Did you know that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, your bus rider is statistically safer riding the bus than riding in your own vehicle?

If your child will be riding a bus to school each day, here is some information that may help them stay safer and keep your mind more at ease:

• For bus riders, the greatest risk of danger is approaching or leaving the school bus.  The 10 feet in front, behind, or on each side of the actual bus is a dangerous area and children need to be especially careful in that zone.  Be sure to walk your child to the school bus stop and wait with them until it arrives and they have safely boarded.
• Make sure your bus riders know to wait until the driver says it is safe to board or leave the bus.  A single-file approach is best to avoid disruptions and possible conflicts.
• Ask your children to use the handrails when getting on and off and they should keep loose items inside a backpack or book bag. They will want to be careful to keep drawstrings or straps from getting caught in the door or handrails.
• If they drop something, tell them to let the driver know so he/she won’t pull away while the child is picking it up.  It is important for riders to be respectful of the school bus driver and obey his/her rules and instructions.
• Once onboard, the rider should go directly to his/her seat, sit down, and remain seated facing the front of the bus while it is moving.
• Remind your children to be careful once they are off the bus, taking several large steps away from the front of the bus, only crossing in front of the bus when the driver says it is safe, stopping at the edge of the bus looking left, then right, then left again and only crossing the street when they’ve checked to make sure there’s no traffic.
• For adults, remember that when school is back in session to be especially alert.  Children may be distracted or dart into traffic to avoid being late for the bus.  School bus stops are usually areas of a great deal of activity when children are waiting to be picked up or dispersing for after school chats and activities. Drive slowly and cautiously.

For more information, please check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website: www.nhtsa.gov.

Motorcycles and boats are often significant investments, and the right insurance policy can help protect them. Here are a few tips to consider when selecting your coverage. 

• Evaluate your specific needs. Insuring a boat or a motorcycle is different than insuring your car or home. A specialized motorcycle policy, for instance, can provide coverage for custom paint jobs and aftermarket equipment that might not be covered if the bike were just added to a generic auto policy.
• Similarly, a specialized boat policy could cover things like the cost to replace lost or damaged fishing gear and costly services such as emergency on-water towing and fuel-spill cleanup or even uninsured boater coverage.  Many boat policies offer replacement coverage or agreed value coverage for the hull and motor.  You probably wouldn’t get this coverage by adding a boat to a homeowner’s policy.
• Consult with an independent agency – like Turbeville Insurance Agency. Unlike “captive” agents who represent only one company, independent insurance agents and brokers are licensed insurance professionals who represent several companies. They can offer you a variety of coverages, review and evaluate your policies, suggest new coverage options that meet your changing needs and answer your questions. 

There’s no better way to protect what you have worked so hard for than the correct type of insurance policy.  Let one of our professional associates at Turbeville Insurance Agency help customize an insurance policy to fit your needs and budget!

 As a coastal state, South Carolina is susceptible to hurricanes and the catastrophic damages they can create.  Unfortunately, hurricane damage is not limited to beach dwellers.  According to FEMA(Federal Emergency Management Agency), between 1970 and 1999, more people lost their lives from freshwater inland flooding associated with land falling tropical cyclones than from any other weather hazard related to the tropical cyclones.

What should you do to prepare for a possible hurricane in your area?

Have a plan

• Make sure you have an emergency kit.
• Utilities like electricity, water, telephone and waste disposal may be cut off  for days or weeks.  You will want to have food, water, and basic hygiene supplies on hand.  Since the electricity may be out for some time, plan for food that will require no cooking or consider including a camp stove or generator with your supplies.  Often, bath tubs are filled in preparation for an eminent storm.  You will want to be able to flush toilets, bathe, etc. if water services are not functioning.
• Check www.fema.gov for more detailed preparation suggestions  

Know your community’s evacuation routes

• When officials ask you to evacuate, you will want to be ready to take the safest and  quickest route.

Secure your property

• Reinforce garage doors.
• Cover windows with permanent storm shutters or board with plywood.  FEMA advises that tape will not prevent windows from breaking and permanent shutters offer the best protection.
• Bring in all outdoor furniture, garbage cans, or anything that is not tied down and remove yard debris like fallen tree limbs that could become flying objects during a storm.
• Have a safe place to park your cars or store your boat.
• Back-up computer records and store them at least 50 miles off-site.
• Make sure utilities are shut off.  In case you are away at the time of an evacuation, you will want to make sure that your family and employees know how to secure property and turn off any utilities before leaving.

 Did you know that hurricanes often cause extensive flooding?

 Most business or personal property policies do not cover flood damage.

• Flood insurance is often the only way to cover the peril of flood.  Property owners may not be aware that statistics indicate flooding is more likely than fire to damage property.  Further, almost 25 % of actual flood claims come from property in low to moderate risk areas.  Even if your neighborhood has never been flooded, new land development can affect natural runoff paths and increase the likelihood of flood damage.

 Flood policies may take 30 days to take effect.

• You don’t want to wait until a storm watch or warning has been issued to consider the need for flood coverage.  Most new policies are subject to a 30 day waiting period so you need to plan ahead to make sure you are adequately covered.

Government assistance usually comes in the form of a loan which is repayable with interest and they are only available in less than half of all floods.

• Not all flood claims occur during government designated disasters.   Sometimes as few as two properties may be involved in a flood and FEMA usually doesn’t get involved in the smaller occurrences.  The loans that are available via government assistance are often limited amounts so homes and businesses that experience a total loss of the property may not be able to get a loan large enough to replace their damaged property.  

For information about flood insurance, please contact Turbeville Insurance Agency (TIA) at 800-738-9918 or tia@tiasc.biz.  We have insurance professionals ready to answer your questions and provide you with the coverages you may need.