Hurricane Katrina was a powerful storm that packed some powerful lessons. While hurricanes are not preventable, the Insurance Information Institute says there are 4 important steps you can take to protect yourself and your property:
STEP #1: Review Your Insurance Coverage
STEP #2: Create a Home Inventory
STEP #2: Protect Your Property
STEP #4: Have an Evacuation Plan
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The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 crew pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. These are the latest theft loss results for passenger vehicles 1 to 3 years old published by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Boosters are better than they used to be at fitting lap and shoulder belts on 4 to 8-year-old kids to restrain them in a crash - so parents don\'t have to search as hard for a good fit for their child and vehicle. Most belt-positioning boosters, though, don\'t offer consistently good fit in all vehicles. This is the bottom line in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety\'s third round of booster evaluations.
Researchers assessed the safety belt fit of 72 boosters, assigning the best ones the top ratings of BEST BET or GOOD BET because they correctly position belts on average booster-age kids in most vehicles. The worst performers are ones the Institute doesn\'t recommend because they do a poor job of fitting belts. A good booster routes the lap belt across a child\'s upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder.
The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) today announced the launch of a new national campaign designed to educate consumers about the benefits and purpose of the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), the federal fund which insures member deposits in federally insured credit unions. The
The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today announced the grand opening of its multi-risk research center in Chester County, S.C.
The state-of-the-art, multi-hazard applied research and training facility will significantly advance building science by enabling researchers to more fully and accurately evaluate various residential and commercial construction materials and systems. The facility is entirely funded by the property insurance industry.
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The “Insights” campaign builds on the successful campaign initially launched in 2008 which brought customer centricity to life in the insurance industry. It conveys Zurich’s deep customer understanding and portrays positive situations customers are able to enjoy as they know they can count on their insurance coverage and on Zurich HelpPoint.
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Drivers of vehicles that perform well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's side-impact crash test are much less likely to die in a real-world left-side crash than drivers of vehicles that do poorly, a new analysis finds. The study includes only passenger vehicles with side airbags, demonstrating that airbags, while crucial, are far from the whole story in side crash protection.
After controlling for driver age and gender and vehicle type and weight, a driver of a vehicle rated good for driver protection in a side impact is 70 percent less likely to die in a left-side crash compared with a driver of a vehicle rated poor. A driver of a vehicle rated acceptable is 64 percent less likely to die, and a driver of a vehicle rated marginal is 49 percent less likely to die.
Red light cameras saved 159 lives in 2004-08 in 14 of the biggest US cities, a new analysis by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. Had cameras been operating during that period in all large cities, a total of 815 deaths would have been prevented.
Too many Americans who need life insurance coverage are uninsured, putting their families and futures at risk. According to the 2011 Genworth Financial LifeJacketSM Study released today, single parents across all income levels with children living at home represent the widest insurance gap, potentially leaving their children with few or no options when faced with an unexpected death.
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Six of 13 small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earn the TOP SAFETY PICK award, and none earn a poor rating in any of 4 tests. This is a turnaround from a few years ago when small cars struggled to earn top safety ratings. The new tests include hybrids and gasoline-only models that are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the U.S. market.
The ratings are based on performance in front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations. Cars that earn the top rating of good in each test and have available electronic stability control (ESC) qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. Winners are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid. The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus, and Prius have at least one version with a government fuel economy rating of at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The Dodge Caliber, Honda CR-Z and Insight hybrids, Nissan Sentra and Versa, Scion xD, and Suzuki SX4 also were rated but didn’t earn TOP SAFETY PICK.
Up to 40% of businesses affected by a natural or man-made disaster never reopen, according to the Insurance Information Institute. In a nationwide effort to raise the business community’s awareness about how to prepare their businesses and employees in the event of an emergency, the Advertising Council, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross, announced today the launch of new public service advertisements (PSAs) on behalf of Ready Business.
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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.
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