by Flagship Staff | Jul 29, 2016 | Blog
Summer is officially here! Unfortunately, for teen drivers, this is the deadliest time of year.
More teens are now on the road going to their summer jobs, visiting friends, and travelling to summer attractions. This means more cars driven by inexperienced drivers.
Here are a few reasons why summer is more dangerous for teen drivers:
1.Inexperience. Instead of going back and forth to school, teen drivers are spending more time cruising around. Unfortunately, their lack of experience makes them unable to recognize hazardous situations and underestimate dangerous situations.
2.Increased road congestion. Road congestion increases significantly this time of year. Orange construction barrels litter our roadways. In addition, families are making their annual vacation treks. This extra congestion can lead to erratic driving, road rage, and sudden stops.
3.Distracted driving. Obviously, texting and driving is dangerous. So is loud music and conversations with friends.
4.More likely to engage in risky behaviors. Driving with a car full of friends not only causes drivers to become more easily distracted, they may also feel pressured to participate in risky behaviors.
5.More time is spent driving at night. According to the National Safety Council, vehicle death rates at night are three times higher than during the day. Later curfews make for more cruising time on potentially unfamiliar roads. Adding darkness to the mix could cause them to underestimate a curve or run a stop sign. In addition, darting animals could cause them to swerve out of control. Lastly, they could be sharing the road with drunk drivers or drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Tips for keeping your teen driver safe:
1.Seatbelts save lives. I’m amazed at the number of fatal accidents in the last few months in which occupants weren’t wearing seatbelts. Wearing a seatbelt is a basic concept. According to the CDC, people who wear seatbelts cut their chances of being seriously injured or killed in a crash in half. Every time I hear about an accident in which a fatality occurred because of an ejection, I tell my kids about it and explain how important a seatbelt is.
2.Talk to them about warning lights. Again, as cars become smarter, more systems are being monitored. Go through your owner’s manual and explain to your child what each warning light means. Pay particular attention to tire pressure. Underinflated tires are more dangerous than overinflated.
3.Educate your kids on different driving conditions. Did you know you shouldn’t use cruise control in the rain? Do you know what to do if your vehicle hydroplanes? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, how can you expect your kids to know? Cruise control shouldn’t be used in rainy conditions because it could cause your car’s tires to lose contact with the pavement. For detailed information on how to avoid and handle hydroplaning, check out my blog, “Eleven tips to avoid or handle hydroplaning.”
4.Make sure headlights work properly. Headlights should be properly adjusted for nighttime driving. In addition, the headlight lenses should be clear of debris. If your lense covers are cloudy and it’s difficult for light to pass through, clean them or order new ones.
5.Make sure your teen’s car has good tires. Tires are the most important part of your car. We rely on four tires with a contact patch the size of our hands to keep us travelling down the road safely. So keeping your tires in good shape is important!
6.Limit the number of friends in the car.
7.Establish open communication. If your teen is going to a party that may involve underage drinking, have an honest conversation and share your expectations. While you don’t want to condone underage drinking, you shouldn’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Let them know it’s okay to call you for a ride home. Mixing alcohol and driving can be a deadly combination, especially with inexperienced drivers.
8.Don’t let your teens drive if they’re not in good physical or mental condition. If your teen works a late shift and is too tired to drive, make alternative plans. If your teen is upset over a break up or a fight with a friend, consider doing the driving.
9.Drive the speed limit. Encourage your teen drivers to drive the speed limit. While speeding could get them to their destinations a few minutes faster, is it really worth the increased risk and the potential speeding ticket? Probably not. How many times has a car passed you and a few minutes later you see it just in front of you at an exit ramp or stop light?
by Flagship Staff | Jan 12, 2016 | Blog
Identify the type of braking system on your car. ABS brakes require that you press firmly on the brake pedal and not let off in slippery conditions (rain or snow). They prevent your wheels from locking in emergency situations. Standard brakes, on the other hand, require you to pump the pedal to prevent tire lockup. Regardless of the braking system on your car, you never want to lock the wheels when braking because this will cause you to lose the ability to steer the car.
Keep a safe following distance. Experts recommend keeping a safe following distance of 8 to 10 seconds. A car traveling at 60mph covers 88 feet per second, so it can take a car traveling on wet or snow-covered roads 6 to 10 seconds and more than 500 feet to stop.
Avoid using cruise control on snow, ice, or water. While cruise control improves gas mileage and prevents leg fatigue, it’s dangerous to use in slippery conditions. The purpose of cruise control is to keep your tires moving at a consistent speed which you can’t do when driving in tricky conditions. It can cause you to lose control.
Avoid sudden maneuvers and do one act at a time. When you’re driving on snow and ice, “ask” your vehicle to do one thing at a time: brake in a straight line, turn with as little pedal input as possible, and accelerate in a straight line. Drive as though you have a cup of water on the dashboard and you’re trying not to spill it. A sudden maneuver can throw you into an uncontrollable skid because your tires lose traction.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly. This is the best method to maintain adequate traction and avoid skids.
Steer where you want the car to go. When you’re driving, it goes without saying that your eyes are your most important asset. Your eyes tell your hands and feet what to do and can help you maneuver the car to avoid a collision.
When in doubt, both feet out. When things go wrong (a skid or slide), keep your feet off the pedals. Focus on steering the car.
Avoid outdriving your headlights. You need to see at least four seconds in front of your vehicle, so look for a non-reflective landmark and start counting. If you reach the landmark before you reach four seconds, slow down. Your headlights illuminate a distance of about 400 feet; make sure you can stop in that space.
If you don’t need to go out, stay home.
by Flagship Staff | Jan 1, 2016 | Blog
Every year my New Year’s resolution is to spend more time exercising, but, like many, I go overboard and burn out very fast. Based on gym participation, January is a very busy month. However, by February, you can see the numbers beginning to decline; people have burned out with their exercise routine.
For many of us, free time always seems to be at a premium. There never seems to be enough time for a workout. If you’re like me, I spend my time doing cardio exercises (running, biking) but spend very little time weight training.
Weight training, however, should be a part of everyone’s exercise routine. The benefits of weight training include:
• Increased metabolism;
• Burning extra calories while you sleep or are watching TV;
• Better posture and therefore gaining confidence in your appearance;
• Improved muscle mass and endurance; and
• Bone density improvements.
Here are some tips for getting your workout routine started, along with some core and strength exercises you can do throughout the day.
1.Keep records. Will keeping a record of your workout routine help you feel successful? It keeps some people motivated, while others find it a waste of time. Figure out what type of person you are. If tracking your routine helps, there are various ways to do it, including Excel spreadsheets and smart phone apps.
2.Find a workout buddy. Work out with a friend, co-worker, or family member who shares your goals. This extra accountability can keep you motivated. If you can’t find a workout buddy, consider hiring a personal trainer to get you started.
3.Vary your workout. When you begin your workout program, it may be fun and exciting; however, after a while, it can become mundane. Most facilities have a lot of different equipment and offer a variety of classes. If you’re getting bored, don’t quit! Go outside your comfort zone and join a class or ask for a brief orientation on some new pieces of equipment or exercise moves.
Core and Strength exercises
Bridge. This is a great exercise for beginners, especially if you live a sedentary life. The bridge exercise will help strengthen your hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
Plank. The plank also works your core region, including your abs, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Most people are very weak in their lower backs, so this is a great exercise to help strengthen your back without stressing it.
To start, hold the plank position for 30 seconds and then rest for a minute. Your starting goal should be three sets of planks. As you get stronger, consider increasing your time.
If you can do three sets, holding each plank for a minute, you’re getting stronger. The plank is a great exercise you can do with your family. Please note that proper plank form is very important.
Push-ups. Push-ups are a great strength exercise because you can do them at any time and anywhere!
Many people, however, avoid doing push-ups because they’re too difficult, or do them incorrectly. If push-ups are a challenge for you, consider starting with knee push-ups. To complete a knee push up, your hands should be back from your shoulders with elbows pointing backwards at a 45-degree angle. Don’t extend your hands too far in front of you since this will put extra torque on your internal shoulder rotators. Everything from your knees up should move up at the same time in a line.
The proper technique for toe push-ups is the same. Your chest should come down between your hands. A lot of people place their hands too far in front of their bodies and do not have a good range of motion. That technique is incorrect.
The great thing about the strength exercises Janet shared is that you can do them at anytime and you don’t need expensive equipment.
by Flagship Staff | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog
Do you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States? It’s true. Heart disease claims the lives of women every minute of every day.
For me, this is a startling fact. So much emphasis is put on women and cancer that I think heart disease is overlooked. I’d like to share information, courtesy of the American Heart Association.
Every February, the American Heart Association launches its “Go Red for Women” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness so women everywhere can learn about this disease and ways to prevent it. In addition, with increased awareness, more research can be done to help women battle and survive this disease.
Heart Disease In Women Can Be Different Than Men’s
We’re dispelling the vast amount of misinformation about heart disease and its symptoms in women. For example, heart attack symptoms in women can be different than what men experience. Chest pain is often not a symptom for women, but jaw pain can be. Heart disease does not spare the young. It does not discriminate based on age, and in combination with lifestyle, overall health and whether or not it runs in your family, these factors can work together to raise your risk. While you can’t change things like age and family history, the good news is that even modest changes to your diet and lifestyle can improve your heart health and lower your risk by as much as 80 percent.
If you’re wondering how to get involved in the “Go Red for Women” campaign, there are many ways to do so. A very simple yet effective way to join the fight is to be a part of the American Heart Association- sponsored event, National Wear Red Day®, scheduled this year on Friday, February 5.
by Flagship Staff | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog
Part of growing up is recognizing and fulfilling personal goals and securing a stable lifestyle that meets your needs and the needs of your potential or growing family. Getting a job, buying a car, and purchasing a house are often milestones you’ll reach and there are many reasons why you should protect your home, car, and personal possessions with insurance coverage.
Insurance will provide you with the protection you need, but many people aren’t sure where to start and how to choose the right type of insurance for their individual needs. Rest assured; feeling overwhelmed is completely normal.
If you need help navigating the world of insurance, start with the basics. Here are five tips you should consider:
1.Understand why insurance is important
Think of insurance as a way to manage risk. For a monthly fee, or premium, you enlist the expertise of an insurance agent to help you identify your potential risk and provide you with the right insurance coverage for certain expenses you could incur if you suffer a loss. Here are a few examples of insurance you should consider at various milestones in your life:
Car insurance covers repairs, medical costs, and legal expenses if you’re involved in a collision.
Home insurance is required by mortgage lenders to verity your home is protected, and provides you with coverage if your home is damaged by such things as fire, wind, or hail.
Business insurance protects the valuable assets of your business.
Identity theft protection provides access to comprehensive identity protection services.
Umbrella insurance provides coverage where your basic Home and Highway® coverage ends by giving you a large additional layer of liability insurance.
2.Do your research and brush up on your insurance vocabulary
Just like any job interview, it’s important to familiarize yourself with industry terminology and have some knowledge of insurance before engaging in a discussion. Do some research on insurance agents in your area, recommended insurance companies, and key terminology that may apply to you and your current life situation.
3.Determine what kind of coverage you need
While it’s your agent’s job to recommend the best insurance for your expressed needs, it’s a good idea to bring a general outline of what you think you’ll need to your initial meeting. For example, if you’re a homeowner, you might look into homeowners insurance, flood insurance, and insurance for your personal possessions.
If you own a business, you might consider business insurance, identity theft coverage, and workers’ compensation insurance, to name a few.
Think about your insurance needs in advance so you can accurately express what types of protection you may need.
4.Find an insurance provider to meet your needs
One of the key considerations in selecting appropriate insurance coverage is choosing a company and agent to help you. It’s important, however, to first understand the difference between an independent agent and a captive agent.
Captive agents represent one insurance company and offer only that company’s policies. Independent agents, on the other hand, have no exclusive relationship with any one insurance company. Independent agents offer a wide range of products from multiple insurance companies and are able to offer guidance on a variety of products, coverage options, and prices. Independent agents don’t work for one particular insurance company; instead, they work for you.
5.Find the right policy
Meeting with a knowledgeable insurance agent is the first step in helping you find the right policy for your needs. Once you establish what your coverage needs are and identify the level of protection you need, your insurance agent should be able to provide you with a comprehensive policy recommendation.
You should meet with your agent each year to review changes in your protection needs and to alter your policy to reflect changes in your home, auto, or family life.
