Category Archives: Car Insurance

DOs and DON’Ts of an Automobile Accident

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DOs

Do remain calm and professional.

Do call the police and, if necessary, the ambulance.

Do obtain the names, phone numbers, and addresses of all drivers, witnesses, and injured persons.

Do take pictures of the vehicle and surroundings and any other pertinent information. With the high availability of cameras and camera-phones, a photo is easy to capture and can be useful later on.

Do be completely honest and forthright. Dishonesty can invalidate your coverage.

Do save all receipts for repairs, towing, rental car, medical bills, and other expenses incurred as a result of the accident.

Do report the accident to your insurance agent as soon as possible.

DON’Ts

Don’t leave the scene of the accident. It’s Illegal.

Don’t drive an unsafe vehicle. If you have any question as to the safety of your vehicle after an accident, don’t even think about driving it away. It’s not worth the risk.

Don’t accept any claim settlements at the scene of the accident.

Don’t admit liability on your part. Relate just the facts to the police officer.

The Online Accident Prevention Course

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For years the Point & Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP) has been available to reduce points on your NY State Drivers license and get a mandatory 10% discount on the base liability, no-fault, and collision portion of your premium for three years.

In order to participate in the program, you had to take a course in a classroom. In 2009, the rules were expanded to allow for course providers to offer their content online.

The logistics of the program are as follows:

  1. Sign up for the course, and pay the course fee (usually between $25 and $50 per person)
  2. Participate in at least 6 hours of course instruction (online or in the classroom)
  3. You will receive a certificate of course completion. Provide a copy of this certificate to us in order to get the insurance discount
  4. Enjoy the savings for 3 years.

You may participate in the program as often as you like. If you have multiple vehicles on your policy, each principal driver can take the course to make sure that you maximize the discounts.

In addition to the savings on your premium, you can also avoid dangerous situations and activities by following the safety guidelines that are taught in the course.

For more information or to register to take the course online, you can visit http://www.newyorksafetycouncil.com/