Winter Driving Tips

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The winter will always bring with it precarious driving conditions. Whether it’s icy roads, heavy snowfall, low visibility, or any other combination of harsh weather, knowing how to control your car is key to staying safe as you journey through the snow. In fact, winter driving conditions account for more than 40% of all auto accidents and more than 113,000 injuries each year.

In addition to being more cautious while driving in adverse weather, motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies.  Since road conditions can also change quickly in winter, drivers need to be aware of situations and surroundings and be prepared to react more quickly than in other driving scenarios. Extreme temperatures may also impact vehicle function.
Below you will find some additional information on navigating your vehicle in winter weather.  If you do happen to experience an accident, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.

Winter Driving

  • Avoid driving while you’re fatigued. Getting the proper amount of rest before taking on winter weather tasks reduces driving risks.
  • Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
  • Make certain your tires are properly inflated.
  • Never mix radial tires with other tire types.
  • Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
  • If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy, and snowy weather.
  • Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).

Tips for long-distance winter trips:

  • Watch weather reports before a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas—delay trips when terrible weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination, and estimated time of arrival.
  • Keep blankets, gloves, hats, food, water, and any needed medication in your vehicle.
  • If you become snow-bound, stay with your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don’t try to walk in a severe storm. It’s easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
  • Don’t overexert yourself if you try to push or dig your vehicle out of the snow.
  • Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna or place a cloth at the top of a rolled-up window to signal distress. At night, keep the dome light on if possible. It only uses a small amount of electricity and will make it easier for rescuers to find you.
  • Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with snow, ice, or mud. A blocked exhaust could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment with the engine running.
  • Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers, or paper maps.
  • If possible, run the engine and heater just long enough to remove the chill and conserve gasoline.

Tips for driving in the snow:

  • Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
  • Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement.
    The normal dry pavement following three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
  • Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
  • Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
  • Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
  • Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
    Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.
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The Secret to Achieving New Year’s Resolutions

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Self-improvement, or at least the desire for it, is a shared American hobby. It’s why so many of us—some estimates say more than 40% of Americans—make New Year’s resolutions.

But for all the good intentions, only a tiny fraction of us keep our resolutions; University of Scranton research suggests that just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals.
Why do so many people fail at goal-setting, and what are the secrets behind those who succeed? Below we have provided some tips on ensuring that you keep your upcoming New Year’s resolutions.

Keep it Simple
Many people use the New Year as an opportunity to make large bucket lists or attempt extreme makeovers, whether personal or professional.

That’s a nice aspiration, but this type of approach is doomed to failure. Essentially, shooting for the moon can be so psychologically daunting, you end up failing to launch in the first place.

Make it Tangible
Setting ambitious resolutions can be fun and inspiring, but the difficulty in achieving them means that your elation can quickly give way to frustration. That’s why rational, achievable metrics should bound goals.

Be specific. Don’t say you’re “going to start going to the gym” — set a clear ambition, like attending a weekly spin class or lifting weights every Tuesday or Thursday.

Make it Obvious
Experts recommend charting your goals in some fashion, although there’s no universal strategy for success. For some, making a clear to-do list is enough of a reminder; others rely on “vision boards” or personal diaries.

An emerging tactic: share your goals with your friends and family. It’s another way to build accountability, especially in the Facebook era.

Sharing the resolutions is a good way to hold yourself to them. In our increasingly public lives, social media can be used as a motivator.

Keep Believing You Can Do It
To be clear: Simply setting a goal does raise your chances of achieving that goal significantly.

But within weeks or months, people begin abandoning their resolutions as they hit bumps in the road that throw them off their stride.

More often than not, people who fail to keep their resolutions blame their own lack of willpower. In surveys, these would-be resolvers repeatedly say that if only they had more self-determination, they would’ve overcome any hurdles and achieved their goals.

However, there is an emerging body of research that willpower is malleable. In one study led by a Stanford University psychologist, scientists gauged whether test subjects believed they could exhaust their willpower and sought to convince them otherwise. The researchers found that people “performed better or worse [on tests] depending on their belief in the durability of willpower.”

You have as much willpower as you think you have, essentially, which means that on some level, your journey toward self-improvement will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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Avoiding Slips, Trips, and Falls in the Winter

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Slips and falls are some of the most expensive claims homeowners insurance companies have to deal with.  Avoiding these types of claims can also have a dramatic effect on decreasing your premiums. During icy and snowy conditions, the incidence of injuries due to slips and falls increases. Below are several suggestions which, if followed, can reduce the number of slips and falls or reduce injury if a fall occurs. Please read them carefully.

TO AVOID SLIPS:
1) Concentrate on the path ahead — take your time and proceed slowly.
2) Where possible, avoid slippery surfaces — take a route around obvious slippery hazards, such as wet leaves, icy areas, and snowbanks.
3) Wear appropriate footwear — wear shoes or boots with rough (waffled, ridged, or heavily textured) soles to work and change into dress shoes if you must wear them. The inconvenience of changing shoes is insignificant compared to the inconvenience due to a serious fall-related injury.
4) Use handrails wherever they are provided — a secure handhold can prevent a fall if you should slip.
5) Check those entrance halls and stairs are clear of snow and slush — tracked in snow, and slush often causes slips and falls.
6) Beware of changes in walking surfaces — many falls are caused when someone doesn’t realize he/she is leaving a secure area for a slippery one.
7) Clean your shoes when you go inside — caked snow and ice on shoe soles can be treacherous.

IF YOU SLIP:
1) Try to /roll with the fall/ if you begin to fall forward.
2) Sit down if you begin to fall backward — when a falling person relaxes, an injury is less severe than when he/she tenses. Fighting a fall on ice can cause twisting or bending injuries, which may worsen the bump the fall would have produced.

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Christmas Tree Safety

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Christmas tree safety tips

 Each year, fire departments respond to an average of 210 structure fires caused by Christmas trees. Carefully decorating Christmas trees can help make your holidays safer.
Picking the tree

  • If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as a fire retardant.
  • Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

Placing the tree

  • Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1″ – 2″ from the trunk base.
  • Ensure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
  • Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
  • Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

Lighting the tree

  • Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
  • Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read manufacturer’s instructions for several LED strands to connect.
  • Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
  • Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

After Christmas

  • Please get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.
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Holiday Shopping and Identity Theft

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The holidays are just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about what gifts to buy your loved ones. The holiday shopping season is a fun-filled time, but it presents risks since there are so many transactions taking place and more opportunities for identity theft to occur.

Did you know that according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 17.6 million persons, or about 7 percent of U.S. residents age 16 or older, are victims of at least one incident of identity theft every year?

The most common type of identity theft is the unauthorized misuse or attempted misuse of an existing account—experienced by 16.4 million persons. Most identity theft victims discovered the incident when a financial institution contacted them about suspicious activity (45 percent) or when they noticed fraudulent charges on an account (18 percent).

Two-thirds of identity theft victims reported a direct financial loss. And of those that experienced losses, approximately 14 percent lost $1,000 or more. With that information in mind, we have put together a list of 10 tips to avoid identity theft during this busy shopping season.

Be Wary of Contests
Many online contests promising large prizes could be scams, such as sources of computer viruses that will try to hijack your information.

Change Your Passwords
Have you had the same password for the last five years? It’s time to change it up. Create a long and complicated password and doesn’t reference any of your personal information like your birthday. Stay away from using coherent phrases by breaking up words with exclamation points and other symbols, and of course, don’t use the typical “password” or “1111.” It’s also crucial that you use a different password for each account. If you need help with this, try using a password vault instead of trying to memorize them all yourself.

Check Websites
Make sure that the websites you’re using are secure. To lessen your chances of becoming a victim of credit card theft, only enter your credit card information on sites with URLs beginning with “HTTPS.” The “S” in the address stands for “secure” and lets you know that your connection to the site is less likely to be overseen by hackers. This is especially important whenever you enter sensitive information, such as credit card or Social Security numbers.

Check Your Credit Score
As the end of the year approaches, take a look at your credit report to check for inaccuracies as well as monitor your credit score. Every person can receive one free report from each of the three credit bureaus.

Cover Up
Shield your credit card and PIN from view when making transactions so that thieves can’t steal your numbers by looking over your shoulder.

Don’t Trust Public WiFi.
It’s tempting to do your online shopping at Starbucks, but you shouldn’t trust public WiFi networks to protect your identity.

Email with Care
Don’t submit personal information via email, even if it’s for a reputable organization.

Only Use One Credit Card
Shopping online is a very efficient way to get every item on your list checked off, but consider ways to practice internet safety. For instance, designate one credit card for online shopping purposes instead of using multiple ones across different sites.

Take it with You
Identity theft doesn’t only happen over the internet. The police also advise against leaving items in the car as you go shopping. If someone breaks into your vehicle, they could steal something that reveals your identity and puts your information at risk.

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Laundry Room Safety

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Are you aware of the risks lurking in your laundry room? According to the U.S. Fire Administration, an estimated 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported each year. And in 2013, more than 10,000 children were exposed to dangerous detergent, reports the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Clean, check and store to maintain a safe laundry room.

What to Clean

  • Spills – Wipe them up as soon as they happen. Soapy detergent can cause falls, and clear bleach could be mistaken for water.
  • Lint Traps – Empty it after every load, and clean it with a nylon brush every six months.
  • Dryer Ducts and Vents – Hire professionals to clean your ducts and vent if you notice a decrease in dryer performance. If­­ you have pets or a large family, this could be necessary as often as twice a year.

What To Check

  • Dryer Ducts – Plastic dryer ducts are a fire hazard. Replace them with straight or flexible metal ducts.
  • Dryer Manual – This should tell you the space a dryer needs for proper airflow. Keep your dryer cool by keeping the area around it clutter free.
  • Dryer Vent – Check the vent’s exterior output for blockages, such as leaves or bird nests.
  • Washing Machine Base – Make sure to place the machine in a pan connected to a drain to collect leaks before they cause major damage. This is especially important if your washer is located on an upper floor in your home.
  • Hoses – Replace washing machine supply lines every 3 to 5 years as part of a proactive maintenance plan.

What to Store

  • Detergents – Store detergents, bleach and fabric softeners out of reach of children and pets. Also talk to your kids about what’s safe to touch and what’s not.
  • Fire Extinguisher – Thousands of fires start in laundry rooms each year; therefore, it’s smart to keep an extinguisher close.
  • Important Numbers – Keep your local poison center’s number posted in the laundry room in case of an emergency.
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5 Ways to Winterize Your Home

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So another glorious summer is over, and what do we have to look forward to now? Just imagine it: 10-degree temperatures, icy slush to drive on, and cold, drafty breezes inside our homes. If that excites you, you’re living in the right area, and you’re in the right month. If the whole idea sends a chill down your spine, you’re in good company.
While most of us can’t do anything about the icy slush or the outside temps, we do have a good deal of control over how warm our homes can feel. The following list of tips provides some ideas on getting your home winter ready. Surprisingly, a few dollars spent upfront not only saves money all winter but makes us warmer as well. It’s kind of like having your warmth and your wallet, too.

Roofs
Most of us would prefer to ignore our roof and hope it keeps taking care of us. Shingles can look OK from the ground but can be cracked, curled, and wind damaged when you get a closer look. And when there is a problem, you can’t fix it in the winter. That foot of snow that will be on your roof in January? Well, that will pretty much prevent any attempts at stopping the mold momentum that will be growing with each passing January hour.

If you can safely inspect your roof yourself, please feel free. If not, hire a home inspector or roofer that you trust. This is one of those items that meet the $10/$10,000 rule: a few dollars spent now can save you a bundle later this winter.

Rain Gutters
Many of us are quite unaware that rain gutters perform a vital purpose. Their job is to capture all that water from the roof and run it well away from the structure — especially the window wells. If your gutters are full of leaves, pine needles, kite string, and tennis balls, then water that doesn’t drain stays right there and freezes leaves you with a problem: an 800 lb. ice cube tray lurking over your head. And it’s just waiting for that perfect moment to fall.

Even worse: when your gutters don’t drain, you get water that drains where it shouldn’t. Now you have water into your window wells and mold in your manor. As a bonus, wet basements are an awesome way to introduce termites into your living space. To prevent all of the above, make sure your gutters are clean, drain toward the down spout, and drain tube at the end of the spout to run water well away from the foundation.

Seals
Nobody loves that waft of cold air flowing through your home in the middle of winter. Where does it come from? The usual suspects are the doors and windows, but it can come through electrical plugs and other openings on the exterior. There are solutions for all of the above, but the easiest and cheapest fix will be the weather stripping and door sweeps at your front and back doors. If you close your door and see daylight around the edges, then you have work to do. Don’t wait until you’re doing this project with the door open in 10-degree weather.

Hose Bibs
Ah, the lowly hose bib. Home inspectors will routinely see where homeowners leave a hose bib attached to something. One thing is pretty much certain: If you leave your hose on the hose bib all winter, you’ll have frozen pipes in the winter and broken pipes in the spring. When that valve is turned next March, you’ll find you’re the proud new owner of a swimming pool in your basement. The rot, mold, and termites will be soon to follow.

To avoid this, get all attachments off your hose bibs — now. Make sure that your hose bib is securely attached to the structure so you can’t pull the hose out of the house. It only takes two screws to do this right, but the absence of those two screws can mean the $10,000 fix is heading your way.

Heating and Cooling Systems
To be able to take care of you safely, your furnace needs to see some love. Get a good filter, and then make sure it goes where it actually filters the incoming air to your furnace. Take a look at where the air comes in and make sure your filter won’t lean, fall, or lift improperly when the air flow happens. Next, take a look at your furnace. If it looks like the place where all the dust on earth comes to die, you might have a problem. Get your furnace serviced regularly.

If you have a swamp cooler, you have some tasks to do. First, start saving — central air is better in 1,000 ways. Until then, make sure that the pan is drained, the supply line is drained, the supply valve is off, and the supply line is disconnected. Next, please make sure the unit is protected against drafting cold air into your home, the power is off, and for good measure, take out the motor and bring it in. Or roll the whole thing off the roof.

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Winter Weather Checklist

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As we continue to experience freezing weather all across the country, it’s important to ensure your home is prepared for the plummeting temperatures.
A frozen pipe or collapsed roof will not only cost thousands of dollars in repairs to either you or your insurance company, but it will almost certainly displace you and your family from your home until the work is complete.
Below you will find a few tips on preventing potential damage to your property from freezing weather.
If you would like to know how your homeowners insurance policy would respond to the scenarios below, please feel free to give our office a call.
WINTER WEATHER MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

PREVENT ROOF COLLAPSE: Heavy snowfall can put a strain on a roof that could cause significant damage and even potential collapse. Unless your roof structure is damaged or decayed, most residential roofs, regardless of the house’s location, should be able to support 20 pounds of snow per square foot of roof space before they become stressed. Here’s how to determine the weight of snow/ice on your roof:
  • Fresh snow: 10-12 in. of new snow is equal to 1 inch of water, or about 5 lbs. per square foot of roof space, so you could have up to 4 ft. of new snow before the roof becomes stressed.
  • Packed snow:  3-5 in. of old snow is equal to 1 inch of water, or about 5 lbs. per square foot of roof space, so anything more than 2 ft. of old snow could be too much for your roof to handle.
  • Total accumulated weight:  2 ft. of old snow and 2 ft. of new snow could weigh as much as 60 lbs. per square foot of roof space, which is beyond the typical snow load capacity for most roofs.
  • Ice:  1 inch of ice equals 1 ft. of fresh snow.
Snow Removal: If you feel the load on your roof exceeds 20-25 pounds per square foot, you should consider removing snow from your roof.  For safe removal that won’t endanger you or damage your roof, use a snow rake with a long extension arm that will allow you to remove the snow while standing on the ground or hire a snow removal contractor.
PREVENT ICE DAMS: During freezing weather, heat from your home can escape through your roof and melt snow on your roof. The snowmelt can then trickle down to the roof’s edge and refreeze, creating an ice dam that leaves additional snowmelt with no place to go but possibly under your roof.

A two-step approach is the most effective way to reduce the size of ice dams. First, keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat from within the house that rises into the attic. Second, keep the attic well ventilated so that the cold air outside can circulate through it and reduce the roof system’s temperature. The colder the attic, the less thawing and refreezing on the roof.
Step One: Insulating the attic.  The attic floor should be airtight, have sufficient insulation, and keep the transfer of heat from the downstairs to the attic at a minimum. Even a well-insulated attic floor may have several openings that can permit warm air from below to seep up into the attic. For instance, these items may cut through the attic floor:

  • Exhaust pipes and plumbing vents
  • Fireplace and heating system chimneys
  • Light fixtures

Seal all openings around these penetrations, but be careful not to block attic vents with insulation. Additionally, pull-down stairs or a set of regular stairs leading up to the attic from the lower level can be avenues for rising heat. Weatherstripping around the edges of the attic access door and insulation on the door’s attic side should minimize the passage of heat to the attic.
Step Two:  Ventilating the attic. There are several ways to ventilate your attic. To the extent that household heat penetrates the attic, it should be able to rise and escape through, for instance, a ridge vent, while soffit or eave vents pull in cold air to replace it. Proper ventilation of the attic to let cold in, together with air sealing and insulation on the attic floor to help keep household heat out of the attic, work to minimize the likelihood of ice dams.

PREVENT FROZEN PIPES:  Frozen pipes are among the biggest risks of property damage when the temperature drops. In fact, a burst pipe can result in more than $5,000 in water damage. Prevent costly water damage caused by frozen pipes by using the following guidance.
  • Insulate all attic penetrations.
  • Ensure proper seals on all doors and windows.
  • Seal all wall cracks and penetrations, including electrical conduit and other utility service lines.
  • Place a monitored automatic excess flow switch on the main incoming domestic water line to provide early detection of a broken pipe or valve when the space is unoccupied.
INSTALL WEATHER STRIPPING AND SEALS:  Prevent freezing temperatures from entering your home or business by installing weather stripping and seals. This offers two major benefits – it will keep severe winter weather out of your home or business, and sealing your property also shut greatly increases energy efficiency by limiting drafts and reducing the amount of cold air that enters. Inspect the following areas of your home or business for leaks to determine possible areas to seal.
  • Windows and doors
  • Vents and fans
  • Plumbing
  • Air conditioners
  • Electrical and gas lines
  • Mail chutes
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