Archive for the ‘MassDriver.org’ Category
Cancelling Your Auto Insurance
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy, Legislation, MassDriver.org, Massachusetts RMV, Progressive Insurance News, Saving Money On Auto Insurance on October 6th, 2009
Write it on a post it note. Program it into your phone. Leave yourself a voice mail at home. What ever it takes, don’t allow your auto insurance to lapse.
Here are a few things to remember about auto insurance cancellations:
- Driving with out insurance is illegal. Should anything happen while you’re driving, not only will the violation be added to your driving record with a citation, raising your insurance rates – if you’re at fault for an accident, all damages your insurance company would have paid will come straight out of your pocket.
- You don’t need to wait for renewal time to cancel a policy. Shopping around to find another policy with better rates is a great idea. No need to wait until your current policy is up to start saving.
- Never ever ignore your insurance bill. Ignoring your insurance bill may be cause for cancellation due to non-payment. When this occurs not only will future insurance companies see you as a higher risk, they may ask you to pay the full insurance amount up front.
- Cancellation must be done in writing. When you notify your current insurance company of your cancellation allow a reasonable amount of time for cancellation. When notifying the company, be sure and include the date you would like cancellation to take place giving yourself peace of mind for when you’re old coverage is up and your new one is to begin.
What to do When Involved in an Accident
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy, MassDriver.org on October 5th, 2009
The car ahead of you schreeches to a halt… you slam on your breaks and lightly bump the car in front of you. Moments later a third car sails full speed into your back bumper… now what?
When involved in an accident there are a few things to remember:
1. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LEAVE THE SCENE. There are strict and heavy penalties for leaving the scene of an accident.
2. Make sure the accident scene is safe. Before exiting your car ensure there is no oncoming traffic or other dangerous obstacles.
3. After checking that everyone involved is safe, get as much information as you can from the other driver(s). Obtain their insurance and license information, address, and phone number at minimum.
4.Contact the police. File a report but do not admit fault. Even if you think you were at fault, you may be in shock and still not realized everything that happened.
5. If you have a camera phone or digital camera take a few pictures. Document the damages to both vehicles before the cars are driven or towed away.
6. Report the accident to your insurance company. Include as much information when filing your claim as possible. Relay the time, location, the other drivers information, accident details, and anything else you can remember from the scene to your insurance company.
The most important part of being in an accident is the safety of yourself and other driver(s)/ passenger(s). Before proceeding with the formalities of exchanging information and filing a report, it may be more important to call an ambulance. Drive safely, and if you are involved in an accident stay calm, with a level head you’ll be able to handle the situation.
Keep Insurance Rates Low
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy, MassDriver.org, Massachusetts RMV, Saving Money On Auto Insurance, Uncategorized on September 30th, 2009
Q: What’s the easiest way to keep low insurance rates?
A: With a clean drivers record.
Not only will you need to pay that speeding ticket, you’ll be paying for it the next couple years on your auto insurance. Insurance companies determine your rates in part by what kind of a driver you are. If you’re a safe driver with no citations, an insurance company sees you as a low risk to insure. If you’re a road-raging multi-major-accident driver, the insurance company may view you a little differently.
Massachusetts determines the magnitude of driving violations with surchargeable points. For example, a major accident will count more points than a 5 mile over speeding ticket. Take a look at how Massachusetts classifies your driving violations:
| Surchargeable Incident | Surcharge Points |
|---|---|
| Major Traffic Violation (i.e., D.U.I.) |
5 |
| Major At-Fault Accident (claim over $2,000) |
4 |
| Minor At-Fault Accident (claim over $500 to $2,000) |
3 |
| Minor Traffic Violation (i.e., speeding) |
2 |
Each citation adds more than just a few bucks on to your insurance. Avoid these hefty points with safe driving: allow extra traveling time, drive defensively, and buckle up. Your check book will thank you.
Protect Yourself Against Mass Auto Theft
Posted by Cassandra in Consumer Advocacy, MassDriver.org on September 23rd, 2009
Great news for Massachusetts metropolitan drivers, auto thefts decreased by 11.5 percent over the last couple years. However this does not mean Mass drivers should leave their car doors unlocked. The most-Stolen vehicle in Massachusetts last year was the 1995 Honda Civic. (Auto Thefts Down in Mass., U.S. in ‘08, by Craig M Douglas)
Ways for Massachusetts drivers to avoid auto theft:
- park in well lit areas
- lock the car doors and roll up the windows
- if you have valuables in the car, place them out of sight
- consider installing an alarm system
- double check your auto insurance policy
Although theft rates have decreased, please use your common sense and drive/ park safely.
Woman From Seabrook Faces Charges From Insurance Fraud
Posted by Sonia in MassDriver.org on July 7th, 2009
Anna Keegan allegedly exaggerated several insurance claims and was fraudulently collecting lost wages. She was charged with several instances of auto insurance fraud. The Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau investigated her various claims, and discovered that she legitimately had injuries from a dog-bite, but attempted to embellish her claims the next year from injuries from an auto accident and lost wages from a non-existent job. She plead not guilty, and was released on personal recognizance.
For decades, Massachusetts set all auto insurance rates and barred any carrier to have competitive rates. This was quite pricey for those with clean records. Last spring, the state changed these regulations, and allowed carriers to present competitive rates. With this change, Massachusetts residents are shopping around for the best deal in auto insurance and have ore of an incentive to drive safer and find the best option for them.
Gas Prices on the rise!
Posted by Ryan in MassDriver.org on June 16th, 2009
Last month gas prices jumped up 45 cents! This has people hoping for the best after last years high prices during the summer season.
Last week in Massachusetts, gas prices rose 10 cents for regular unleaded gas. Unfortunately, this was the sixth week in a row that gas prices has risen. If you are one of many drivers who owns a larger vehicle, your wallet could start to take a hit.
You are not helpless in this situation though. Here are some tips to help you manage your gas mileage.
There is no way to tell what’s in store for the future but make sure you stay up to date here at MassDriver.org!
Progressive Adding To Its Offer in Massachusetts
Posted by Paul in MassDriver.org, Progressive Insurance News on April 6th, 2009
If you own an RV or a motorcycle and you’re a Massachusetts resident, Progressive can insure your vehicle.
Have you had experience with Progressive? Let MassDriver and the rest of our readers know by commenting on this story!
Did you save money? Let MassDriver know!
Posted by Paul in Consumer Advocacy, MassDriver.org, Saving Money On Auto Insurance on April 6th, 2009
Recently, MassDriver covered reports that Western Massachusetts residents saved money on auto insurance. We want to know if you did too! Either comment on this blog post or complete the MassDriver survey. Let us know if you saved!
Lawmakers working to preserve Massachusetts Auto Appeals Board
Posted by Paul in Consumer Advocacy, Legislation, MassDriver.org, Massachusetts Insurance Agents on February 16th, 2009
WBZ is covering updates on bills introduced on Beacon Hill to save the Massachusetts Auto Appeals Board. A new hook? The existence of the board generates about $2.5M in revenue for the commonwealth of Massachusetts in fees:
Proponents of the current appeals process say it saves drivers about $25 million a year because 45 percent to 50 percent of them win their appeals; and the $50 fee they pay gives the state $2.5 million a year in revenue.
WBZ also has some video on this subject. To view it, click here.
MassDrive.org has covered the elimination of the Massachusetts Auto Appeals Board in past posts.
MassDriver.org survey is still open – participate today!
Posted by Paul in Competition, Consumer Advocacy, MassDriver.org on February 6th, 2009
MassDriver.org’s survey on Massachusetts auto insurance is still open and we want to hear from you! Take the MassDriver.org survey and tell us how the introduction of competition has affected you as a Massachusetts auto insurance consumer.
