no longer do business with you, resulting in lost income.
• Victims who suffer financial losses resulting from identity theft may sue you for their damages.
• Personnel may lose confidence in you and seek employment elsewhere.

Traditional insurance products—such as general liability, property, business income and crime insurance—are designed to cover losses to tangible property. Since information is intangible, the insurance your business currently buys will not go far in covering this exposure.

Some insurance companies have created products to address data theft that occurs electronically, such as when someone uses a computer to steal electronic data. These policies may cover costs you incur to restore the data, including lost income. Others may cover liability, helping you cover costs incurred by others who are victimized by the theft of your data. Such policies are often called “Cyber Risk” or “Cyber Insurance” policies.

Data theft and the unpredictable methods by which it can happen are why there is no substitute for an effective data security plan. Call your Trusted Choice^® independent insurance agent for information on how a cyber insurance policy could fit your business. 

Heartman Insurance is a local Trusted Choice^® agency that represents multiple insurance companies, so it offers you a variety of personal and business coverage choices and can customize an insurance plan to meet your specialized needs. You can contact Heartman Insurance online at http://www.heartman.com or call it at 507-288-3834.

By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent

Reuters

McCook Daily Gazette

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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The Hill