Health Insurance

Safety Tips For Bicyclists

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Cycling has grown significantly in popularity over the past decade. Towns across the country are adding bike lanes to their roads to become more bike-friendly, and more and more people are ditching their cars and using a bike as their primary form of transportation. According to USA Today, larger cities like Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis have more than doubled their rate of bike commuters since 2014 – and as a cyclist, I can’t help but get excited.

Now, with bike riding growing in popularity across the U.S. – it may be a good idea to brush up on some traffic guidelines to avoid any accidents.

When you purchase a bike, you’re likely not required to take a safety class before you ride it. And, for drivers, the instructors touched on bike safety as part of Drivers Ed, but who remembers details from a course they took in their teens?

My point is, adults aren’t given much guidance when it comes to cyclists and cars coexisting on the roads. And as a bicyclist and a driver, I did some research because honestly, I needed a refresher myself.

Safety tips for DRIVERS:

  • Try to be 3 feet or more away from a bike.
  • Try to pass on the left when possible.
  • Blind spots are always lurking, make sure to watch for bikes.
  • Only pass a bicyclist when your passing lane is free and clear.
  • Look in your mirror for cyclists when you’re parking.
  • Always think of cyclists as equals – remember, they have rights on the road too!

Safety tips for BICYCLISTS:

  • Make sure to ride with the flow of traffic.
  • Traffic signs and signals aren’t just for cars. Stop on red to be safe.
  • Use marked bike paths or lanes if they’re available.
  • Use your arm to make turn signals and take advantage of turn lanes so cars are aware of what you’re doing.
  • Consider using a mirror to monitor the cars behind you.
  • If you’re riding at night or in a storm, make sure to use some sort of flashers.
  • Watch for parked cars.
  • And most importantly – stay alert at all times.

If you’re unsure about your city’s or state’s traffic laws, it doesn’t hurt to look them up beforehand. No matter what you drive, be sure to enjoy the roads out there safely!

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UTV Safety Before You Ride

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Off-road vehicles are a thrill, but they can be dangerous if you don’t know how to properly ride them. Did you know, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were almost 94,000 off-road vehicle injuries treated in the emergency room in 2017? That’s why it’s important to understand the dangers and take safety precautions before riding.

Off-road vehicles refer to many different machines, including ATVs, dirt bikes, 4-wheel drive trucks, SUVs, and UTVs. In this article, we’ll focus on UTV safety. They’re utility-terrain vehicles, utility task vehicles, or side-by-sides. They look like a cross between an ATV and a Jeep but trust me, they don’t drive like either one. Before you take one for a ride, remember these safety tips:

Don’t Drink and Drive A UTV

No matter what, never drink and drive. We’ve all heard this many times, but drinking severely impairs your reaction time and judgment. Drugs can also have this effect on your driving. Stay in control, and avoid putting yourself or anyone else in danger.

Understand the Vehicle

It may sound boring, but read the operator’s manual. It’s best to keep it in the vehicle at all times as a reference tool. Another way to familiarize yourself with the UTV is by reading the warning labels. They’re there to point out potential dangers and how to avoid them.

Do a Pre-Ride ATV Check

Check the tires before you head out. No one wants a flat tire! Also, check your fuel level so you know when you will have to fill up again. Do a quick walk around the vehicle and look for anything that may be wrong. This step can prevent a breakdown – you’ll be thankful you did it.

Wear Safety Gear

Always wear over-the-ankle boots, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, a certified helmet, and goggles if your helmet doesn’t have any eye protection. Wearing a protective suit is also something you should consider; it’s optional, but an important precaution, especially if you’re riding alone.

Wear Seat Belts

Even if you aren’t driving far, everyone in the UTV needs to wear a seat belt. Many states require this. A lot of UTV accidents are rollovers, and in some incidents, people have been ejected from their seats.

Practice Driving

Practice, practice, practice! The first time you drive a UTV you will probably want to go fast, but I highly recommend taking it slow. Practice going at a safe speed, taking corners, and adjusting to the way it rides on trails. If the driver is a young teen, be sure they have supervision.

Remember Passenger Safety

Never carry more passengers than the UTV is designed for and make sure they keep their limbs inside the vehicle at all times. There should be handlebars for passengers to hold on to – if a passenger is unable to reach the handles, then they should not be riding. Once all of the passengers are in, make sure the doors are secured and locked shut.

Stay on the Trail

Stay on the trail to help prevent collisions. Tires on most off-road vehicles are meant to stay, well…off the road. They aren’t made for paved roads, and therefore, they will handle differently. If you have to cross a public road at all, double-check for cars both ways and proceed with caution.

Ride Smart

It’s best not to ride alone for many reasons, such as breaking down or getting hurt. If you are riding alone, take extra caution and be prepared. When you ride you should be alert and observant. There may be other riders that aren’t experienced and forget to check their surroundings. Also, do not attempt maneuvers that could be risky – know your limits!

Take a Safety Course

The best advice to give any UTV rider is to take a safety course! Most people learn better hands-on, but there are also online courses available. Anyone younger than the age of 16 must complete a safety course before driving in most states.

Lastly, if you own a UTV, here’s one more important tip to keep in mind. Before you let someone else drive your UTV, help them understand these safety tips and why they’re important. Make sure they know the differences between driving an on-road vehicle and an off-road vehicle. Ride safe!

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It’s Hot Out There. Are You Staying Cool?

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It’s Hot Out There. Are You Staying Cool?

All you have to do is turn on the news, or leave air conditioning, to know that it’s hot outside all over our country. I learned firsthand because I spent six hours outside yesterday when the Foremost Chopper visited our office park in Michigan.

This was about halfway through the day. Can you tell that my hair doesn’t cooperate with humidity? I was exhausted at the end of the day and fell asleep well before 10 p.m. and for a person who’s usually up to 11:30, that’s strange. So while I had time to prepare for an afternoon out in the heat, I wasn’t prepared for the heat. Let’s review where I went right and where I went wrong yesterday using the following heat-related illness preventative tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC recommends… “Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.”

This was my first failure. While I brought a bottle of water, I rarely drank from it because of that second sentence. I didn’t feel thirsty. If you are outside, remember to keep hydrated, regardless of thirst level. So I’m 0-1.

The CDC recommends… “Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar—these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.”

I usually only drink water, so I had this right. My water was also outside with me, so it wasn’t cold. BUT, and it’s a big but, I’ve already mentioned that I rarely drank my water. So I’m saying that I’m 0-2.

The CDC recommends… “Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.”

Well, as you can see in the photo, that dress I’m wearing is both light-colored and loose-fitting. I can also attest that it’s pretty lightweight. I’m 1-3.

The CDC recommends… “If you must be out in the heat, limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.”

I was outdoors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., so I’m 1-4.

The CDC recommends… “Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat,…sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher…”

I wasn’t wearing a hat, but I was wearing sunglasses and I did wear a broad-spectrum SPF 70 sunscreen. If that is three items, I’m 3-7. 43% is not even close to a passing grade.

So while I was fortunate not to suffer from heat exhaustion, severe sunburn, heat cramps, or worse, hopefully, you’ll learn from my errors—especially if you’re trying to beat the heat while in your RV, on your boat, or PWC. Your safety is important to us.

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Ten Ways to Protect Yourself From the Sun

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Shield Insurance Blog | The Sun | Health Insurance |

When my teenage daughter arrived home the other day with a sunburned face, I asked her why she didn’t use her sunscreen. She answered with, “I did Mom! I put it on this morning.” But since she was out all day and never re-applied it, she still got a sunburn.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year and those rates are on the rise.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to take precautions like these to protect your skin from the sun:

  1. If you can’t avoid the sun altogether, cover it up with clothing. Hats and clothing made of dark, tightly woven materials are best.
  2. Keep in mind that UV exposure is harmful to your eyes as well as your skin, so put on a pair of sunglasses and be sure your kids do, too.
  3. Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Spread it on generously and use the waterproof kind if you’ll be swimming.
  4. Watch the expiration dates on sunscreen. Once it expires, discard and get a new bottle.
  5. Apply your sunscreen early, and unlike my daughter, apply it often, every two hours. If you’re sweating or swimming, apply it, even more, frequently.
  6. Remember to cover those sensitive spots like the tops of the ears, hairline, chest, nose, hands, and feet.
  7. Give up sunbathing, especially if you’re fair-skinned. Avoid sun tanning oils which can enhance ultraviolet rays and worsen sunburn.
  8. Protect your skin all year round, no matter what the weather. Clouds don’t keep the damaging rays from burning your skin, and neither does a winter climate.
  9. Use extra precautions if you take medications like tetracycline, diuretics, or St. John’s Wort. They can make your skin even more sensitive to sunlight.
  10. Avoid tanning beds. They produce UVA rays that penetrate deeper into the skin than the UVB rays of the sun.

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Summer Beach Safety Tips

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Summer Beach Safety Tips

The first rule for having a fun, carefree day at the beach? Always check the weather before you head out! Follow these beach safety tips to get your summer off to a good start.

Check the weather before you head out. If thunderstorms or rain is in the forecast, we suggest planning your excursion for a different day.

Watch for warning flags. And know what they mean!

Green – calm waters
Yellow – rough but not exceedingly dangerous
Red – swim with extreme caution
Blue / Purple – watch out for marine life, like sharks or jellyfish

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! But not with booze, which will increase your risk of overheating. The CDC also reports that alcohol use is a factor in up to 50 percent of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation. So keep it dry.

Save your skin. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, and even more often if you’ve been in the water during that time.

Keep a careful eye out for children. They may need your help!

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Protect That Skin You’re In—Year-Round UV Safety

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July may be UV Safety Month, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to not care about UV safety the other 11 months of the year. Sun safety needs to be considered every day—even if it is cloudy outside.

As the saying goes—your skin is your largest organ, you better take care of it. Doing so is fairly simple, and you can probably recite the following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without even clicking on the link. Indulge me while I reiterate:

  • Seek Shade. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your skin damage and skin cancer risk, especially if you are outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Cover-Up. Wear clothing to protect any exposed skin, even in the shade. This means a hat with a brim all the way around, sunglasses with UVA/UVB (broad spectrum) protection, and clothing made of a tightly woven fabric.
  • Lather Up. This is the most important, even if you’re in the shade and covered up, you should put sunscreen on before you head outside. Not just any sunscreen, but a broad spectrum protection product with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15. Make sure it’s not expired too.

Now just because you’ve done these three things, you’re not in the clear. If you had been, you wouldn’t be nursing that sunburn. You need to reapply. Sunscreen wears off, washes off, and sweats off. Put it on again if you’ve been out for more than two hours. And while being in the shade is good; know that if you’re sitting on a light-colored surface (e.g., water, sand, cement, etc.) you could be getting hit by a reflection of the sun’s rays.

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It’s hot. Don’t leave your kids in the car!

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Shield Insurance Blog | Don’t leave your kids in the car! | Start a Quote Today!

I wish I were kidding. As an on-the-go mom, I have sympathy for parents trying to multi-task, but there are certain things that we MUST pay attention to. Leaving the kids in the car while grabbing a snack in the gas station may be a time-saver, but with the extreme heat that can take place across the country, saving time is something you don’t want to test. As a mom, I’m going to give you a blunt reminder during this hot weather:

DON’T LEAVE YOUR KIDS IN THE CAR ALONE—EVER!

Yesterday the temperature gauge in my car read 93 degrees. This is the exact temperature that proves your car can become an oven in high temperatures. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, when it’s 93 degrees outside:

  • After 20 minutes temperatures inside a car = 125 degrees
  • After 40 minutes temperatures inside a car = 140 degrees

It’s also important to remember that your kids’ little bodies are affected by heat more quickly and severely than us adults, so our judgment of temperature is not accurate to that of a child. The stats above may be based on extremely hot weather, but at any temperature, it’s never a good idea to leave your kids in the car alone. Saving a few minutes is far too big a gamble for the priceless cost it could pay. Don’t let those be the few minutes you regret forever.

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Spring Home Maintenance is Here

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Shield Insurance Blog | Home Maintenance | Home Insurance

Spring Home Maintenance is Here

Spring is here! After a very long and hard Michigan winter, we are excited to see green grass, buds on the trees, and spring flowers. As you can well imagine, there have been many claims over the winter months and recent spring storms.

Did you know that there may be some causes of a loss that may not be covered by your home insurance? I started thinking, “when was the last time I read my insurance policy?” Have you read yours? Did you know that if your roof is in need of repair (wear and tear), a water or wind loss may not be covered?

As a homeowner, we have certain responsibilities to maintain the property that we insure for claims to be paid. A good rule of thumb is that home insurance is not a maintenance policy, but a catastrophe policy.

Now that warmer weather is here and the snow is melted away, I encourage you to look carefully at your roof or have someone look at it for you. Is the flashing done correctly and sealed? Are the gutters and fascia secured properly?

Situations can vary, but the bottom line is if a property is not well maintained it can make a claim process very difficult and frustrating. When in doubt regarding specific coverage we recommend contacting your claims department via phone, email, or sometimes “click-to-chat”. Insurance companies will be happy to discuss potential claims and coverage issues, regardless of the situation.

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Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment

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Shield Insurance Blog | Affordable Care Act | Health Insurance

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Open Enrollment

OK, so maybe this entry isn’t so much as a blog as it is me just unloading my brain…. and with open enrollment starting tomorrow, it’s about all I can think about (sorry Dawn… I’ll get working on that ‘honey-do list soon!!).

Affordable Care Act: Being able to choose new health insurance plans as early as tomorrow, just makes me think of how much of a disaster it was last year. We are all just hoping like heck that the site works better this year!!! PLEASE!!! We are being told that it’s much more streamlined and shorter than last year’s. We’ll soon see! We did sign someone up yesterday and were told that it would be on the new platform, but it didn’t appear to be very different at all. hmmm…

Last year, buying a plan on the Marketplace was not a very fun event. But we did our best to help folks as best as possible! We’re here to do that again this year and are acquiring quite a bit of expertise, so we feel confident that we can help!

This year, the Blue Cross and Priority rates are closer! They still appear to have a lower price overall. And if you’re eligible for a subsidy, don’t forget that you MUST sign up on the Marketplace, meaning that you can’t purchase a plan from United Health Care, for example, since they are not “playing” ON the Marketplace this year in the counties that we work within Michigan.

Our office is doing the actual process of signing everyone up on the website. She can whip through those pages pretty proficiently now! And she knows many of the stopper/pitfall answers to some of the quirkier questions asked so make sure you call us to get signed up!

FYI, ACA means the Affordable Care Act and it applies to all Americans. Some plans are grandfathered and do not need to comply. I don’t dare claim to know ALL there is about this, but it’s interesting to note that some companies are ditching all pre-ACA plans now and some are going on until at least the end of 2017. that goes for Group AND Individual. Oh, and when I say “individual”, I just mean non-group… so that means that it’s not offered through an employer. The individual does not mean ‘just one person’… it can… but it means ‘families’ too.

Have a great day! Andy

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Google Takes on Auto Insurance

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Is Google taking over auto insurance???

Big in the news is that you can now get auto insurance quotes from Google (CA only so far). They’ll shop a bunch of different companies and show you all the rates, then you can choose a policy and buy it. Pretty cool, eh? Many experts are kind of freaking out about how this will affect the independent agent and if it is the beginning of our demise! I absolutely beg to differ!!

Here’s (partly) why: When google asks a question “What liability limits do you want” and you see options of ‘state minimum’, ‘100/300’, or ‘500CSL’, do you know what to choose? And more importantly, WHY you should make a certain choice? An independent agent can help you answer that question. An independent agent can also help you make strategic decisions on deciding whether to decline a specific coverage. We are your partner in helping you get a policy that doesn’t over or under-insure you. Google also has tons of analytical data, such as speed limits, crash statistics, traffic stats, etc, which should help make it be able to estimate a price for insurance if they ever actually decided to sell auto insurance themselves.

But another great thing about independent agencies is that we can sell many other products along with auto insurance! Such as home, health, life, or business insurance. So, it makes sense for a person to keep all their insurance in one place, to take advantage of “multi-policy” discounts, and even just for simple ease of doing business. So, the customer doesn’t have to keep track of lots of phone numbers of places to call for insurance!! This is just the tip of the iceberg on this topic! But it’s definitely an interesting topic to see how certain groups are responding. Have a great day!


Thanks, Andy

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