Insurance Tips

Home Inventory
Car Driving Safety
Home Protection Tips
Home Care Tips

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Spring's a great time for a home inventory 4/15/2010

It’s important for your customers to keep a home inventory — especially these days, with the popularity of flat-screen televisions, iPhones, video games and other expensive electronics.

But the process can be time-consuming and difficult. The Insurance Information Institute’s Know Your Stuff tool can make doing a home inventory a breeze.

Know Your Stuff helps customers enter items by room and upload photos or scanned receipts. Once the information is in the system, items can be sorted by price, date of purchase or type (silverware, major appliances, etc.). Customers can even customize their own categories.

Once completed or updated, the Know Your Stuff report also can be printed, saved on a computer, e-mailed or burned on a CD.

The site has an informative video about the Know Your Stuff tool, giving customers a quick look at the process and the importance of doing a home inventory!

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Car & Driving Safety Tips

Nothing is worse than ruining or losing your new car because you got in an accident or you got pulled over. Being a smart and safe driver will set an example for your family and help to keep them safe.

Car safety for avoiding car accidents

Don't allow children to fight or climb around in your car (they should be buckled in their seats at all times). One accidental bump or too much noise can easily distract you from concentrating on driving safely.

Cell phones can also take your focus away from the task at hand: arriving safely at your destination.

Avoid driving when you're tired. Be aware that some medications can cause drowsiness and make operating a vehicle very dangerous.

Always use caution when changing lanes. Cutting in front of someone, changing lanes too fast or not using your signals may cause an accident or upset other drivers.

What should I do if I'm in a car accident?

If you're involved in an accident, first make sure you and everyone in your car is not injured. Next, check on the passengers in the other vehicle; or, if necessary, make certain that no pedestrians are hurt.

Five things to do if you're in a car accident:

1) Stay at the scene. Leaving can result in additional violations or fines.

2) Call 911 or the police as soon as possible. They'll dispatch medical personnel and a police officer immediately to the scene of the accident. Wait for the police to complete an accident report.

3) If you're on a busy highway, stay inside the car and wait for the police or an ambulance. It's dangerous if passengers stand along a busy street.

4) Don't get into an argument or a fight with the other driver. Simply exchange contact and insurance information. If possible, also get the name and phone numbers of witnesses.

5) Call your insurance provider to report the claim. Your agent will ask you to send any paperwork you receive regarding the accident and will give you instructions as to where you can get your car fixed.

What should I do if a police officer stops me?

If you notice that a police car is following you, with its emergency lights flashing, pull over to the side of the road safely and quickly and wait inside your car for the officer to approach and talk to you.

If you're stopped at night, turn on your interior light and keep your hands where the officer can see them, preferably on the steering wheel.

Don't reach under your seat or into your glove box. This may cause the officer to think you're reaching for a weapon or hiding something.

Give your license and registration to the officer if asked to do so. If the officer asks you to step out of your car, do so without sudden or threatening movements.

Don't become argumentative, disorderly or abusive − and never attempt to bribe the officer.

If you believe that you've been unfairly treated, you can present your story in traffic court where you may be represented by a lawyer, if necessary, and where you'll be heard by a judge or magistrate.

What should I know about speeding and other traffic laws?

Some roadways are designated as low-speed zones. These might include roads in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such as school zones and streets that have many intersections. Driving over the speed limit can put you and others at risk of harm.

Six things that will keep you safe and help you avoid a ticket:

1) Basic car safety encourages you to obey the posted speed limit at all times. Speeding tickets are costly, and penalties for speeding can include fines, court appearances and loss or suspension of your driving privileges. Also, depending on your insurance policy, speeding tickets can impact your rates.

2) Never pass a stopped bus displaying a stop sign to its left; that's a signal that children are crossing the street.

3) If you hear a siren coming behind you, that's an indication that a police or fire truck is speeding by you, toward an emergency. If it's safe, pull to the side, stop and wait until the vehicle goes by.

4) Horn honking is reserved for emergencies. It's considered rude to use your horn for any other situation

5) Completely stop at stop signs and look for other drivers and pedestrians before you cross.

6) Use care when parking your vehicle. Always look for tow away zone or handicapped signs these areas are reserved for vehicles with special permits. Also, certain streets may have parking restrictions, and failing to follow instructions at a parking meter may result in a fine.

Some of the variables that may affect safe driving, like the weather, can't be controlled. However, by staying alert, taking precautions, and following our safe driving tips you can avoid potential car accidents and tickets.

Understand the term DUI

It's a simple fact: drinking and driving kills people. Driving after drinking alcohol is known as Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

All 50 states have now set .08% Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) as the legal limit for Driving Under the Influence. For commercial drivers, a BAC of .04% can result in a DUI conviction nationwide. For those under 21, there is a zero tolerance limit any amount of alcohol is grounds for a DUI arrest.

A DUI arrest can lead to expensive consequences, including spending time in jail, having your driver's license suspended or taken away, and fines. If you hit or kill someone while you are driving impaired, the consequences are even worse.

It's also illegal to have an open container of alcohol in your car. If you're transporting alcoholic beverages, they should be sealed and in the trunk.

In some cities, law enforcement officials set up sobriety checkpoints along the road to deter and identify impaired drivers. Checkpoints are typically set up during holiday weekends or on dates when there might be an increase in drinking and driving. If you're stopped at a checkpoint, you'll be asked several questions and might be asked to perform a sobriety test (like saying the ABC's backwards, performing some physical movements or breathing into an alcohol sensor). If these tests show that you have high alcohol levels, the police may arrest you.

Driving tips for winter conditions. What's different?

First of all, buckle up. Basic car safety encourages the use of seat belts and car seats at all times. They're one of your best defenses in a crash. And it's the law.

Winter can bring snow, freezing rain and slush, which all make driving hazardous. Use extra caution in areas that ice up quickly, especially intersections, shaded areas, bridges and overpasses.

Since the winter season can bring all sorts of weather surprises, regularly check weather reports on TV or radio so you can prepare for bad weather. On severe weather days, schools and workplaces might close or delay opening. Consider staying at home if you don't need to be on the road.

Make sure you keep an emergency kit in the trunk of your car, including blankets, a first aid kit, and jumper cables. Include some food and water in your emergency kit, make sure your cell phone is fully charged and that your car always has a full tank of gas.

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Home Protection

Disasters can occur inside and outside of the home, but there are things you can do now to help protect yourself, your family and your possessions from catastrophes. 

Preventing Fires

House fires in the U.S. kill more than 5,000 people every year. Most of these deaths are not from burns but from inhaling smoke and other toxic gases.

Most household fires start in the kitchen through human error – not mechanical failure of stoves or ovens. Be smart in the kitchen and work to prevent house fires.

Smoke detectors, when properly installed and maintained, are one of the best and least expensive ways to ensure your safety. In fact, you’re twice as likely to survive a fire if smoke detectors are working properly in your home.

In addition to placing a smoke detector on each level of the home, you should also place a carbon monoxide detector on each level. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless poisonous gas that can kill you without warning. Changing the batteries every six months is a good idea.

Protecting your home against theft

While burglaries sometimes occur, there are precautions you can take to protect yourself and your family:
For more crime prevention tips, visit the National Crime Prevention Council's website.

Avoiding scams and con artists

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so beware! You have to be extra careful to avoid being scammed by a con artist. For instance, steer clear of:

“Get rich quick” schemes or other scams that ask for good faith money up-front.

Unexplained bargain deals on normally costly repairs or home improvement jobs.

Investments that promise unusually large returns.

Someone claiming you owe money for an item ordered for a deceased relative.

Work-at-home scams, door-to-door sales, health insurance that duplicates existing coverage, miracle cures, glasses and hearing aids from unknown sources at bargain prices, and other similar deals.

Trips and other prizes you “won,” but require you to pay some up-front money or disclose important information.

Do you know what to do if your identity is stolen?

Severe Weather Alerts

Be informed whenever severe weather threatens your neighborhood. Receive free weather alert texts on your mobile device courtesy of Nationwide Insurance and The Weather Channel.

Depending on where you live, you may face some challenging weather situations. Hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, floods and freezing weather constantly cause their share of trouble. Find out which is the common natural disaster in your area, and prepare in case something happens.

For example, every year as severe weather season approaches, Nationwide Insurance® urges policyholders to review their insurance policies as part of storm season preparation.

Eight steps to help you prepare for severe weather:

1.Before severe weather occurs, examine your property to ensure that it’s safe and free of hazards.

2. Find out if your home meets current building code requirements for high-wind regions. If you’re uncertain, call a qualified professional architect, engineer, building contractor or your local building department.

3. Make a list of valuables and contents in your home, including the value of each item and the purchase date. Take pictures or video. Send a copy of your list to a family member outside your region for safekeeping.

4. Make sure you store important documents, such as insurance policy or mortgage papers, in a safe deposit or fire-safe box.

5. Read and understand your homeowner and car insurance policies, especially their disclosures. Make sure you have adequate coverage and deductibles.

6. If you have expensive or specialty items (such as jewelry, furs, silverware, cameras and collectibles) speak with your agent about specific coverage for those items.

7. Familiarize yourself with the local severe weather warnings, such as street sirens or radio and television alerts.

8. Have an emergency kit handy. Include a generator, charged cell phone, battery-operated radio, food and water, first-aid kit, blanket and flashlights.

Six things to do when severe weather is heading your way:

1. In your home, protect the four critical areas where wind and rain can enter: roof, windows, doors and garage doors.

2. Turn off power and water.

3. Move anything in your yard that can become flying debris. Take items inside your house or garage.

4. Protect mementos in waterproof containers and take them with you if you evacuate.

5. Replace gravel/rock landscaping material with shredded bark, and trim trees in precarious positions..

6. Listen to the radio and TV, and follow directions and evacuation orders from local authorities

For more tips on how to protect your home from catastrophes, visit Nationwide's Catastrophe Center.

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Home Care Tips

All Tip Sheets are downloadable PDFs and require Adobe® Reader®.

Animal Safety Tips

Appliance Safety

Child Safety

Electrical Safety

Fire Extinguisher

Grill Safety

Home Fire Safety

Paint Safety 

Pool Safety

Senior Adult Safety

Space Heater

Theft Safety

Trampoline Safety

Water Heater

Wood Stove