Idling too long at a stoplight, driving slowly through a neighborhood or forgetting to check the water in the radiator can cause overheating, leaving drivers stranded in the middle of the road.

Add to that debris that blows out tires, neglected maintenance that causes other types of breakdown and impatient drivers, and you’ve got disaster waiting to happen!

So how should you react on that fateful summer day when your car breaks down on your way to work? And how can you avoid having an accident with another car when yours breaks down, resulting in even more damage and high car insurance rates?

In a situation like this, your first concern should be for your own safety, says the Insurance Information Institute (III). Many drivers mistakenly think they can pull off on the shoulder of the road and safely inspect the damage or change a flat tire.

But that’s just not so.

In fact, getting out of the car is one of the worst things you can do. Whether on the highway or at a busy intersection, doing so puts you in harm’s way and could actually get you killed!

Instead, move your vehicle (coast it in neutral, if you have to) to a safe place away from traffic—even if it ruins a tire or rim—and turn on your hazard lights. Then use your cell phone to call for assistance and wait in your car until help arrives.

In the heat, most of us have very little patience behind the wheel. We’re often in a hurry to get where we’re going, and we don’t want to sit and wait patiently in traffic. This can lead to anything from a minor fender-bender to a full-fledged breakdown.

Remember, staying safe is the most important thing. So next time you find yourself stranded on the road in 100 degree heat, try to move your car away from other vehicles, signal your distress to cars around you and wait for help.

You’ll help avoid further accident, damage and high car insurance rates; have an opportunity to get your vehicle repaired—and maybe just save your own life!

It appears that the more we talk about it, the worse it gets. Their findings indicate many states now have over 25% of their population in the obese category, with Mississippi now having the highest percentage. InsureMe’s home state of Colorado is the only one with under 20 percent in the obese range. But even Colorado’s low percentage is on the increase.

What I find very interesting is how this recent attention can be juxtaposed against the concern we have for a person’s self-esteem and body image. How can it be that we believe we are forcing women (mainly) to strive for an unhealthy, or unattainable, body weight when the numbers tell us that most of us are increasing in size?

Moreover, how do we help those with high BMI, or weight problems, without damaging their egos or imposing them with a life of dieting and self-loathing?

I am grappling with this question. After years (since Twiggy) of worshipping thinness, how can we have such a weight problem? Have we been too gentle on those who are heavy? Should we be more direct? Should we charge them more for theatre seats, or airplane seats? Have we treated everyone too fairly, when in reality the large sized person does take up more space on the bus?

I do not have answers. But as I sit here drinking my diet coke and eating malted milk balls, I myself am proving there are problems with the American diet.

The blogosphere is alive with this topic today, but in case you missed the news report, we have that covered also.

Many even succeed in quitting permanently.

However, over-the-counter smoking-cessation treatments, and the counseling that’s often needed to help smokers quit for good, aren’t covered under Californians’ health insurance plans—even though they seldom cost more than a few hundred dollars and double the success rate over trying to quit without help.

Conversely, more expensive treatments like in-vitro fertilization, bone-density screening and chiropractic sessions are covered by insurance.

Doesn’t make much sense, huh? But that’s likely about to change.

A bill introduced by California State Senator Leland Yee would mandate insurance coverage for stop-smoking treatments that have been deemed effective by the American Lung Association. This would include both over-the-counter and prescription medications and programs.

The benefits? Most are apparent. When smokers quit, they improve their health, avoid developing dangerous and deadly health conditions, and reduce the financial load on the health care system from smoking-related diseases and treatments.

There are other, less obvious benefits as well. According to Insurance News Net, cigarette butts are the most common trash item on the state’s beaches. Aiding smokers in giving up their nasty habit means less litter—to say nothing of the clean air gained and the reduced number of illnesses due to secondhand smoke.

Only seven states in the nation require at least some level of smoking-cessation insurance coverage. California will likely become the eighth soon, as it helps lead the way in combating the devastating consequences of smoking, both individually and publicly.

Colorado finally warmed up.  It has been a strange spring with cold cold days and last weekend we even had snow in some of the lower foothills.  That of course was the day I chose to have a graduation party at our tiny little bungalow, assuming people could be outside in our well kept (well not so much) back yard.   Unfortunately, we all ended up in the kitchen.  Oh well. 

It is that time of year when people socialize a bit more and the most popular neighborhood member is the one with … a swimming pool.  Croquet is a little too quiet, lawn darts are not available, Frisbee works with the right back yard, but the swimming pool seems the backyard item that draws everyone in.  At least, figuratively.

But in case you are contemplating adding a swimming pool you might think about some of the liabilities associated with it, highlighted in the recent article “Swimming Pools Often Come with Insurance Liabilities”  we just added to our site.

Though a majority of Americans have been staying home the past few years due to a lack of discretionary funds, electing instead to practice the famed “staycation,” many families’ financial situations have improved recently, freeing up money for things like vacations once again.  

But risk is inherrent when traveling. So it’s always wise to consider your options before you depart.

What kind of coverage should you buy? That depends totally on your plans.

If you’ll be renting a car or motorcycle and driving, you’ll need auto insurance that covers rentals—or you’ll have to purchase the temporary coverage offered at the rental counter.

If you’ll be renting a home on the beach or elsewhere, you’ll need to make sure your home insurance is up-to-date—or buy renters insurance during the period you’re away from home.

If your plans include hitting the lake in a sailboat, canoe or some other sort of watercraft, you’ll want to make sure it’s insured for your own protection.

These are just a few of the types of insurance coverage you may need this summer. To find out more, check out Bankrate.com’s slideshow on Picking the Right Insurance for Summer, and make sure you and the family are protected when you set out for a season of fun.

Happy vacationing!

In an effort to increase seat belt use and save lives, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood began this year’s ”Click It or Ticket” campaign, set to run from May 24 through June 6, 2010.

As it does each year, the program is targeting drivers who risk their own lives and the lives of passengers by not taking the time to buckle up.

The mobilization is expected to involve more than 10,000 police agencies, according to a recent press release by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Why involve this level of manpower?

“Regular seat belt use is the single best way to protect yourself and your family in motor vehicle crashes,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “Wearing your seat belt costs you nothing. But the cost for not wearing one certainly will.” 

Indeed, seat belts save more than 13,000 lives each year, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And if it has its way, one of those lives may eventually be yours or that of a loved one.

Do the right thing and buckle up your children, yourself and anyone else riding in your car every time you hit the road. Driving unsecured just isn’t worth a life.

Additional Resources:

The Top 5 Things You Should Know about Buckling up

The Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Buckling up

Occupant Protection Facts

According to the Institute for Business & Home Safety, a new, well-installed roof could be one of the best forms of protection available for your home and everything in it, come hurricane season.

“But why would I want to install a brand new roof just before a hurricane hits?” you may say.

If you have an older roof, it may be missing shingles—or be made of inferior, older  materials that don’t keep water out. It may also have lost some of its sealing and waterproofing ability, which degrades over time.

Additionally, if your roof is layered more than 2 deep, water may be able to seep in between the shingles and down into your home.

Besides replacing your roof, the IBHS also recommends these tips for increasing your home’s survivability and decreasing the chance of water damage in a hurricane:

• Protect all exterior wall openings (windows and doors)
• Secure all loose roof shingles
• Seal all openings, cracks and holes
• Strengthen soffits (the material covering the underside of your roof overhang)
• Limit potential flying debris

During a hurricane isn’t the time to find out that your roof can’t sustain such severe weather. So before a storm threatens, consider replacing an old, worn roof, and make sure you’ve taken steps to give your home as firm and solid a foundation as possible.

It’ll help keep you and your family safe and secure, your homeowners insurance affordable and your possessions intact.

 Otherwise, they could end up paying a hefty fine—up to $250 a pop, according to ClaimsJournal.com.

 Though this new law, designed to protect children who can’t protect themselves, went into effect last September, police have since offered mostly verbal or written warnings to parents who didn’t buckle their children in the right seats or allowed them to roam while the car was moving.

Next month, that will change.

Anyone younger than age 8 or less than 4 feet, 9 inches should be buckled up correctly in the appropriate car seat according to age, height and weight. (If you’re not sure what type of safety seat your child needs or how to install it, check out our article on the subject here.)

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children aged 2 and up. And, as we’ve discussed on this blog previously, your children are your most precious cargo. So make sure and keep them safe in the car by buckling them up. Your children are your responsibility, and they rely on you to keep them safe.

Kudos to the great state of Texas for enforcing child car seat safety!

According to a study released late last week by the Texas Transportation Institute, nighttime driving is becoming more and more hazardous for young people—and the most likely culprits are their cell phones.

Between 1999 and 2008, the number of fatal crashes that occurred dropped nearly 11 percent, including those that occurred after dark. In contrast, the proportion of fatal crashes at night involving teens between the ages of 16 and 19 increased 10 percent during that same time—a full 20 percent difference.

So what’s causing these nighttime problems with teenage drivers?

There are actually several factors at play here, say experts. The first, of course is inexperience. New drivers tend to make poor driving decisions most other drivers don’t because the risk involved isn’t readily apparent to them.

In other words, they haven’t been driving long enough to recognize what’s wise and what isn’t.

We’ve all seen kids hop behind the wheel of a car with their friends, peel out of parking lots, swerve in and out of traffic, and nearly run over everyone in their path. That type of behavior is doubly risky at night, when roads aren’t well lit, people are tired and responses are slower. 

But distraction is a teen’s biggest enemy while driving; and with the risk of having an accident already higher at night, cell phones can become a deadly weapon in the hands of a teenager.

Most teens think they’re invincible, and using their cell phones to call and text their friends is an intrinsic part of their lives. They think they can easily multitask while driving when, in reality, doing so puts their lives and the lives of others at risk.

According to the report, 34 percent of teens say they text and 52 percent say they talk on the phone while driving. Add darkness to the mix, and you’ve got an accident waiting to happen!

If you have a young driver at home, please consider having a heart-to-heart chat with him or her about the dangers of using cell phones while driving, especially at night, and limit access to the family vehicle during that time.

You might not be the most popular parent on the block; but you’ll increase your child’s chances of living into adulthood—and protect yourself and other drivers in the process.

But regardless what you used to do for a living, it may be time to branch out and learn something new.

Which brings me to what could be a very important question:  Have you considered working in the insurance industry?

According to a new survey cited online at Insurance Networking News, the insurance job market is slowly beginning to bounce back. Whereas the national unemployment average in most industries is now 9.7 percent, the rate in the insurance segment lingers at 7.7 percent—a full two percentage points lower than the national average.

If you think you might be interested in selling property and casualty insurance, your chances are especially promising, shows the 2010 Employment Outlook Survey. Jobs with multiple openings appear to include P&C sales, claims, underwriting, call center and IT.

The bottom line? 74 percent of our nation’s insurers are hiring! So if you ever had an inkling that working in insurance might be for you, it appears now is the time to find out, as nine companies indicate they plan to hire at least 2,000 new employees and 21 companies predict bringing aboard more than 500 people this year.

Curious what it takes to become an insurance agent? To find out how to get licensed and work the job successfully, check out our article How to Become an Insurance Agent. Then give it serious consideration. You might just have a new, profitable career on your hands.