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It’s That Time Again: Winter Driving Preparedness

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Active Insurance

Using a car in winter means facing challenges unlike any other season. A car ride that can be effortless in summer can be potentially fatal in winter. Ice can make your vehicle uncontrollable while snow can make your car immovable. This article will provide basic guidance on preparing for the perils of winter on the roads.
Preparing your Car
To reduce the chances of your car letting you down in winter conditions, get a winter maintenance check-up. This should include the following: car battery, which can have its efficiency greatly reduced in cold weather; tires properly inflated and with sufficient tread; antifreeze in the radiator; the ignition system which starts the car (spark plugs, alternator); examine hoses and belts for holes cracks or tears; replace old, ineffective windshield wiper blades; see that all the lights are working; check the oil level – perhaps changing to a lighter grade oil; the car heater and the brakes. The goal is to first ensure the car will start, and then will run without breaking down because of something that was preventable. And make sure you always have enough gas in the tank; a good rule of thumb is to not let the level slip below half-full.

Preparing yourself
After your car has been prepared you need to prepare yourself. Let others know of your trip, especially those at your destination, with estimated arrival time and planned route. Getting stranded in winter can be life threatening, so equip your vehicle with an emergency kit that could save your life. Drivers in remote areas are especially at risk, and are generally well aware of the importance of such kits, however the winter of 2010-2011 in Chicago provided a shocking reminder of the force of winter and the inability of humans to cope. The blizzard that hit the city on February 1, 2011 closed down Lake Shore Drive, one of the busiest roads in the nation. Cars with drivers inside were stranded in deep snow for as long as ten hours, only hundreds of yards from safety, in clear view of the downtown skyscrapers. With conditions outside making escaping on foot treacherous, some motorists began to wonder if they would make it out alive, and many undoubtedly wished they had packed an emergency survival kit.

Here are some of the items to include in your kit: blankets and extra warm clothing and even a sleeping bag; heavy boots; sturdy hat and gloves; high-energy food such as chocolate or energy bars, nuts and raisins; jumper cables; a tow rope; an ice scraper for the windshield; a small snow shovel; cat litter or sand for traction; bottled water kept in the warmest place to avoid freezing; flares or brightly colored cloth to attract attention; small candles and matches to provide basic heat in extreme circumstances and a whistle. A flashlight is essential but expired batteries can be a problem. Bring spare batteries or consider buying a combined flashlight, radio and cell phone charger unit, which is powered by cranking a handle.

Driving in winter
Driving on ice or on snow can be terrifying. Don’t make it worse with bad driving habits. First, remove any excess snow from the hood, roof and trunk. Once you are back in the vehicle always buckle your seat belt: it’s usually the law anyway but bad conditions underscore the importance. Adjust your speed to the conditions and give the car ahead of you extra space. Understand that bridges and overpasses will typically freeze before other parts of the roadway as they are surrounded by cold air. Braking on ice or snow is not the same as braking on a dry road in the summer. As a general rule brake early and gently, and don’t pump the brakes if you have antilock brakes: the system will take care of it. Keep your lights on so you can see and be seen in poor visibility. Drop into a lower gear if appropriate, and watch out for snow ploughs: give them extra room when coming towards you and don’t try to pass them as you may get blasted by the ploughed snow.

The importance of Insurance
Accidents are more likely when conditions are bad, so it is critical you have in place at least the mandated level of insurance required by state law. Not only will the insurance help provide financial protection, it is often the first thing police officers ask you for when they arrive at the scene of a crash. Not having insurance can make a bad day a lot worse, as you are could be faced with felony charges and eventually an SR-22 requirement.

Cynthia Garcia, marketing Director of Active Insurance Agency, which arranges thousands of auto policies for Illinois drivers, comments: “We generally see more car accidents during the winter months and a regrettably high number involve uninsured drivers. Being in an accident without carrying basic insurance can ruin the holiday season and could start off the New Year under a significant financial burden.”

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Helping to Win the Battle Against Car Theft

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Active Insurance

Every time you climb in the driver’s seat of your vehicle, you are also climbing into the ring to battle against criminals who want to take your car or what it contains. And just like any battle, you are more likely to lose if you drop your guard. The threat from wrongdoers never disappears completely but the good news is that there are ways to help reduce that threat.

Protecting Your Vehicle

Lock the Doors
Many cars lock the doors automatically when you drive off – but a lot do not. Unlocked car doors surrender a basic defense against the especially frightening crime of carjacking: villains who force you to leave your car and then drive it away. In addition to locking the doors you should look for an escape route if you see suspicious characters lurking. When stopped in traffic, leave enough room from the car in front so you can see their rear whole tires. This will usually give you enough space to drive out from the line of traffic in an emergency. This tip is worth following everywhere but particularly in known risky neighborhoods.

A Rear Ending or a Criminal Ploy?
One tactic used by criminals is to intentionally rear-end a vehicle at low speed. On being rear-ended most people’s first impulse is to jump out and confront the driver who hit you – but it could be a ruse to get you out of your car. Having left the protection of your locked vehicle you are at the mercy of the crooks who then drive your car away. If you are rear-ended try to resist the urge to jump out: quickly check the rear-view mirror to assess the occupants of the car behind; you should have already evaluated the relative safety of the neighborhood. If in doubt stay in the car and call the police or drive away; any damage to your car from such a planned rear-ending will probably be minimal.

Prudent Parking
Criminals love darkness and desolation. When parking your vehicle avoid dark and lonely places. A solitary car parked in a quiet side street with no houses nearby can be irresistible to a criminal who can get to work with little chance of interruption. The target can be the car itself or what is in it. Far better to pay any parking fee in a lot or on the main road than try save a few dollars while putting your car in jeopardy.

Anti-Theft Devices
Devices which lock on your steering wheel can be a helpful deterrent against car theft, especially for an older vehicle which might not have some of the more recent protections such as computerized ignition keys. These devices can be awkward but are worth considering, especially if your driving patterns regularly take you to areas of higher crime.

How Attractive is Your Car?
Statistics are widely available on those cars most likely to be stolen. If you own one of these higher-risk vehicles then your precautions against theft should be even stronger. Find out if your car is one which tends to attract thieves, and act accordingly.

Keep Focused When in the Car
Using cell phones and other communication devices when driving can distract you not just from driving but from monitoring your surroundings for crime. Before you know it you could have entered an area where your exposure to crime has increased, but you are talking on your phone and remain unaware. In addition you need to be off the phone to call for help.

Protecting Things in Your Vehicle
Many thieves are content to steal from your car rather than take away your car. Here, a few basic rules apply. These rules may seem simple enough but are not always followed.

Keep it Hidden
Thieves will generally steal what they can see, so concealing potentially attractive possessions goes a long way to reducing this risk. If you must leave such items in the car, put them in the trunk or cover them up. Many thieves are opportunistic, meaning they don’t plan crimes in advance, but if they see something worth stealing they will act, and act quickly. Few thieves will waste precious time breaking into a car where they can see nothing to take, hoping that something is there. The list of attractive items is long and not always obvious: if in doubt, hide it or take it with you.

 (Let Active Insurance help you find low-cost auto insurance now)

Take the Purse off the Seat
Men typically carry their money and credit cards on them; most women use a purse, and when they get into their cars the purse usually gets placed on the passenger seat. This presents an obvious target. The best place for a purse is in the trunk (keep the cell phone with you). Locking the car doors is fine but a determined thief will smash the window while the car is stopped in traffic, open the door and grab the purse. Not only are thieves adept at this, the surprise will probably delay your reactions for an extra few seconds, allowing the thief time to complete the crime and escape.

High-end Audio Systems
Most car makers offer higher-end audio systems than the one which comes with the vehicle. If it was appealing to you then it will be appealing to a thief. It’s a lot harder to than it used to be to steal these systems from a car, but you don’t want a thief to ruin your dashboard while trying. How badly you want that expensive system.

Insurance Can Help
Having appropriate comprehensive insurance in place will help limit the financial impact for victims of auto-related crimes. At Active Insurance, a Chicago-based agency specializing in low-cost auto insurance in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, Marketing Director Cynthia Garcia comments:

“In today’s economy the risk of being a victim of auto-related crime may be higher than ever. Comprehensive auto insurance helps compensate you for theft of your car and items from your car. Unlike liability insurance it is not mandatory, but for many drivers it can be a desirable and valuable coverage to have.”

Having your car broken into is more likely than having your home broken into, yet people continually fail to take the simplest precautions to help avoid this fate. You have to be lucky every time you get into your car; a criminal only has to be lucky once.

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Car Buyers Beware: 9 Notorious Scams

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Active Insurance

By Colleen Kane CNBC

Cars are big-ticket items, and there are many ways for fraudsters to bilk unsuspecting victims. The rise of Internet commerce has vastly expanded the ways to separate a mark from his money, and has effectively made Internet fraud a global business.

Consumer complaints rose 25 percent in 2010 and a complaint is filed every 90 minutes, according to a Consumer Reports article citing FBI stats. Regarding auto-related complaints, every hour a car buyer loses more than $1,000.

The online car sales company Cars.com employs a fraud team to help weed out the most fraudulent ads on its website.

“The number one piece of advice we can give for buyers and sellers is to listen to that inner voice that says, ‘This is too good to be true,’” advises the site’s spokesperson, Ron Hall, “because we’ve found that it always, always is.”

While it may seem like a no-brainer, never purchase a car or send money for a vehicle without seeing it first. “You’d be surprised at how many people do that,” he says.

The Cars.com fraud team put together this list of the most common scams in auto sales.

Keep in mind the schemes and tactics that follow are not mutually exclusive — some scammers take pages from numerous playbooks.

Check Scam
Scams involving checks (i.e. personal, cashier’s, third-party checks, money order) take many forms. In a typical example, a thief posing as a car buyer “accidentally” sends a check made out for an amount higher than the selling price of the vehicle and requests that the seller deposit the check and return the difference via a wiring service (Money Gram, Western Union, etc.). After the seller has wired the money, he or she learns the buyer’s check is worthless, and the thief disappears with the seller’s money.

The Snopes page dedicated to check scams (including the famous strain originating from Nigeria) recommends waiting three weeks for any sizable check to fully clear. Even if it looks like the funds are available in the bank account before that time, checks could still turn out to be counterfeit.

Sympathy Scam
Preying on the sympathy of a mark is one of the oldest tricks in the book. In a common auto scam, a thief posing as a seller supplies a sad story to a potential buyer about why he or she needs to sell the car quickly (he or she is about to be deployed on active military duty or is dealing with a divorce, illness, the death of a loved one, etc.). The sob story explains why the car’s asking price is so much lower than its current market value, and puts pressure on the buyer to make a quick decision. Buyers who fall victim to this scheme can end up with a lemon, or with no car at all.

Shipping Scam
In the shipping scam, a thief posing as a seller requests a deposit on a vehicle and promises to ship the vehicle to the potential buyer for personal inspection within a set number of business days. Typically thieves will tell prospective buyers a third-party shipping company will be in contact with the buyer to ship the car after the deposit is sent via wire service. Scammers often use forged or copied websites to appear legitimate. An investigation by the BBC revealed criminal gangs are often the perpetrators of shipping scams and other types of auto fraud.

Purchase Protection Plan Scam
In this scheme, the con artist pushes a protection plan for the transaction. The potential buyer is encouraged to send a deposit for the full purchase price of the vehicle. The protection plan states that if the buyer does not receive the vehicle, he or she will be reimbursed for the total amount of the transaction invoiced. Common tools for this scam are fake websites that mimic real websites customers are comfortable with such as EBay, Edmunds, Google Checkout, Cars.com and NADA Guides.

Photo Scam
The photo scam happens when a vehicle is listed online, with the text giving a normal market rate of, say, $13,000, while the photo accompanying the ad shows a price written on it of $4,000. The thief tells the potential buyer the price of the vehicle is $4,000, saying it was reduced for some reason designed to elicit sympathy (e.g., a recent layoff or death in the family). The victim pays the reduced rate thinking it’s a bargain, but then never receives the vehicle.

Location Scam
Another shady practice in car sales occurs when a potential buyer finds an ad for a vehicle that is for sale locally. After contact is made, the scammer tells the buyer the car is located someplace other than where it was advertised, but it can be shipped anywhere in the world…for a fee, of course. The victim pays the money but never receives the car, and the thief gets away with the “fee.”

Sight Unseen Scam
With this maneuver, fraudulent sellers make up a story about why they aren’t able to physically show the vehicle due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., they’re traveling for work, or they’re away on active military duty, etc.). The sellers request that payment be sent in full and advises that the title will be sent when the vehicle is shipped. Now is a good time to reiterate the advice of the experts at Cars.com: Never purchase a car or send money for a vehicle without seeing it first.

Also, keep in mind that even though a vehicle may look OK, the background check should go further. Have a licensed mechanic check the car for damage or defects, and to ensure it’s not a flooded car.

Wire Service Scam
Wire services such as Western Union and Money Gram are a favorite with scammers because financial transactions can be conducted anonymously and the recipient doesn’t have to offer proof of any service rendered or goods exchanged in order to collect the cash. A wire service scam in auto sales involves a potential buyer receiving an invoice stating that wire services can be used to complete transactions online. The buyer is advised this is the common payment method used by the site. If the supposed car seller doesn’t recommend using a legitimate escrow service, such as Escrow.com, to complete the transaction, it’s probably best to carry on the car search elsewhere.

Phone Scam
In an auto sales phone scam, the thief provides a contact phone number for potential buyers to use to inquire about the vehicle for sale. With Cars.com, for example, a field for a phone number must be completed, so scammers might enter a fax line, or a number they’ve just made up. Then the potential buyer is forced to email, and the fraudulent seller will inform the buyer that they prefer to do business over email anyway, and the scam proceeds from there.

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Walk, Don’t Walk: The Perils of the Crosswalk

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Active Insurance

Every motorist in Illinois knows what they look like: white painted stripes across the roadway, at roadway intersections and between intersections. These are crosswalks, and while most drivers know what they are, knowing what they must do when they come to them is another matter. Some crosswalks may be accompanied by stop signs or traffic signals and that makes the message to the driver is much clearer. But what about crosswalks in between intersections which have no signs or lights?

New Crosswalk Law
Up until May 2010 Illinois traffic law required “slowing down or stopping if need be” to yield the right of way to pedestrians crossing the roadway. However in May 2010 that law was changed —and tightened— to require drivers to come to a complete stop before yielding. The problem is that few drivers appear to know the law has changed, and what was meant to increase protection for pedestrians may actually put them in greater danger.

Simply put, if a pedestrian believes oncoming traffic will obey the new law and come to a halt when the pedestrian is on the crosswalk, he may be in for a rude awakening, or worse. For that and other reasons the new law was opposed by state Senator Bill Duffy, saying it may create false expectations for pedestrians. Even if a motorist correctly obeys the law and stops for a pedestrian on the crosswalk, there remains a chance that a car following will not be anticipating the rapid stop, and a rear-end collision could take place.

Despite reservations such as these, the measure gained support inside and outside the state legislature and was signed into law by Governor Quinn.
Reinforces Need to Buy Insurance

“The requirement for motorists to stop for pedestrians on crosswalks is yet one more reason why Illinois drivers must have in place the mandatory liability insurance” says Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director for Active, Insurance a Chicago -based insurance agency specializing in low cost insurance for Illinois drivers. “The tragedy of hitting a pedestrian on a crosswalk will be magnified if the driver has no insurance” adds Ms. Garcia.

Proceed with Care
With education and increased awareness the new crosswalk law should eventually result in a safer crosswalk environment for pedestrians. Illinois drivers must become familiar with the requirements and follow them when they drive. However until the changes achieve widespread recognition and understanding, pedestrians are well-advised to exercise extreme caution when entering crosswalks, and not to expect that every oncoming vehicle will stop and yield as it should.

Active Insurance Agency has provided low-cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Its online car insurance quotes make comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or driver’s license number is needed to get a quote. Active Insurance also won’t ask for your Social Security number, so you can keep your confidential and personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active

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Bond Cards: priceless protection for $20

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Active Insurance

Traffic Stop
It’s a moment every driver dreads. You heard the wailing siren, and now the flashing blue light which you hoped was following someone else is right behind your vehicle. You are being pulled over by a police car. In Illinois this happened no less than 2,377,851 times in 2010, according to Illinois Department of Transportation statistics.

Every “traffic stop” is a little different, but in Illinois they almost all have at least two things in common. One, the police officer will ask you for your driving license, and two the officer will ask you for proof of Illinois vehicle insurance.

Hopefully you will have proof of current insurance because auto insurance in Illinois is mandatory, meaning it’s required by law. But what happens to your driving license after the officer has finished running the details through his computer?

Unless the officer decides to let you off with a warning, you will be given a ticket which describes the traffic law violation you are alleged to have made. The ticket will usually indicate your options, which —depending on the alleged violation— are generally to pay any fine (which may include taking driver education or improvement classes) or dispute the ticket in traffic court. Note that some violations require a court appearance.

Driving license confiscated
Regardless of your future options, it is almost certain that the officer will keep your driving license. Why? Because only by paying any fine or showing up in court will you get your license back. Taking away your license essentially helps guarantee you will co-operate with the process of law enforcement.

But giving up your driving license can be at best very inconvenient and at worst a serious obstacle to conducting your affairs: access to many buildings, using credit cards and commercial air travel may depend on being able to show the valid proof of identity which a driving license can provide.

The Bond Card alternative
Happily, for most minor traffic violations there is an alternative. Instead of taking your driving license the officer will generally accept a current Bond Card. This card, issued by a bond surety company, will provide a financial guarantee for any fines you may owe, and penalties from failing to appear in court. You can therefore surrender the Bond Card instead of your driving license, which you will usually then be allowed to keep.

A word of caution: a Bond Card is not insurance. Even though the surety company has guaranteed payment up to a certain limit, you are still required drive a vehicle with no less than the mandatory insurance limits.

Buying Bond Cards
Where can you get a Bond Card? They are available from insurance agents such as Active Insurance Agency, an agent specializing in helping drivers obtain cheap Illinois auto insurance and also cheap Wisconsin and Indiana auto insurance. The cost is only $20 a card and the card will usually cover up to $160 for a single violation and up to $500 for multiple violations in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director for Active Insurance Agency says that every driver in Illinois should carry a valid Bond Card: “Seeing how inexpensive they are and how valuable they can be when you are stopped by the police they should be in everyone’s glove compartment along with the proof of insurance,” says Cynthia. “When the police pull you over they don’t care how rich you are, they will still take away your driving license unless you have a Bond Card to give to them.” Cynthia added, “Buying Bond Cards from Active Insurance has never been easier. You can order them over the phone at 888-My-agent or on-line through the Active Insurance Agency web site. With well over two million traffic stops a year, Illinois drivers need to be prepared.”

About Active Insurance:
Active Insurance Agency has provided low-cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Its online car insurance quotes make comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or driver’s license number is needed to get a quote. Active Insurance also won’t ask for your Social Security number, so you can keep your confidential and personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active Insurance Agency has those too.

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What are the worst intersections in Chicago

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Active Insurance

If you have Chicago auto insurance and drive in the city often enough, you know how difficult it can be to drive in Chicago. The highways can be a nightmare, but the city streets can be just as bad.

Drivers can change their planned routes if they check traffic conditions before leaving, but even then some congested intersections are difficult to avoid.

Here are some of the worst intersections in Chicago to avoid if you want to stay away from traffic backups:

Damen, Elston and Fullerton avenues.
This area is the worst during rush hour, so avoid it then if you can. Changing the lights or lanes is often a method used to improve traffic flow, but at this six-way intersection, major changes are planned. The Chicago Department of Transportation’s planned improvements are for Elston to be realigned to bypass the current intersection and cross Fullerton about one block east of the current intersection.

North Avenue and Sheffield.
This is a major shopping district and one of the oldest, worst intersections in the city. With so many shoppers driving and walking around, there are many red light runners, and pedestrians trying to cross the street by running across before the light changes.

Intersection of 79th Street, Stony Island Avenue and South Chicago Avenue.
This area of the 79th Street crossing is on the South Side of Chicago and regularly appears on lists of the most dangerous intersections in the state of Illinois. The three streets come together under the Chicago Skyway, where red light runners are common. The city uses cameras to take photos of drivers running the light.

Lincoln, Lawrence and Western avenues.
The heavily-trafficked intersection is at the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Square and Ravenswood neighborhoods on the North Side. Known for its German culture, the area is full of great restaurants and stores that attract traffic.

95th Street and Stony Island.
Traffic exiting the Bishop Ford expressway north on Stoney Island and east and west on 95th make it a horrible intersection worth avoiding. Traffic is often backed up, leaving drivers sitting through several lights before being able to go any direction.

Unfortunately for Chicago drivers, driving on such congested streets is unsafe and highlights the need for Chicago auto insurance, with Chicago metro area drivers in the bottom quarter of 200 American cities, according to an annual safe driving report, as reported by ABC Chicago.

The Chicago metro area rated 157th out of 200 cities in the report released Sept. 1 on areas with the safest drivers, 10 points better than last year’s 167th ranking. The study found that Chicago drivers average an accident every 7.7 years. Nearby cities also ranked poorly, with Naperville ranked 125th, Aurora 112th, and Joliet 96th.

The American city with the safest drivers was Fort Collins, Colo., which was first on the list for the second year in a row. Washington, D.C. ranked last for the third straight year.

About Active Insurance:
Active Insurance Agency has provided low cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Its online car insurance quotes make comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or driver’s license number is needed to get a quote. Active Insurance also won’t ask for your Social Security number, so you can keep your confidential and personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active Insurance Agency has those too.

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How to buy Illinois car insurance online

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Active Insurance

Buying car insurance in Illinois has never been easier, thanks to the Internet. There are many auto insurance websites to choose from, offering a variety of coverage and prices.

Being the wormhole that it can be, however, the Internet can also be a confusing place to shop for auto insurance with too many choices to overwhelm a buyer. What is the best way to shop for auto insurance, especially auto insurance in Illinois, where liability insurance is required? There are a few ways to shop online:

Don’t limit the search

Going with just one or two online searches for car insurance in Illinois will negate one main reason to shop online — for the many choices available. Take the time to get a third or fourth quote, and even a fifth quote. You can start by getting a quote online and then having an agent call you, or you can still get the price quote online and continue buying the policy online.

Go small

What small auto insurance agencies have over large ones is that they spend millions less in advertising, and can pass the savings on to customers, and they offer a choice of many insurance companies.

Check with an agent

Auto insurance agents can offer rates online, over the phone or at their office, depending on your level of comfort. Working with an agent directly can give you peace of mind and help get your questions answered faster. Their prices can sometimes beat an online quote because they get rates from multiple companies.

Independent insurance agents work with many insurance companies to find the best auto insurance rates. Instead of buying directly from the insurance company, car insurance customers will have an agent working for them as an advocate if they have a question about a claim or have any other concerns.

Insurance agencies represent multiple companies and can find an option for customers or switch them to a different auto insurance company with a lower rate.

“Many people who are referred to us are amazed that a family-owned agency, who is not a big name on television or on the radio offers such low rates,” says Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director of Active Insurance Agency.

Compare coverage

When shopping at various websites, be sure to compare coverages among the various websites and shop around. You may want quotes for full coverage and for just the minimum liability coverage required by your state but you will find that some agencies have better rates for liability only than for full coverage. Liability only may be all you need if you have an older vehicle. It’s a way to save money while remaining in compliance with the law.

Illinois requires liability of $20,000 in bodily injury liability per person and $40,000 per accident, $15,000 property damage per accident, and $20,000 in uninsured motorist liability per person.

About Active Insurance:

Active Insurance Agency has provided low-cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Its online car insurance quotes make comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or driver’s license number is needed to get a quote. Active Insurance also won’t ask for your Social Security number, so you can keep your confidential and personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active Insurance Agency has those too.

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Flood coverage and your automobile

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Active Insurance

When it rains enough to flood everyone panics, especially people who don’t have flood insurance.  Last month the Chicagoland area received over seven inches of rain in one night, not enough to trigger a widespread flood but enough to cause a lot of damage and some localized flooding.  Fortunately automobile owners who had full coverage on their cars had flood coverage under their Comprehensive coverage.

Full coverage generally means comprehensive and collision coverages.  Most people understand the collision part, when your car hits another car, or an object like a tree or a fence, or your car is hit by another car.  The comprehensive coverage is the definition  that is not as well understood.  Comprehensive coverage pays for losses from events other than collision, for example, if your car is stolen, damaged by fire, or involved in a flood. If you have rental coverage your insurance company will pay to provide you with a loaner car right away so the insurance company can help you to decide if the car can be repaired or if it should be declared a total loss.

[Let Active Insurance help you find low-cost auto insurance now]

“Our customers were so happy when they found out they had flood coverage on their car as long as they purchased full coverage. Some streets flooded with several feet of water and the cars were almost submerged, especially the smaller cars that sit lower to the ground.” said Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director for Active Insurance Agency.

If you are looking for a used car and are concerned about purchasing a car that was salvaged after being declared a loss due to flood be vigilant.  Check for musty smells and for upholstery that does not match the rest of the car.  Check for silt or dirt in the  trunk, below the seats,  in the glove compartment and under the dashboard. Have the car inspected by a mechanic.  You can also run a search on Carfax.com to obtain a history of the car. All you need is the vehicle’s 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which you can find on the dashboard. The cost is $34.99 for one car or $44.99 for five reports.

Many states including Illinois will title cars with a “salvage” and sometimes a “flood” designation for cars that have been transferred from other states for resale. The State Department of Motor Vehicles try hard to prevent clean title transfer for cars that have been flood damaged but sometimes even their best efforts fail to spot fraud, so be careful when purchasing a used car especially one with a relatively recently transferred title.

About Active Insurance:
Active Insurance Agency has been providing low cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Their online car insurance quotes makes comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or drivers license number is needed to quote. And if you start insurance they won’t ask for your social security number at all so you can keep your confidential personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active Insurance Agency has them too.

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Active Insurance Agency advises Illinois Drivers to be aware of new legislation in Springfield.

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Active Insurance

The Illinois legislature recently wrapped up the year in Springfield with two new bills which directly impact Illinois motorists.

The first is House Bill 329 which requires that every driver and passenger (rather than every driver, front seat passengers, and certain passengers under the age of 19) in a motor vehicle must wear a properly adjusted safety belt. The fines in Illinois are $50 fine for a first offense and $100 for subsequent offenses.

The second is House Bill 2267 which increases the Uninsured Motor Vehicle Fines. A third (or subsequent) charge of operation of an uninsured motor vehicle will be subject to a fine of $1,000. It gets tougher if the motorist is convicted of causing bodily harm and has two or more previous convictions of operation of an uninsured motor vehicle or operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.
The motorist is subject to a fine of $2,500, in addition to any jail sentence.

Illinois motorists can avoid being fined by complying with the law. “ Keep your seatbelts fastened and purchase auto insurance which can be cheaper than you would expect when purchased from an agency like Active Insurance which has access to multiple companies to provide low-cost automobile insurance for Illinois drivers,” says Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director for Active Insurance Agency.

[Let Active Insurance help you find low-cost auto insurance now]

About Active Insurance:
Active Insurance Agency has been providing low cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Their online car insurance quotes makes comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or drivers license number is needed to quote. And if you start insurance they won’t ask for your social security number at all so you can keep your confidential personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active Insurance Agency has them too.

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Active Insurance Agency helps drivers save money on their car insurance rates and on gasoline costs

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Active Insurance

Active Insurance Agency who has been helping drivers obtain the lowest auto insurance rates for over fifty years also wants to help drivers save money on gasoline.

  1. Reduce extra weight in your vehicle. Clean out the trunk. Stop carrying around items that you don’t need. An extra hundred pounds in the car can reduce gas mileage by one to two percent. That might be a good incentive for family weight loss if you need to be in shape for the warmer weather.
  2. Make sure tires are properly inflated. If you don’t know how to use a tire pressure gage it is easy to learn. Ask at your local service station or someone you know who knows about cars.
  3. Drive a car with good fuel economy. fueleconomy.gov offers lists of cars that have the best and worst gas mileage.
  4. Don’t drive like a race car driver. Quick acceleration, speeding, frequent braking lowers your car mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.
  5. Avoid driving more than 60 mph. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly after you hit 60 on the speedometer.
  6. Use overdrive gear. When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.
  7. Make sure your car’s engine is properly tuned up. A car that is not tuned up, or has failed an emissions test can lower gas mileage by as much as 4 percent.Find the best prices. Use the web to research the lowest prices in your neighborhood. For example, GasBuddy.com is a network of more than 179+ gas price information web sites that helps you find low gasoline prices.
  8. Don’t idle while waiting for the car to warm up. Cars warm up best while being driven. You need to wait only about 60 seconds before driving off.
  9. Buy gas during the coolest times of the day During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind – gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to ‘volume of measurement’.

“We know there is pain at the gas pump,” says Cynthia Garcia, marketing director for Active Insurance Agency, “we know we can at least make auto insurance fast, easy and affordable and with these tips, help a tank of gas go a little further.”

Estimates for fuel savings from sensible driving are based on Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., Owner Related Fuel Economy Improvements, Arlington, Virginia, 2001. Estimates for the effect of speed on MPG are based on a study by West, B.H., R.N. McGill, J.W. Hodgson, S.S. Sluder, and D.E. Smith, Development and Verification of Light-Duty Modal Emissions and Fuel Consumption Values for Traffic Models, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, March 1999.

[Let Active Insurance help you find low-cost auto insurance now]

About Active Insurance:

Active Insurance Agency has been providing low cost auto insurance for drivers in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for nearly 50 years. Their online car insurance quotes makes comparing automobile insurance rates quick and easy. Best of all, no credit score or drivers license number is needed to quote. And if you start insurance they won’t ask for your social security number at all so you can keep your confidential personal information private. If you need a bond card, Active Insurance Agency has them too.

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