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Tag: Auto

Inflation Hits Home (and Auto)

The talk of the town has been inflation in recent days, and no area of life and commerce seems to be exempt, including insurance rates.   According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, car insurance rates have jumped 27% since the start of the pandemic.  CNN reported that car insurance premiums increased 19% just this year, the biggest increase in 49 years.   The numbers...

Second-Rate Driving

  Sometimes coming in first place, or in Tennessee’s case, runner-up, is not always a good thing.  According to an ongoing annual study by Smart Wallet, in 2022, Tennessee ranked second in the nation for most irresponsible drivers.  Smart Wallet determines irresponsible driving habits using four different criteria:  1. number of times residents Google speeding and traffic tickets, 2. percentage of uninsured drivers, 3. number...

"Move Over" Laws

In early May, a first responder in Dickson County en route to a citizen in distress soon found herself in need of rescue.  According to a report from Nashville-based ABC affiliate WKRN, Dickson County Emergency Management Agency firefighter Toni Stinson was responding to a call when she was hit by a semi-tractor trailer and rolled.  Miraculously, Stinson walked away and lived to tell the tale,...

Monitored Driving

In 1998, Progressive Insurance became the first automotive carrier to use what’s called telematics to track its policyholders’ driving habits, and other major insurers followed suit. According to The Idaho National Laboratory, telematics are defined as a “combination of computer science, telecommunications,and vehicles, with the goal of controlling a vehicle or collecting vehicle data.”  Many car insurers offer policyholders the opportunity to have a telematics...

Wildfire Prevention

Most of Tennessee turned a watchful eye to Sevier County and Great Smoky Mountains National Park as news of wildfire devastating the area sparked a massive relief and containment operation  According to a news report from CBS-affiliate WYMT, the Hatcher Mountain and Millstone Gap wildfires combined damaged approximately 220 structures and consumed roughly 3,500 acres. The Insurance Information Institute reported that in 2021, Tennessee experienced...