All of us here at Car Insurance Guidebook wish you a safe and happy Christmas Season.

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas season is one that most look forward to all year. People are a little nicer, festive decorations are decking the halls and everything is a little brighter thanks to the magical glow of Christmas lights. While you are enjoying this joyous season, keep in mind the hazards and extra costs that accompany this time of year. Being prepared for them will keep your Christmas merry.

No Drunk Driving this Christmas Season

If you have followed many of my posts, you know that I have little forgiveness for drunk drivers. The many years that I spent working in car insurance claims brought more drunk driving accidents across my desk than I could count.

The families that I talked to that lost loved ones because someone else made the bad decision to drive while intoxicated are conversations that aren’t easily forgotten. I also have personally lost family members to a drunk driver that was too intoxicated to be able to control his car on a winding road.

If you do partake in the Christmas “spirits” this year a little too much, please make arrangements for the evening. Arrangements that do not include you being the one behind the wheel of a car.

Watch Out for Little Kids with New Christmas Toys

When you were finally allowed outside on Christmas morning with your new bike or sled, was watching out for cars the first thing on your mind? I know it wasn’t on my mind.

Kids haven’t changed much over the years when it comes to the enthusiasm of getting a new toy. Playing with that new toy, not your vehicle coming down the road is what is on their mind. This is why it is important that you, the driver, be the one that is aware of the kids on Christmas morning. Meaning that you need to observe the speed limit or slower in your neighborhood, especially if it is icy.

If you do hit a child, the emotional toll that it will put on you cannot be put into words. Not to mention that if the accident is found to be your fault, you can probably expect a lawsuit with monetary amounts that exceed most people’s insurance coverage. So just play it safe this Christmas morning and take your time getting to where you need to go.

Giving a Car for Christmas

Giving a car for Christmas is one of those wonderful, big Christmas gifts that come with hidden costs that most people don’t think about. Christmas cars are just like Christmas puppies, but without the potty training.

One of the most important hidden costs that come with a Christmas car, that you absolutely have to have, is the car insurance. In fact, you have to have insurance on the car before it can be driven or even registered in some states.

If you are the one giving the car to someone else, it would be very Grinch-like of you to not get at least some insurance coverage on the vehicle before Christmas morning. Nothing ruins a perfectly, magical, gift moment like giving the car and then following it up with, “No, you can’t take it out for a spin, it’s not insured yet”.

Unless you work in the car insurance industry, the topic is probably a mystery to you. The words deductible, comprehensive, collision, liability, premium, loss of use and bodily injury are all gibberish when they reach your ears.

Unfortunately, insurance is something that you are required to have by law if you want to drive. Because of how confusing it is many people go around in almost an insurance daze while they get car insurance quotes from the auto insurance companies that they have heard of. In reality, they are completely lost as to what they are actually buying.

Instead of looking at what each insurance company offers in the terms of protection for both themselves and their car, they are instead looking for cheap car insurance. Finding the cheapest car insurance coverage makes having to buy the required product all that much less painful, but misses the whole point of having insurance.

Learning about insurance through your insurance agent or websites like Car Insurance Guidebook will give you the upper hand when you looking for car insurance. You can take your knowledge and not only find the best price for insurance, you can use it to find really great insurance to protect you and your assets. Then you aren’t stuck settling for just average car insurance that can hurt you financially if you ever need it because there isn’t enough protection.

For example, when looking for insurance the car insurance rates are just the first of many factors that need to be taken into account when you are shopping around for car insurance. You also need to take into account the type of vehicle that you are driving. Many people don’t know this.

Are you driving around a vehicle that is a new sedan and can be protected under any blanket insurance policy? Or do you have an old car that you fixed up that needs special protection and could be better covered under classic car insurance?

Don’t just assume that when you compare car insurance that it will be a one-size-fits-all policy. This is where the insurance knowledge will come in handy; you will know what you need to protect yourself and your vehicle.

You will understand what your insurance agent is talking about when they use insurance terms and you will actually be able to make an informed decision. This is much better for you instead of the “nod and smile” approach people take in their insurance agent’s office.

Also just like your life changes your insurance needs will change. This year you may just need to learn about the best deductible to have. Next year you may need to educate yourself on car insurance for young drivers. As the years pass, motorcycle insurance may be something you will need to know.

Many wise people say that you never stop learning, so take their advice and educate yourself on the insurance that you spend a lot of money on and can’t get away with not having.

Mayhem has a little Christmas present for you.

Summary

Scene Opens with Mayhem in a beautifully decorated room that’s ready for Christmas. He is standing in front of the Christmas tree with a present in hand.

Mayhem: It’s true what they say; ‘tis better to give than to receive. This time of year, I get really generous.

Mayhem opens the gift that he has in hand and the “12 Days of Mayhem Song” begins. The scenes are clips from previous Mayhem commercials all edited together to the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.

Song Lyrics with Clips:

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, Mayhem gave to me. Twelve trees a-rolling….” (Mayhem is strapped to the top of a vehicle as a Christmas tree. He rolls off into the street in front of another car.)

“…eleven streakers streaking….” (Mayhem is running down a football field with the middle front of him blurred out.)

“….ten toddlers screaming….” (Mayhem is sitting in the back of a vehicle in a giant, child’s car seat throwing things and having a toddler meltdown.)

“…nine maids a-jogging….” (Mayhem is jogging down the road with a pink headband and pink weights, winking at us.)

“…eight teens a-texting…..” (Mayhem is in the driver’s seat of a pink SUV that crashes into a parked car. He is wearing pink sunglasses on his head and tosses the cell phone that he has been texting on into the back seat.)

“…seven pipes a-bursting…” (Mayhem wearing his Santa hat is in the basement of a house and hits a pipe causing it to burst.)

“….six refs a-fleeing…” (Blue car crashes through a white picket fence.)

“….five blind spots….” (Mayhem is holding on to the side of a car laughing hysterically as it is spinning out of control.)

“…..four snowy roofs…” (Mayhem falls through the top of a snow covered garage.)

“….three shaky trees…” (Mayhem is jumping on a branch in a tree saying “Shaky, shaky, shaky”.)

“…two turtle doves…” (Mayhem releases two white doves into the air.)

“…and a GPS you failed to update” (A car crashes into a number of parked cars. Mayhem is in the front seat as the GPS system.)

Mayhem: Recalculating!

The final scene has Mayhem standing next to a burnt Christmas tree with a candle and a mischievous smile on his face.

Announcer: The holidays are Mayhem. Are you in good hands?

Allstate logo and the three ways you can contact Allstate appear on a black screen

Point of the Commercial

Allstate is capitalizing on the success of their Mayhem campaign with a montage of past commercials. If you notice though, most of the ones that were chosen were for car insurance. There are a couple of the homeowner’s insurance ones thrown in, but the car insurance holds the majority.

This can be for one of two reasons. One, they are trying to stay competitive in the car insurance sector and make a showing against companies like GEICO and State Farm. Two, the creators of the montage felt that the subject of the car insurance commercials fit in better for the lyrics. I personally, am leaning towards the first reason.

What They Want you to Do

Allstate closes the commercial with all three ways that you can get a quote from them, which is something that is not seen very often. With these commercials, a specific contact method is usually singled out. But, this is really just a general commercial that covers more than just one product so the multiple methods of contact were a good placement.

My Opinion

Just in time for Mayhem to spread some Christmas….um… cheer.

Giving it a Christmas thumbs up.

Getting truck insurance for your personal rig is as easy as getting car insurance.

The only difference between insurance on a car and a truck is the different use of each vehicle.

Your truck is important to you. It gets you to where you need to go, it takes care of your heavy jobs and for some it is the key to their livelihood. But, no matter how you use your truck, it is essential and required that there be truck insurance coverage on it.

Overall, getting truck insurance is the same as getting car insurance. They are covered on the same type of insurance policy and they even have the same coverage available. For some, there is even no difference in the premium that they pay for the insurance coverage that they have on their car and their truck insurance.

Truck Insurance vs. Car Insurance

Truck insurance is car insurance. In our case though, we are talking specifically about car insurance that you purchase for your truck. The reason that they may seem to be different is because of how each are used.

Trucks are thought of more as work vehicles and to handle heavy towing jobs. Cars are just for getting you from point a to point b. These differences bring up different coverage issues that a truck may face that a car won’t. But, anything that happens to a truck that is covered under truck insurance would also be covered for your car.

Truck Insurance for Towing

Many people purchase their trucks to tow around their toys. No, I’m not talking about the items that you would find on the shelves of Toys-R-Us. I’m talking about boats, campers, ATV trailers and other toys like that.

If you are towing something with your truck, you may be surprised to know that the item you are towing is only half insured. Huh, half insured? How can you be half insured?

In this case, half insured means that the item you are towing is only covered by your truck insurance for any damage that it may do (liability). There is no coverage for any damage done to the item being towed; even if you have comprehensive and collision truck insurance.

For there to be insurance coverage on the item that you are towing, you have to purchase a special policy for that specific item. For example, if you are towing a boat, you will need boat insurance

Truck Insurance and Company Equipment

If you own a business or you haul around equipment that you use for work, keep in mind that there is no coverage for it under your truck insurance. Just like with cars, your truck insurance only covers your truck and the items attached to your truck.

If you were to have personal equipment stolen out of the back of your truck, you would have to file the claim under your homeowner’s insurance. If the equipment was for a business, the coverage would be under your inland marine policy. If you don’t have either of these types of policies, you need to sit down with your insurance agent. They can help you make sure that you have protection for the stuff your truck insurance doesn’t cover.

For Arizona car insurance everything has to be filed with the state, including the fact that you don’t need insurance.

Arizona car insurance doesn’t allow any uninsured drivers to drop through the cracks.

Arizona car insurance minimum requirements may not be very high, but their enforcement of it is very strict. They have closely the same laws and procedures as their neighboring state of California. They track and punish in the same way as California, but they have one opt-out requirement (de-insurance) that is unique to Arizona.

What You Have to Have for Arizona Car Insurance

The Arizona car insurance requirements are about average for what is seen throughout the country. You are required to have no less than $15,000 in liability coverage for one person’s injuries due to an accident that you cause. The minimum liability coverage for the total medical costs for all injuries with Arizona car insurance stands at $30,000.

Lastly, $10,000 in liability coverage for property damage is required for Arizona car insurance.

What in the World is “De-Insurance”?

“De-insurance” or to “de-insure” is taking insurance off of your vehicle for a temporary period of time; due to your vehicle not being driven for a specific reason. Vehicles that you may “de-insure” are vehicles that no longer run and vehicles you are restoring. If you are restoring or fixing your vehicle, Arizona recommends that you kept receipts of the parts and work to verify the work done as they may actually require you to provide this proof.

If you have a vehicle that you need to “de-insure” in the state, you must file a “De-Insured Certificate” for Arizona car insurance. Failure to file this certificate with the state after you have dropped your Arizona car insurance will result in suspensions of your registration, suspension of your driver’s license and fines.

The Arizona Car Insurance Database

Just like in California, Arizona car insurance is tracked via a database that all insurance companies must submit information to. This information includes notifications about cancellations, new policies and renewals of all Arizona car insurance policies.

If the state receives notification from your insurance company that your policy was dropped for any reason and they do not receive information of a new policy, your vehicle registration will be suspended.

Out-of State Issues with Arizona Car Insurance

If you are an Arizona resident and you move out of the state, but your vehicle remains registered in Arizona, you have to keep Arizona car insurance on your vehicle. You can only drop your Arizona car insurance when you switch your registration to your new state.

If your license was suspended in Arizona for not carrying valid Arizona car insurance, this suspension does carry over to your new state as well. You have to clear up the suspension in Arizona before you can get a driver’s license in the new state you have moved to.

If you are only out of the state for a short period of time, including if you are in the military, you can submit for a “De-Insured Certificate” for the temporary time you are out of state.