IN Monroeville Winter 2017 | Page 13

INDUSTRY INSIGHT INSURANCE SPONSORED CONTENT Distracted Drivers are Driving Up Your Insurance Premiums Someone else’s cell phone is costing you a lot of money. T he introduction of smartphones has been a boon to personal entertainment and interconnectivity, but it has a dark side out on the road. The fact that these devices have become such a major part of our lives has directly led to a spike in preventable accidents caused by drivers who refuse to put down their phones while they drive. The damages caused by distracted drivers ripple out over insurance pools and make everyone’s policy more expensive. It should seem obvious to even a novice driver that taking your eyes off the road for long stretches is not a great idea, but according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 600,000 drivers are using their cell phones at any given moment during daylight hours. Consider this: If you were to take your phone out, unlock it, open a messaging app and type out even a three-letter message, you’ve been looking down at your phone for a minimum of two or three seconds. Especially at higher speeds, that’s an eternity. Conditions change so quickly on the road that even a fraction of a second for reaction can mean the difference between a near-miss and a major collision. Of course, distracted drivers aren’t just costing themselves money, they’re making it more expensive for everyone. According to the NHTSA, 3,477 people were killed and about 391,000 injured in 2015 just from distracted drivers. That makes up about 14% of total police- reported traffic accidents! So, what can you do about it? First, you can contribute to a culture of safe driving on the road. Hands-free devices to which you can dictate text messages are much better than looking down, but the best choice is to pull over or wait until you’re safely parked to use your phone. Every moment that you’re looking for an app is another opportunity for something to go wrong. Second, you can sit down with your agent to discuss any discounts or policy changes that might offset some of the premium increases brought about by distracted drivers. If there’s a way to mitigate some of the costs associated with other people’s bad driving, your local agent is the person most likely to know about it. For instance, if you have a teenage driver on your policy, there may be discounts available for completing a safe driving course. Unfortunately, teenagers and young adults are almost always going to pay the most for auto insurance, and for good reason. Teenagers are by far the most likely age group to be involved in a distracted driving accident. But, with an independent insurance agency like Rupp-Fiore Insurance, you’re not stuck with just one insurance carrier’s rate calculations and limited discounts. Having more than 40 insurance carriers available to you, year after year, holds some huge benefits— namely, competitive options. If you have questions or want a free quote, you can always just drive over to your friendly local Rupp-Fiore office or call on the phone—just don’t do both at the same time. This Industry Insight was written by CANDICE FIORE SCHAFFER, a licensed insurance agent able to sell all types of insurance products including personal, business, life, and health. Her main focus is on business insurance and the personal insurance for those business owners. Candice has been with Rupp-Fiore Insurance since 1990. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in Risk Management/Insurance from Florida State University. Through the National Alliance of Insurance Education, Candice has also earned the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designations. Monroeville | Winter 2017 | icmags.com 11