For Your Information: FAQ
How to waterproof your home
Water can cause so much damage to a home and often remains unseen until it’s too late. Here are some simple things you can do to take charge before the flood hits!
Be proactive with your basement
Many of our clients now have fully-finished basements housing eleborate electronic equipment and toys. Take a trip around your basement to look for items that could easily be damaged by water. If possible, relocate them to safer area or move them off the floor. Protect boxes by storing them on elevated shelves or in plastic containers.
Water protection devices under $50
Consider a water alarm device. This alarm will sound as soon as any moisture is detected. Look into a sump pump alarm. This alarm will alert you if your sump pump is not functioning properly.
Waterproof your home:
Changes in our weather patterns are causing an increase in basement floods for our clients and as a result more claims have been reported for poor lot drainage, malfunctioning of eaves troughs or downspouts, water coming in from basement windows and sump pump failure just to name a few.
Here are some ways to waterproof your home and hopefully avoid a claim
- Clear eaves troughs/downspouts of leaves and debris
- Clear debris from exterior drains near basement doors
- Remove snow from window wells
- Install a sump pump, floor drain or back water-valve
- Move your downspouts. Downspouts should extend two metres away from your foundation. If you don’t have the space, consider a splash pad. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at your local hardware store.
- Check for and fix leaks in the foundation, floors, windows and doors. It’s important for you to know that home insurance is not a maintenance policy and cannot protect you against cracks in the foundation. The key is fixing them before damage occurs.
What do I need to know about Young Drivers
Why Worry
Collisions involving young drivers have been a worldwide road safety and public health concern for decades. The crash, death and injury rates during the teenage years are four times higher than for older drivers. Teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are more likely to die or be injured as a result of motor vehicle crashes than for any other cause.
Many teenages also die as passengers in motor vehicles. Statistics from 2000 indicate that, of deaths of 16 to 19 year olds in vehicle collisions, 60% were drivers, 40% were passengers.
Insurance
You insurer requires that they be notified of all the licensed drivers in the household.
Most automobile isnurance companies do not apply any additional charges for occasional operatores with a G1 license. Depending upon the number of vehicles in the household and the number of drivers; the newly G2 licensed driver can be rates as either an occasional operator or the principal operator of an insured vehicle. If they are rated as an occasional operator the rate will be calculated on the highest rated vehicle in the household. Automobile Insurance companies provide premium discounts for MTO approved beginner driver education/training programs.
To qualify the insurers require that the original signed certificate, confirming successful completion be provided.
To accumulate additional 'years driving experience' credit you must hold a full G license and be at-fault accident free.
NOTE: One minor conviction can increase your premium by approximately 10%, an at-fault accident can often double it!
How do Parents Help?
Parental restrictions on teen driving are common and effective.
There is no hurry - early licensure is a risk factor by itself in teen crash rates and anything that delays it can be viewed as protective.
Late night driving increases crash risk among young drivers for a variety of reasons: the driving task is more difficult; many newly licensed drivers will have had less driving practic at night; fatigue - though a problem for teens at all times, may be more of a factor at night; and recreational driving is more likely to take place at night and is more likely to involve alcohol use.
Alcohol impairs driving behaviors for people of all ages. Teenagers drink and drive less often than adults but their crash risks are higher when they do drink. This is probably due to young people's relative inexperience with drink, with driving and with combining these two activites.
A night curfew prohibits young people from driving during late night hours when crash risk is highest. Having passengers in the vehicle creates a social system that can affect driving behavior. The crash risk for teenage drivers increases exponentially with one, two or three or more passengers (particularly male passengers). With three or more passengers the crash risk is about 4 times greater than when driving alone.
Consider imposing limits when it comes to teen passengers!
As an insurance broker, we work for you. We welcome your questions.
