The list of winners of the Institute's TOP SAFETY PICK award is longer than ever this year, with vehicles in nearly every size category the Institute evaluates earning accolades. From minicars to sedans to pickups, consumers have a record number of choices among 2012 models.
In all, 69 cars, 38 SUVs, 5 minivans, and 3 pickups earn TOP SAFETY PICK. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in Institute evaluations. The ratings, which cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes, help shoppers pick vehicles that offer the highest levels of crash protection. Because the federal government now requires all 2012 and later passenger vehicles to have electronic stability control to help drivers avoid loss-of-control crashes, ESC no longer is a requirement to win as it was in prior years.
The winners’ circle includes 18 new recipients for 2012, while 97 models that previously qualified for the 2011 award carry over to 2012.
Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE:GNW) announced today the launch of two new index annuities designed to meet the growing needs of America’s security-conscious consumers. SecureLiving® Index 7 and SecureLiving® Index 10 Plus will be issued by Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52562-genworth-introduces-new-fixed-index-annuity-product-suite-secureliving
U.S. insurance companies continue to face an uncertain future. Evolving regulatory requirements and a still-shaky economy coupled with more demanding consumers, combine to present a new set of challenges to insurers today. While weaker companies continue to shake out, remaining contenders must realize that survival and success will depend largely on their willingness to innovate.
Frost & Sullivan recently published a whitepaper, Using Mobile Solutions to Improve Insurance Sector Performance, which examines how mobile technology can help control cost, manage risk and create new revenue.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/frostsullivan/53280/
Hybrids have a safety edge over their conventional twins when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes, new research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, shows. On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in nonhybrid models.
The new finding is more good news for green-minded drivers who don’t want to trade safety for fuel economy. Not so long ago, car buyers had to choose between the two because fuel-efficient cars tended to be smaller and lighter. Now, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to picking an environmentally friendly — and crashworthy — vehicle.
For more information, go to: www.iihs.org
State Farm today announced it will give away a new car to a family that makes teen driver safety a priority. Designed to raise awareness of the important role parents play in teaching their teens to drive, this announcement from State Farm is the latest in its ongoing campaign to reduce teen crashes on the road.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52604-state-farm-ralph-macchio-parents-perpared-ready-driving-instructors
A good fit is easier than ever to find when shopping for a booster seat, new ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show.
A record 31 seats have been designated BEST BETS, meaning they correctly position a vehicle safety belt on a typical 4 to 8 year-old in almost any car, minivan, or SUV. Prices for these top-rated seats range from less than $15 to several hundred dollars.
Today's SUVs and pickups pose far less risk to people in cars and minivans than previous generations, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. Until recently, SUVs and pickups were more likely than cars or minivans of the same weight to be involved in crashes that killed occupants of other cars or minivans. That's no longer the case for SUVs, and for pickups the higher risk is much less pronounced than it had been.
Studies show that life insurance coverage is at its lowest point in more than five decades. According to the 2011 Genworth LifeJacketSM Study, 7 Key Insights to Help Close the Coverage Gap, released today, almost half of Americans with household incomes between $50,000 and $250,000 do not have life insurance and those with insurance have only enough to cover 3.6 years of income, leaving their families significantly underinsured.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/50787-genworth-financial-study-of-consumer-life-insurance
Each week high school football teams across the country are making bold plays – their own Friday night feats. Today, State Farm® Insurance Companies kicks off Friday Night Feats, a national high school football video contest that aims to get schools and communities to a better state. Beginning August 25, the biggest moments of the season as captured by players, parents and fans can win up to $17,500 for their high school.
Eligible fans, coaches, players and community members can submit videos to the State Farm Friday Night Feats contest page, www.FridayNightFeats.com, from Aug. 25 until Nov. 28 to be considered as the best Friday night feat of the 2011 high school football season. Through Friday Night Feats, State Farm recognizes the hard work and effort of high school students to get their community and their school to a better state.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/51694-state-farm-friday-night-feats/
Today’s U.S. healthcare providers face a three-pronged deluge of demands from patients, insurance companies, and the government. To successfully address these new and evolving expectations, members of the medical sector must leverage the capabilities of new wireless technologies – or fall behind their more savvy competitors.
Frost & Sullivan recently published a whitepaper, Mobile Devices and Healthcare: What’s New, What Fits, and How Do You Decide?, which examines the strengths and drawbacks of four major mobile device types – smartphones, tablets, push-to-talk communication devices, and machine-to-machine (M2M) remote medical monitoring devices. Each device category is evaluated for application in three unique environments – the hospital, physician’s office, and the patient’s home. Criteria for selecting a mobility partner are also discussed.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/frostsullivan/51532/
It’s an all too common tragedy: beloved pets lost or abandoned in the wake of a disaster. The Insurance Information Institute recommends that everyone have a disaster plan, but if you have pets, advance planning is key.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/insuranceinformationinstitute/51010/
Vehicles are doing a better job of protecting people in crashes, but a new crop of advanced technology aims to prevent many crashes from happening altogether. A new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) finds that one kind of advanced forward collision avoidance system is working to prevent about a quarter of the common low-speed crashes that happen in everyday commuter traffic.
The study of insurance claims found that Volvo XC60 midsize SUVs outfitted with a standard collision avoidance feature called City Safety are far less likely to be involved in low-speed crashes than comparable vehicles without the system. City Safety is designed to help a driver avoid rear-ending another vehicle in slow-moving, heavy traffic. Claims under property damage liability coverage — the insurance that pays for damage to vehicles that an at-fault driver hits — were filed 27 percent less often for the XC60 than other midsize luxury SUVs.
For more information: www.iihs.org
