Another required, but not required uninsured motorist coverage could be showing up automatically on New York insurance policies.

New York politicians work on changing what is required to be offered on your insurance policy.

Drivers in New York could very well be seeing a new required coverage on their insurance policies here soon. The recent New York state legislative session passed a bill that requires supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to now be automatically added to all New York insurance policies.

You don’t have to keep it though; you can opt-out of it if you don’t want it. Just be aware that it will be automatically added to your policy and you will be charged for the coverage if you don’t opt-out.

What is Supplementary Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

Supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist (SUM) coverage basically adds more protection for you and your family than the regular uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage does. It’s like an umbrella policy for your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

SUM is not a new coverage; it has been available to drivers for a while now. The alteration that the New York legislation passed is that it now be automatically added to policies, like the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is.

Uninsured Motorist Opt-Out

A lot of other states allow you to opt-out of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage altogether. It is not a required coverage; it is just required to be offered to you. This is not what is happening in New York.

The state of New York still requires that you carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage; there is no opt-out option for this coverage. It is only the supplementary uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage that this particular bill affects. SUM will not be made mandatory for you to be able to drive in New York; it is just being made mandatory that it has to be offered.

Reactions to the Uninsured Motorist Changes

The first time I read the news that came out on this new bill in New York, my first reaction was that the insurance companies were behind it. It was another way to get something else added to the policy that people would miss the opt-out option for, and the insurance companies would profit from it.

Boy, was I wrong!

The insurance companies were actually against this bill. They are worried that it will seem like they are trying to slip something by the consumer when the coverage is put on the policy without them requesting it.

The driving forces behind this new bill were legal organizations (New York State Trial Lawyers Association) and attorneys. They feel that the bill makes people aware of the coverage they should know more about. They also feel that it better protects the taxpayers from having to foot the bill for medical expenses that end up being covered by public health insurance programs.

What are your thoughts on this new uninsured motorist bill?

Source: Online Auto Insurance News

The GEICO possum commercial makes a good point that there are better ways to save money.

Summary

Commercial opens with a dad on a couch talking about the new family pet.

Dad: Well, the kids wanted a puppy, but they can be really expensive, so to save money I just found them a possum.

Scene switches to two kids in the backyard staring at a possum lying on the ground. The older boy nudges the possum with his foot and it does not move. The camera comes in for a close up of the possum and it looks dead.

Little Girl: Dad, I think he’s dead.

Dad: Probably just playing possum.

Camera goes back to the possum that still looks dead and then he jumps up and hisses at the kids. The kids jump back from the possum and shout.

Dad: There he is.

Dad has been grilling this whole time and doesn’t even look up from the grill for the entire incident.

Announcer: There’s an easier way to save. GEICO; fifteen minutes could save your 50% or more on car insurance.

Commercial ends on a white screen with the words “GEICO” and “GEICO.COM”.

Point of Commercial

This GEICO possum commercial is really similar to the “Can GEICO really save you 15% or more on car insurance” commercials. The only difference is that they are just changing the wording up to be that there are easier ways to save money. With GEICO, the point of their commercials rarely alters to anything else other than they can save you money.

What They Want You to Do

Contact GEICO.com for a rate quote is what they want you to do. Most of us could quote this in our sleep they use it so much. However, this phrase being memorized by drivers across the nation is good for GEICO. It means that when they are thinking about new insurance that they will contact GEICO for a rate quote.

My Opinion

Honestly, I find this GEICO possum commercial disturbing, but also funny at the same time. We don’t have a whole lot of possums where I live in Idaho, and they kind of creep me out for some reason. Now, give one to a child as a pet and have it play dead, and it gives me the creepy crawlies.

However, creepy possum aside, the commercial is funny. It also has a strong call to action like all of the other GEICO commercials and it is one that you won’t forget any time soon.

I give this GEICO possum commercial a thumbs up.

The 2012 Chevy Silverado is the truck you want if you are looking for a good truck with a low insurance premium.

The 2012 Chevy Silverado Model

While the Chevy Silverado is not rated as the safest truck on the market today, it still has a decent rating through the IIHS and NHTSA. Meaning that you are not driving a death trap, and there are worse trucks out there that you could be driving.

Even with the less than perfect safety ratings, the insurance premium for this truck comes in surprisingly lower than the trucks that are rated safer than it.

2012 Chevy Silverado Basics

The 2012 Chevy Silverado is available in 5 different versions:

• Silverado 1500

• Silverado Hybrid

• Silverado 2500HD

• Silverado 3500HD

• Silverado Chassis

Because we don’t have enough time to cover all 5 models, we are going to focus on the 1500. This is the more popular model of this line and is the one that is used most commonly by everyday drivers out on the road.

IIHS Safety Ratings for the 2012 Chevy Silverado

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has ranked the 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 as being average in its safety ratings. It is not one of the “Top Safety Picks” (Ford, Honda and Toyota hold that distinction). However, it is still rated as safe.

For frontal crash tests it was rated as “good” (highest rating it can be given).

For side impact tests it was rated as “average” (second highest rating). It may not have achieved the highest rating in this test, but is a vast improvement on the “poor” rating it has been given for the 2007 through 2009 models.

The roof strength test on the extended cab models only rated as “marginal” (this is just a step above poor).

NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2012 Chevy Silverado

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has its own set of rankings for the 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500. While they tested it separately, the ranking for their test comes out almost the same.

After frontal crash testing by the NHTSA, they ranked the 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 with a 5 out of 5 stars for driver safety. Front passenger safety was ranked with 4 out of 5 stars.

Insurance Ranking for the 2012 Chevy Silverado

Good news for all of you out there that are already driving or thinking about buying the 2012 Chevy Silverado! The 2012 Chevy Silverado has been ranked by insure.com as one of the least expensive vehicles in the nation to insure.

It even made the list not once, but twice. How did it do that you might be asking?

It made the list twice with two different versions of the 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500. The 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 Extended Cab ranked as the 10th least expensive vehicle to insurance. Then the 2012 Chevy Silverado 1500 Regular Cab was ranked as the 6th least expensive vehicle to insure.

Of the top 10 least expensive vehicles to insure, there are only 3 trucks that made the list. The 2012 Chevy Silverado holds 2 of those 3 spots.

Some states have started to allow electronic proof of insurance as acceptable insurance verification.

Electronic proof of insurance is now being accepted in some states.

With computers and internet being an important and prevalent part of our lives, it was only natural that our insurance activities and electronic proof of insurance have moved online as well. We can get insurance quotes online, purchase insurance, and even get all of our insurance documents sent directly to our email or phone now.

So when we are asked for insurance now, a lot of us were emailed our verification and forget to print it out, which can lead to trouble. For all of us in the electronic age and who now receive our insurance documents electronically, never fear, most politicians have our back this time.

What is Electronic Proof of Auto Insurance?

Electronic proof of auto insurance is any proof of insurance that is displayed on an electronic device, instead of in the old card or paper form. These electronic devices can include cell phones, iPads, or any other device that has a display screen and can pull up a PDF, website or a scanned copy of your proof of insurance.

What States Now Allow Electronic Proof of Insurance?

As of August 1st, Louisiana will be just the third state to have approved the use of electronic proof of insurance. In March, both the states of Idaho and Arizona signed their own laws into effect. Other states around the nation are slowly following suit and we could see a lot more states allowing electronic proof of insurance as they start up their legislative sessions over the course of the next year.

At the moment, California is currently looking into allowing electronic proof of insurance. While the states of Colorado and Alabama don’t allow electronic proof of insurance if you get pulled over, but they do allow it when you are registering your vehicle.

A Word of Caution about Electronic Insurance

Electronic proof of insurance is a great way to save on paper every six months when you have a new policy term. Overall, going electronic for all of your documents is great way to no longer have to pack around a bunch of paper, and it decreases the chance that you will accidently lose it.

However, what would happen if you left your electronic device at home or lost it and you were pulled over? Without your electronic device in the car and no paper proof of insurance in your glove box you will be cited for having no proof of insurace.

So, while electronic proof of insurance is convenient and nice to be able to provide; always have a backup plan.

Everyone wants freedom from insurance premium increases, so drive safe this holiday to avoid them.

Happy 4th of July from all of us at Car Insurance Guidebook!

Last month, we talked about how the summer holidays are the deadliest holidays in terms of car accidents. With the 2nd of 3 summer holidays here, please stay safe on the roads by paying attention to your surroundings and keeping your head about you.

If you can’t do either of these, have someone else drive for you. It will be safer for everyone, and it will save you from premium increases on your insurance policy in the near future.

Avoid Premium Increases by Paying Attention

The 4th of July is full of its own unique dangers. You have more children than normal running around in the streets, neighborhoods are full of fireworks being set off in the middle of the street, and then there are the drunks. This makes driving around on 4th of July, especially in the neighborhoods, extremely dangerous.

When you are driving you need to concentrate on controlling the car and what is going on around you. Don’t watch the fireworks going off overhead or in the street; and most off all, if you are driving, enjoy nonalcoholic beverages that day.

Don’t let celebrating our country’s freedom lead to an insurance premium increases because you caused an accident on this day.

Avoid Premium Increases by Protecting your Car

Yes, there are still some parts of the country where citizens privately set off aerial fireworks. Living in one of these parts, I can tell you from experience that 4th of July can be a scary night sometimes. You rarely get to sleep before midnight on the 4th of July and you find firework debris in your front yard the next morning.

This also means that stray fireworks put our vehicles in danger as well. A knocked over cannon can shoot a firework directly at a vehicle causing dents; and if the timing is unlucky enough, one could explode underneath a vehicle. Hot debris from fireworks can also land on or in vehicles causing burn marks or even start a fire.

To protect yourself from having to file a comprehensive claim the next day, keep your vehicle in your garage (if possible). If your neighborhood is especially firework crazy, parking your vehicle in another safer neighborhood could help prevent damage.

Avoid Premium Increases by Being Smart About Fireworks

Never, ever, ever leave fireworks in your vehicle on a hot day. This means the day you buy them, as well as on the 4th of July while waiting for it to get dark. As much as we think that we have tamed fireworks, they are still explosives and they explode when they get hot; even if they weren’t lit. I am sure you can image the damage that would be done to the interior of your vehicle if a firework were to go off unintentionally.

So, be safe this 4th of July. Trust me, one night of over vigilance about your driving will be worth saving you from having to pay on premium increases for years to come.