Feds urge states to ban texting and talking on the roads

Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that in their opinion texting, emailing or chatting while driving is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere in the United States. They are urging all states to impose a total ban except for emergincies. Presently, 35 states plus the District of Columbia ban texting while driving, and thirty states ban all cellphone use for beginning drivers. Enforcement is sketchy and no states ban the use of hands-free devices for all drivers. The NTSB says they are seeing increasing texting, cellphone calls and other distractions by drivers in accidents involving all kinds of transportation. It is common for law enforcement officers to immediately request the preservation of cell phone and texting records when an accident investigation begins. While no states ban hands-free use, the NTSB's recommendation that hands-free use of cell phones be banned, too, will carry much weight with federal regulators, Congress and state law makers.

Tips for Driving in the Rain

Western Washington in the winter is a pretty rainy climate, and combined with occasional freezing or near-freezing temperatures, this can make for hazardous driving conditions.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your chances of having an accident in the inclement winter weather.

Tires: Where the rubber hits the road

First, you should check your tire treads for wear. Even though you didn’t notice a difference this summer, now that wet weather is here worn tires may suddenly lose their grip on the road, and you could go sailing into another car or the ditch! Have your local tire center check to see if the tread is adequate.

Tires that are overinflated not only wear out faster, but can’t hold the road as well in wet or snowy weather. Reducing the air pressure in your tires will help you keep your car under control in treacherous conditions. By slightly reducing the pressure from 32 psi to 28 psi, you will make your tire have a little more rubber on the road surface, providing additional stability. Of course, when winter is over you will need to inflate your tires to the proper levels to avoid excessive tire wear.

Limited Visibility

Now is the time to make sure your windshield wipers are in good working condition, your windshield is clean and you have washer fluid in the reservoir. When it rains, worn wipers will streak your windshield, making it difficult to see, especially at night. Headlights of approaching vehicles will reflect this residue and make visibility even worse. Also, it is important to keep your windshield clean. Mud or leaves that get on your windshield can be smeared by your wipers, making it very difficult to see clearly, and if you get spattered by a passing car or truck, your windshield washer fluid can get it cleared off quickly.

If, for any reason, your windshield will not clear, leave the roadway as soon as safely possible and use a cloth and some clear water to thoroughly clean the window. Do the same for your other windows and side view mirrors, too.

Driving in a downpour

Usually, Seattle rain is fairly light, but occasionally a weather front will come in and dump rain in buckets. It’s best to avoid driving until it tapers off, but if you are caught in a deluge, here’s something that may help -- put on your sunglasses! Even at night, putting on your sunglasses in the pouring rain will help you see much more clearly. You will see drops on the windshield, but not the rain that's pouring down in front of your car. It also helps eliminate the sudden blindness from getting sprayed with a wall of water by a passing semi truck.

Don’t use cruise control in the rain

When you’re driving in rain, turn your cruise control off. The problem is when your tires begin to hydroplane in slippery conditions and lose contact with the road, cruise control can suddenly cause your car to accelerate to a higher rate of speed, and cause you to lose control of your car! Some cars are designed to shut cruise control down in wet or icy conditions, but yours may not be one of these.

Finally, slow down!

The speed limit may read 60 mph, but that is only applicable in optimum driving conditions. If it’s wet or icy, slow down. If you are involved in an accident in bad weather conditions, and it is found that you were going within the speed limit, that won’t help you in court if the conditions warranted slowing down. When weather conditions make driving hazardous, posted speed limits are not in effect, and motorists must drive at a safe speed or be liable for damages that they cause.

Churches to Be Kicked Out of NYC School Buildings January 1

Having spent 9 years in the church insurance business, which included providing coverage for dozens of churches that met in schools, this could start a troubling trend across the country:

The Supreme Court has rejected an evangelical church’s plea to overturn New York City’s ban on renting public schools for religious worship services. That means the city now has a green light to begin evicting congregations who pay rent to use public school buildings for church services.

The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case leaves in place a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the city’s policy.

The court case involved the Bronx Household of Faith – a church that paid weekly rent to hold worship services at a public school since 2002. The church, along with five dozen other congregations, was allowed to continue worshipping at public schools pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

It’s a sad day for religious liberty,” said Jordan Lorence, the church’s attorney and senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. “Churches and religious other groups should be allowed to meet in public buildings on the same terms as other community groups and they’re being denied that in New York City.”

Look at the twisted reasoning that went into this decision:

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that allowing churches to use schools resulted in an “unintended bias in favor of Christian religions” – since most Christian churches worship on Sunday.

“Jews and Muslims generally cannot use school facilities for their services because the facilities are often unavailable on the days that their religions principally prescribe for services,” Judge Pierre Leval declared. “At least one request(ed) to hold Jewish services (in a school building used for Christian services on Sundays) was denied because the building was unavailable on Saturdays. This contributes to a perception of public schools as Christian churches, but not synagogues or mosques.”

Judge Leval also took issue with the evangelical church’s membership. “Bronx Household acknowledges that it excludes persons not baptized, as well as persons who have been excommunicated or who advocate the Islamic religion, from full participation in its services.” Leval wrote.

But it all boiled down to a key point, the judges decided. “In the end, we think the board could have reasonably concluded that what the public would see, were the Board not to exclude religious worship services, is public schools, which serve on Sundays as state-sponsored Christian churches,” Leval wrote.

This is stupid on so many levels. Although I believe a city or school district should have the right to determine who uses their facilities and when, schools are being hammered all across the country with budget cuts. These churches provide much needed revenue to the districts, and they're generally very good tenants, careful not to mess up teacher's rooms or in any way do damage to the school facility. This is easy money for the districts, but the anti-religious zealots just can't stand the idea that something that values God can have any contact with a public facility.

During my insurance days I insured all kinds of denominations that met in public schools.  Never once did a school district apply any sort of standard as far as the type of church they allowed, nor did they provide any kind of support that could be misconstrued as "state sponsoring".  The judge's ruling is nonsense.

Churches that meet in schools in other parts of the country should take note and have contingency plans at the ready. The anti-religious activists will be emboldened by this decision and will seek to spread their bias nationwide.

Host Liquor Liability (Repost)

Over the next several months there will be many reasons for businesses and individuals to host events and parties where alcohol may be served. Businesses will have parties and happy hours to celebrate the holiday season where they will be providing alcohol for employees or customers. Individuals may use the same reason to have friends and family over to celebrate and consume alcohol. Taking my party hat off for just a moment and putting my risk management/insurance hat on, let me discuss something called Host Liquor Liability.

This is a coverage that often is part of a Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy and also included in homeowner policies as long as the individual and/or businesses are not in the occupation of making, selling or distributing of alcohol for money (meaning bars, distilleries, wineries, restaurants, etc. would have a different coverage simply called Liquor Liability). Host Liquor Liability is a coverage to help protect in cases where injuries happen because of alcohol incidents. One common example would be a participant is driving drunk and as a result crashes and injures people in an auto accident. Wherever the drunk driver last consumed alcohol could find themselves facing a lawsuit for injuries that were caused by the driver. They could be pulled into the situation because it was at their event and under their supervision that this driver consumed alcohol and then got behind the wheel intoxicated and drove off.

So here is one key thing about host liquor liability that all your employees, customers and/or friends and family will like to hear: if you are going to have an event with alcohol you are best to give it away. If at your event money changes hands and people are then able to consume alcohol you would have violated the no making, selling or distributing of alcohol for money rule. If you are having alcohol at a charity event the alcohol would have to be donated for the event or have a very good paper trail showing that none of the moneys collected to get in the event went toward the purchase of alcohol. Now, if your event is going to have a cash bar you will need to look into purchasing two items. The first is a temporary liquor license from the state and the second is a Liquor Liability insurance policy. Both of those can be costly and time consuming to acquire so your best bet is to just give it away… and be more popular with your employees, customers, friends and family.

Thanksgiving Saftey Tip from Red Cross

Thanksgiving is only a few days away.  By now many families are preparing for the big day by plotting out the cooking of the traditional Thanksgiving Turkey.  Whether you are deep frying the turkey or just baking it in the oven there is always risk in doing something that is not a daily routine.  I recently came across a great article written by the Oregon Chapter of the Red Cross.  They give these seven tips for safe cooking:

• Keep potholders and food wrappers at least three feet away from heat sources while cooking  
• Wear tighter fitting clothing with shorter sleeves when cooking
• Make sure all stoves, ovens, and ranges have been turned off when you leave the kitchen
• Set timers to keep track of turkeys and other food items that require extended cooking times
• Turn handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents
• Follow all manufacturer guidelines regarding the appropriate use of appliances
• After guests leave, designate a responsible adult to walk around the home making sure that all candles and smoking materials are extinguished

To read the entire article please click this link:  Thanksgiving Safety Tips

 

Market Value vs. Replacement Cost

Here is our first attempt at catering our insurance education to the visual learner.  We at Fey Insurance are not artist so please keep that in mind.  Enjoy this video that talks about the difference between market value and replacement cost.

Alternate Source of Home Heating

The high cost of home heating and the current recession have led many Americans to search for alternate sources of home heating. Many of these sources of heating may be acceptable if appropriate safeguards are used. However, be aware these supplemental heating devices are responsible for thousands of home fires each year.

Wood Stoves

Wood stoves cause more than 4000 residential fires each year. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s installation and maintenance instructions. Look for solid construction, such as plate steel or cast iron metal. Check for cracks and inspect legs, hinges and door seals for smooth joints and seams. Use only seasoned wood for fuel, not green wood, artificial logs or trash. Inspect and clean your pipes and chimney annually and check monthly for damage or obstructions. Cleaning more often may be necessary. Be sure to keep combustible objects at least three feet away from your wood stove.

Electric Space HeatersBuy only heaters with the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) safety listing. Check to make sure it has a thermostat control mechanism, and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over. Space heaters need space; keep combustibles at least three feet away from the heater. Always unplug your electric space heater when not in use.

Kerosene HeatersBuy only UP-approved heaters and check with your local fire department on the legality of kerosene heater use in your community. Never fill your heater with gasoline or camp stove fuel; both flare up easily. Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene. Never overfill any portable heater and never fuel the heater when it is hot. Use the kerosene heater in a well-ventilated room. Kerosene heaters pose perhaps the worst exposure largely due to improper use and the fact they contain a highly flammable liquid- not to mention potentially dangerous fumes.

FireplacesFireplaces and wood stoves regularly build up creosote in their chimneys. They need to be cleaned frequently and chimneys should be inspected for obstructions and cracks to prevent deadly chimney and roof fires. Check to make sure the damper is open before starting any fire. Never burn trash, paper or green wood in your fireplace. These materials cause heavy creosote buildup and are difficult to control. Use a screen heavy enough to stop rolling logs and big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks. Do not wear loose fitting clothes near any open flame. Make sure the fire is completely out before leaving the house or going to bed. Store cooled ashes in a tightly sealed metal container outside the home.
Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increased your chances of surviving a fire. Always remember to practice a hoe escape plan frequently with your family.
Source: US Fire Association