Tips to keep your teen from becoming a distracted driver

Earning a driver’s license is a milestone achievement for every teenager! But each year, thousands of people across the country are injured by distracted drivers. Here at Avanti Insurance, we want you and your family to stay safe. So here are some helpful hints to review with your newly-licensed teen, to keep them from becoming a distracted driver.

• Put your cell phone away. Service providers now offer free apps that will automatically respond to your text messages while you’re driving, so your friends and family know that you’re being safe and responsible. There will never be a phone call or text message that’s worth your life, or the life of someone else.
• When you’re in the driver’s seat, be sure that is the only task that has your attention. Never shift your focus from driving – not even for a second!
• Before shifting your car out of “park”, make sure it is properly adjusted. Your seats, radio station, mirrors, and climate controls should be set before you drive.
• If you’re hungry, have a snack before you leave. If you must snack while driving, avoid messy foods that can spill and distract you.
• Be sure that any passengers in your vehicle know how important it is that your attention stays on the road.
• If something happens that needs your attention, don’t try to handle it while you’re driving. Pull over to a safe location and take care of the situation before continuing on your journey.
• Any personal grooming should be handled before you leave home – not while you’re behind the wheel.

These simple steps will help make your teen a safe, responsible driver. If you would like more information, or if you’re looking for an insurance policy, give Avanti Insurance professionals a call today.

Fundraiser For The Special Olympics

Avanti Insurance is participating in a fundraiser for the Special Olympics this Saturday during a 5K Road Race. Donations maybe made at any time, but through this Friday, Avanti will match each donation 25%, up to $50.00 per contributor. Participants who would like to register for the walk/run may also do so at the below link by clicking “JOIN TEAM.”

Contributions are tax deductible, and may be made at http://bit.ly/1y5rZfJ.

New Car? Make Sure to Properly Insure it.

Did you get a new car for Christmas? While all of your friends are probably extremely jealous, before you take them for a spin around town, you need to ensure that you have the right insurance before you strike out on the roads. Even if your new car wasn’t a Christmas present, you should make sure that you have proper insurance before using that car at all. Of course, when you first drive the vehicle off the lot, you will protected until you get it home, but once you’ve surpassed the duration of your gap insurance, you need real insurance, something that will keep you from having to pay out of pocket for an accident, whether or not it’s your fault.

So what kind of coverage is right for you and your vehicle? The best way to be sure is to contact an Avanti Insurance expert. However, it is also great to educate yourself about the different kinds of coverage you might want, to make your insurance buying process a piece of cake.

Bodily Injury Insurance

This type of insurance sounds menacing, but there is a real possibility that at some point in your driving career, you might be in an accident where someone other than yourself is severely hurt. Whether this occurs through some fault of your own or through a mistake made by the other person, this kind of insurance will ensure that you are protected in case someone else is wounded because you strike them with your vehicle.

Damage of Property Insurance

This is probably the most common kind of insurance, as it ensures that you do not have to pay out of pocket in case you damage someone else’s car or property with your car. If you did not have this insurance, you would be required to pay for the repair of your own vehicle and for the repair of whatever property you damaged while operating your vehicle.

Insurance against Uninsured Motorists

Though some states require by law all license wielding citizens to have car insurance, some do not, and this means you may eventually be in an accident with someone who does not have proper insurance. Your uninsured motorist insurance will help you pay for any repairs that come because of a collision in this situation.

Medical Car Insurance 

If you are hit by another car or strike another car with your vehicle, there is the possibility that those inside will be harmed. In some states, you may be responsible for paying for the medical care those individuals may need. Medical insurance can help you with those payments.

Collision Insurance

If your car hits another car or a stationary object, it is likely that it will need repairs. Collision insurance usually provides a deductible, so that you do not have to pay the full cost of repairs.

Comprehensive Car Insurance

This kind of coverage ensures that you are not responsible for the full cost of any damage that might occur to your vehicle. Whether it is hit by another car or stolen, you will probably have to pay a deductible, and then the insurance covers the rest of the payments.

There’s little worse than getting in an accident and finding out you are 100% liable for all the damages. While auto insurance can seem like a huge expense each month, it’s a lot more expensive and risky to go without insurance. Auto insurance is just one of those necessities that provide protection in the event of an emergency. When looking for an auto insurance company in Malden, consider these 5 ways Avanti Insurance helps you save on auto insurance costs.

1. We find the right policy for you – Did you know there are all sorts of different deductible options and coverage packages? Some insurance agents will simply sell you the most expensive insurance package with the highest premiums. We take the time to ask questions to identify what you really need in terms of coverage and deductibles. Then, we discuss options that will suit you best and help save you money.

2. Consider the highest deductible you can afford.  It will save you substantially in premium, reduces your agent’s commission, and is   the correct  philosophy for proper risk management.

3. We offer discounts for good drivers – We understand that those who take the time and care to drive safely and obey the laws are less likely to get in an accident than those with poor traffic records. That’s why we offer discounts to those with excellent driving records.

4. We offer bundle discounts – Not only do you need auto insurance, but chances are you need life insurance, homeowners insurance, and/or coverage on more than one vehicle. The more policies you have with us at Avanti, the more we can save you. Make us your trusted source for all your insurance needs.

5. We offer discounts for those who take driver safety courses – There are all sorts of driver safety courses including defensive driving courses, motorcycle operators training courses, and more. We offer a hefty discount to those individuals that participate in these types of training courses.

For more information about how Avanti Insurance can save you money on your automobile insurance, please contact us today. We would be happy to provide you with a free quote on your automobile insurance.

What Factors are Considered When Calculating Insurance Rates?

With high auto loan rates, a monthly car payment, and multiple other bills, all car owner are interested in cutting costs when it comes to insurance. Owning a car can definitely be expensive, but it is possible to save on insurance when you understand what factors insurance companies consider when calculating your car insurance rates.  Here are a few of the factors considered when calculating insurance rates—some controllable, some of them are not.

Age: Age is tallied up as experience in the insurance industry, and the more experience a driver has, the lower their rates. That means the older someone is and the longer someone has been driving, the lower his or her rates may be.

Payment History: Numerous late payments, or cancellations, may greatly increase your renewal premiums.  Ask Avanti Insurance on ways to reduce this factor.

Driving Record (Tickets & Accidents): Insurance companies also look at your driving record to determine your rate. The fewer accidents you have been responsible for, and the less tickets you have acquired, the lower your rate. Ask Avanti Insurance about Accident Forgiveness, Deductible Dollar Savings, and proven ways to reduce the premiums of newer drivers.

Vehicle Use: Insurance underwriters will take into account how often you actually drive your car when determining your rate. When gathering information for your quote, the representative will ask questions like what your total annual mileage is, when you typically drive your car, and how many miles you drive to and from your daily activities. Those who drive their cars less often will generally pay less in insurance than those who drive more often.

Vehicle Type: The type of car you drive will also affect your insurance rates. Cars that are newer and more expensive to fix will yield a higher insurance rate than cars that are older and less expensive to fix. Also, cars with better safety features will be less expensive to insure.

Multiple Policy: Our companies offer large discounts for insuring multiple vehicles with our agency and/or insuring both your home and automobile with us.

These are just a few of the most common factors that affect insurance rates. For more information about how to save on insurance rates, or to get a free quote, contact Avanti Insurance today.

Why You Need Renters’ Insurance

Renters’ insurance is often the last thing on most people’s list as they consider moving into a new apartment or home. This is usually because people just think they do not need it—they don’t own the place, why would they need insurance? Renters’ insurance protects your possessions and protects you from being liable for any damage that occurs to your rented apartment or home, while you live there. Here are six reasons you should consider getting renters’ insurance today.

1. Covers theft during moving. It’s true—many policies cover theft that occurs even before you’ve moved into your new place. If you leave your car, full of your possessions, parked on the street below your apartment and you come back to find that someone has plundered it, you can file a claim to cover that theft.

2. Covers floods. You wake up to find that a pipe in your kitchen has been gushing water for half an hour, and your furniture, floors, and walls have all been damaged. Normally, those costs would fall to you, but not when you have renters’ insurance.

3. Covers thefts from hotel rooms. Hotels almost always have a notice posted that states that they are not fiscally responsible for thefts that occur in your room. So who is? What happens if you return to your room after a day exploring the city and discover that your clothes and valuables have been stolen? Renters’ insurance covers it.

4. Covers fires. You only turned away from the stove for a minute, and when you came back, your cabinets were on fire and smoke has damaged your ceiling. Again, you can turn to renters’ insurance to help you out. Many policies even pay to put you up in a hotel until the damage is repaired.

5. Helps cover medical bills. If a friend or family member hurts themselves in your apartment or home, your renters’ insurance may help cover the pills.

6. Helps cover theft of other people’s possessions. If you borrow a laptop, cellphone, piece of clothing, or expensive jewelry item from a friend and it is stolen from your apartment or home, renters’ insurance will cover that theft, just as it would cover a theft of your own property.

For more information about renters’ insurance or to get your policy started, visit our website Avanti Insurance today!

Comprehensive Coverage: Hope for the Best, But Expect the Worst?

Hopefully, very few of us will ever experience a catastrophic car accident. However, not being covered when one occurs is a very serious problem. That’s why most states require drivers to have some form of collision insurance. But what about problems with your car that are not caused by a “typical” collision. For example, what if an asteroid hits your car? Or, more likely, a tree falls on it during a storm? Someone decides to take a sledgehammer to it?

These situations are not actually as uncommon as you might think, and this is where comprehensive coverage comes in. Unlike some insurance plans that only cover collisions, comprehensive coverage actually covers a far wider set of circumstances, ranging from fire, to vandalism, to floods, and even theft.

Hope for the Best

Most people will hopefully never have to use this coverage. The vast majority of people own cars for their entire life and never have a boulder fall on their hood or have the car damaged by a flood. We hope for the best and we take special precaution to protect our cars from damage.

Sometimes it is just not enough, however, to do our best to take care of our vehicles. Circumstances out of our control do occur.

Expect the Worst

Ignoring the possibility of cataclysmic damage to your car, however, means that if a flood, fire, windstorm, or criminal ever did target your car, you would responsible for fixing those damages or replacing the car. Cars and their repairs are expensive. You don’t want to leave this up to chance.

You don’t have to adopt a “doom and gloom” attitude, but it is important to realize that bad things do happen, even to those that try to prepare for every eventuality. This is what insurance is for, hoping for the best, while preparing for the worst—even the unthinkable.

The Cost

The cost of a comprehensive coverage plan varies depending on the make, model, and year of your car, and sometimes, on what other insurance plans you have in place. The best way to know the cost of a plan for your car is to contact an insurance agent.

For more information about comprehensive coverage or to get started on purchasing your comprehensive coverage policy, contact Avanti Insurance today!

Summer Insurance

Choosing the right insurance for your summer fun: Planning one last summer

fling? Make sure you have enough liability coverage!

1) Road trip! If you’re the type of family who likes to take to the open road, be sure

you have the protection you need when renting a motor home or rental car. If

renting a motor home, you may need to consider upping your liability to cover

the potential damage such a large vehicle can cause. For a rental car, ask your

rental company about purchasing additional protection known as a Collision

Damage Waiver, which can protect your wallet if your rental car is damaged or

stolen while in your hands.

2) Ahh, two weeks at the beach house. If you’re renting a vacation home, your

homeowner’s policy should cover the basics, such as personal liability coverage

and coverage for your belongings. However, say there’s a mix-up about the

place you’re renting and it’s been double-booked. (Knock on wood this doesn’t

happen!) But, unfortunately, it does. Talk to your Avanti agent about purchasing

an umbrella policy, or see if your homeowner’s insurance already covers Loss of

Use, to save you from shelling out for not one, but two vacation spots!

3) Wahooo! What’s better than hitting the waves on a jet ski? But before you do,

keep in mind that not all jet skis are created equal. Some more powerful jet

skis may be excluded from your homeowner’s policy. Always read your rental

agreement carefully, whether you are renting a jet ski, a boat, or even a non-
motorized craft such as a kayak or canoe.

Buying a boat?

Summer is also a great time of year to make sure your policy covers all your summer

fun. Whether you own or are looking to buy a golf cart, boat, pool, or more, make

a note to talk to your Avanti Insurance agent about what changes your policy will

need.

Keep in mind: rules about safety are there for a reason. With summer fun items,

comes a large amount of responsibility. That’s why we’re here! To contact an Avanti

Insurance agent today with any questions, call (781) 324-6301.

Choosing the right insurance for your summer fun

Choosing the right insurance for your summer fun: Planning one last summer fling? Make sure you have enough liability coverage!

 

• Road trip! If you’re the type of family who likes to take to the open road, be sure you have the protection you need when renting a motor home or rental car. If renting a motor home, you may need to consider upping your liability to cover the potential damage such a large vehicle can cause. For a rental car, ask your rental company about purchasing additional protection known as a Collision Damage Waiver, which can protect your wallet if your rental car is damaged or stolen while in your hands.
• Ahh, two weeks at the beach house. If you’re renting a vacation home, your homeowner’s policy should cover the basics, such as personal liability coverage and coverage for your belongings. However, say there’s a mix-up about the place you’re renting and it’s been double-booked. (Knock on wood this doesn’t happen!) But, unfortunately, it does. Talk to your Avanti agent about purchasing an umbrella policy, or see if your homeowner’s insurance already covers Loss of Use, to save you from shelling out for not one, but two vacation spots!
• Wahooo! What’s better than hitting the waves on a jet ski? But before you do, keep in mind that not all jet skis are created equal. Some more powerful jet skis may be excluded from your homeowner’s policy. Always read your rental agreement carefully, whether you are renting a jet ski, a boat, or even a non-motorized craft such as a kayak or canoe.

Buying a boat?

Summer is also a great time of year to make sure your policy covers all your summer fun. Whether you own or are looking to buy a golf cart, boat, pool, or more, make a note to talk to your Avanti Insurance agent about what changes your policy will need.

 Keep in mind: rules about safety are there for a reason. With summer fun items, comes a large amount of responsibility. That’s why we’re here! To contact an Avanti Insurance agent today with any questions, call (781) 324-6301.

How to be a Safer Driver At Night

It’s an all-too-real truth: all drivers, young and old, have more difficulty on the road at night than they do during the day. In fact, the National Safety Commission has released a hard statistic – more than half of all traffic fatalities for people aged 16 and over happen between the hours of 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.
At Avanti Insurance, we care about the safety of you and your family. Here are some of the reasons night time driving can be more dangerous, and what you can do to be better prepared.
• It’s harder to see at night. We’ll leave the exact science behind it to the eye care professionals, but it all boils down to this: your eyes work differently between night and day. This can make it harder to see things in front of you after dark.
• Your car may be moving too fast for your headlights. The right speed for your car at night depends on your vehicle and its headlight settings. It’s important to be aware of this – driving too fast for your car’s headlights means that by the time you see something in the road, it’s already too late to stop or avoid it.
Solution: avoid speeding, especially after dark. It’s also important to be sure that your car’s lights are working properly – not just headlights, but turn signals and tail lights as well.
• Beware of impaired judgment. This isn’t limited solely to alcohol or drugs. Drowsy drivers are impaired drivers, too!
Solution: Be alert and focused every time you get behind the wheel. While you’re driving, ensure that all of your attention is devoted to that task, and that task alone. Any distraction – the phone, radio, or passengers – becomes an even bigger risk when you’re driving at night.

We hope that these simple tips can help you or someone you love avert disaster!