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Changes in family situations happen every day. Perhaps your grandmother has come to live with you, and in order to give her some independence, you want to teach her how to drive. One of the first things you may need to do is contact your Long Island auto insurance agent to obtain coverage for grandma.

When teaching an older person to drive, it may be important to provide a non-threatening learning environment. You may want to review road laws, explain how to contact emergency personnel, and go over a practice written driving test. Some aspects of the aging process may impact driving ability. Should your grandmother be taking any prescription medication, you may want to discuss with the doctor or pharmacist whether or not the medication may impair driving ability.

Your grandmother may require eye glasses while driving, and you may want to make sure her seat is adjusted for maximum view. It also may be a good idea to keep the windshield, windows, and mirrors clean, and discourage your grandmother from driving at night or on poorly lit roads. Should your grandmother wear a hearing aid, you may want to encourage her to turn off the radio and put the windows up.

A car with power steering and brakes may be easier for your grandmother to drive as her muscle strength may be somewhat diminished with age. Patience may be the most important quality to have when teaching grandma to drive. Also important is obtaining the right coverage through your Long Island auto insurance company.

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Whether moving, regardless of the distance, your possessions have to be packed and transported. One of the first things you may want to do is find out if your Long Island auto insurance policy provides financial protection if you rent a moving van, and for your possessions as they are in transit.

There are ways to get the most for your money out of your rented moving van:

• You may need to make it clear to the rental agent the distance you will be driving the moving van, so that you are charged for the correct distance.
• You may have a certain amount of mileage that is included in the rental price. Some companies offer unlimited mileage. You may want to shop around for the best deal.
• The busiest times for rental van companies tend to be mid-May to mid-September. Therefore, you may need to make an appointment well in advance during those times.
• Rather than purchase boxes from the moving van company, you may want to order them online, which may be a less expensive alternative.
• It may be wise to return the van with a full tank of gas as the rental company typically charges more for gas than market price.

Moving may be exciting, but packing and hauling your possessions to your new home can be exhausting. You may not want to be caught unprepared financially. Should you find that your Long Island auto insurance policy does not provide you with coverage when you rent a moving van, you may want to purchase insurance from the rental company.

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Your son or daughter may turn 16 and get that first car, either as a gift or by working to pay for it. Either way, it is important for your teenager to know how to operate their car correctly to avoid damaging it, and how to properly maintain the car. You may want to make sure your teen’s car has the right Long Island auto insurance for financial protection in the event of an accident. However, damage done by poor maintenance on the part of the vehicle’s owner will most likely not be covered by your auto insurance.

Two of the most important aspects of auto maintenance are the wheel alignment of the vehicle and the condition of the tires. Car wheels may be knocked out of alignment by going over speed bumps and railroad tracks too fast, and hitting curbs and potholes. Cars that remain out of alignment will cause the driver to have difficulty keeping the vehicle driving straight as it will pull to the right or left. Poor alignment may also cause tires to wear quickly and unevenly.

Having tires that are in good condition is important for safety. Tires may wear quickly when teenagers drive too fast and have to hit the brakes to stop suddenly. Air pressure in tires should be checked regularly and kept at the weight recommended in the vehicle owner’s manual. Worn tires may not have enough tread to stop quickly enough when the brakes are applied, especially in rainy conditions. It may be important to educate your teenager on alignment and tire issues to avoid accidents and claims on your Long Island auto insurance policy.

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Long Island home insurance could help cover many unexpected expenses that arise for homeowners. Theft is one such risk that could befall any resident. Contrary to what many believe, a number of criminals enter a home through the front door. How secure is your foyer?

• Are your exterior doors partial or full glass? This could increase your risk of a break-in, as criminals only need to break the glass to gain entry into your home. To help prevent this, you should consider installing a glass-break sensor on the door to alert you of trouble.
• When you have windows flanking your exterior doors, you should put up curtains. You do not want crooks to be looking into your home to check for expensive items or to see if you are home.
• Many homes are built with basic doors, which are not usually manufactured with security in mind. By exchanging your current door with a solid wood or metal one, you could reduce the chance of it being kicked in.

Many homeowners install costly alarm systems to ensure the police are called during trouble. It is important to remember that no security system is foolproof. With this in mind, you should take any step necessary to prevent financial burden due to theft, such as obtaining a sufficient Long Island home insurance policy.

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You may never have used the liability portion of your Long Island home insurance policy, but it is nevertheless vital coverage. Injuries and illness could happen every day at your residence – each time one of your children brings home a friend, there is a chance he or she might leave your home hurt.

A common danger in the home involves pesticides. The keys to preventing pesticide poisoning are typically reducing toxicity and limiting exposure. Alternatively, you might try using natural products, banning pesticides altogether.

Toxicity
Your goal when purchasing pesticides should be choosing the one with the lowest level of toxicity. With many pesticides having a multitude of ingredients, the National Pesticide Information Center suggests looking for one of the following words to determine a substance toxicity level:

• Pesticides featuring the word “caution” are typically considered low toxicity products.
• The word “warning” usually signals that the substance has a medium level of toxicity.
• Many high toxicity products are labeled “danger”.

Exposure
Limiting guests’ exposure to pesticides is a relatively simple task. You should keep these hazardous substances locked up in a cabinet far above the reach of a small child. After using pesticides, allow the room to air out for a few hours before letting your kids and their friends play in the area.

Remember, liability claims could involve lawsuits as well as medical bills. Your Long Island home insurance could prove invaluable should a guest be poisoned or injured on your property.

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Long Island auto insurance rates may only be as affordable as drivers make them. How does your driving record look? There are few things that look worse on your driving record than hitting a pedestrian. Many accidents involving pedestrians are caused by a lack of understanding of who has the right-of-way. New York State has very clear laws on this subject.

• When there is a crosswalk but no signal, the right-of-way belongs to the pedestrian, which means you have to stop when one is waiting to cross the street.
• With a crosswalk and signal, the pedestrian must wait for the “walk” signal to cross the street – but this doesn’t mean you have the right to run over them if they disobey the signal!
• At all intersections and crosswalks, drivers must yield to pedestrians with seeing-eye dogs or white-tipped canes.
• With sidewalks, pedestrians always have the right-of-way, which means drivers who are pulling out of driveways or parking lots must wait until the coast is clear.

Even when jaywalking is involved, your driving record and Long Island auto insurance rates could be negatively affected when you hit a pedestrian. This is why it is vital to always stay focused on the road and avoid all distractions while behind the wheel.

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Obtaining your license is an achievement you have probably been looking forward to for months. Just because you have officially passed your driving test however, does not mean that you can just forget all those rules and regulations you have been studying so hard. Many new drivers make this mistake, which leads to accidents and spikes in their Long Island auto insurance premiums. What are a few common errors made by inexperienced drivers?

• It is so easy to speed; just a little too much pressure and you are over the speed limit before you know it. Driving at high speeds is both dangerous and foolish – don’t be surprised if this habit causes you to become a target of law enforcement.
• One of the most common causes of accidents is distraction. Cell phones, radio, passengers – whatever is taking your focus off the road should be removed from the vehicle or turned off immediately. Your life is on the line.
• Tailgating is also very common, even for veteran drivers. Why is this dangerous? It is impossible to anticipate the actions of another driver; if you are riding someone’s bumper and the driver brakes hard, guess who is typically going to be paying for the damage? You, or your insurance provider – in which case your insurance costs might increase.

Points on your license or sky-high Long Island auto insurance rates are nothing compared to losing your life or taking that of another. Take the responsibility of driving seriously when you are behind the wheel.

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Since you never know what might occur while you are on the road, planning is an essential part of having a successful road trip. One of the first things that you should do is make sure that your Long Island auto insurance is up-to-date. You do not want to find yourself in the middle of an accident in a strange town with no insurance. You should also keep in mind the following suggestions to help ensure your carload stays safe while traveling:

• Consider taking the time to run a full system check on your vehicle – this could help ensure you are not surprised by car trouble. Make sure you plan for unexpected breakdowns by having a stockpile of bottled water and high-energy foods which do not require refrigeration.
• Having a cell phone on hand could help ensure you are able to get help quickly should you run into trouble.
• You should have a map, set of directions, or GPS, to ensure you do not get lost on your way. Not knowing where you are could place unnecessary stress on you and your fellow travelers.
• Keep your gas tank full. Some stretches of highway contain no fueling stations, so it is smart to fill up at every opportunity.

Even if you are a great driver, you should never attempt to go on a road trip without the proper Long Island auto insurance. It is illegal in many states to drive without proof of coverage and you could be written a ticket for the infraction!

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Insurers often combine a number of New York commercial insurance into a package that is sold as a single contract. The most common policy for small businesses is the Business owners Policy (BOP).

The BOP combines coverage for all major property and liability insurance risks as well as much additional coverage into one package policy suitable for most small businesses.

The BOP includes business income insurance, sometimes called business interruption insurance. This compensates a business owner for income lost following a disaster.

To cover specific risks associated with a business, a variety of additional coverages may be added to the basic BOP, i.e., if a business has an outdoor sign, the BOP doesn’t cover it unless coverage is specifically added for an additional premium.

Only small- to medium-sized businesses that meet certain criteria are eligible for a BOP. Factors insurers consider include the size of the premises, the required limits of liability, the type of business and the extent of offsite activity. Premiums for BOP policies are based on those factors plus business location, financial stability, building construction, security features and fire hazards.

Most small businesses need to purchase at least the following four types of insurance.

1.    Property Insurance.  Property insurance compensates a business if the property used in the business is lost or damaged as the result of various types of common perils, such as fire or theft. Depending on the type of policy, property insurance may include coverage for equipment breakdown, removal of debris after a fire or other destructive event, some types of water damage and other losses.

2.    Liability Insurance.  Liability insurance pays damages for which the business is found liable, up to the policy limits, as well as attorneys’ fees and other legal defense expenses. It also pays the medical bills of any people injured by, or on the premises of, the business.

3.    Business Auto Insurance. A business auto policy provides coverage for autos owned by a business. The insurance pays any costs to third parties resulting from bodily injury or property damage for which the business is legally liable, up to the policy limits.

4.    Workers Compensation Insurance.  Workers comp insurance, as this coverage is generally called, pays for medical care and replaces a portion of lost wages for an employee who is injured in the course of employment, regardless of who was at fault for the injury. In case of death as a result of injuries sustained while working, the insurance provides compensation to the employee’s family.

It may seem a little scary but New York commercial insurance can only do the right thing and protect you.