When it’s cold outside, you need to keep your home warm and toasty, but you also want to keep it safe. Heaters, fireplaces, and other methods of warmth can also create fire hazards. While fireplaces may be designed to contain fire, they still require caution and regular maintenance to effectively manage flames, embers and smoke. 

Here are some tips to make sure you are keeping your home safe this winter: 

• Test your smoke alarms on a consistent basis and keep fire extinguishers handy.  
• Sweep dust bunnies regularly.
• Place your heater a minimum of three feet from all flammable items.
• Make sure candles are kept away from flammable objects.
• Use the 1:1 rule — only plug one heating appliance into an electrical outlet at a time.
• Unplug appliances and completely put out fires in the fireplace before you leave the room or your home.
• Have fuel tanks filled and maintained throughout the season.
• Use a fireplace screen to prevent hot embers from flying out and catching your possessions on fire.
• Service wood-burning or pellet stoves according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Winter Weather Maintenance Practices for Your Home

Along with fire prevention, homeowners should perform winter maintenance to keep temperatures inside the house warm when it is cold outside.

• Do not set the heater lower than 55 degrees, as the temperature inside the walls where water piping is located is colder than in living spaces. Also, keep doors open within the house to maintain an even temperature throughout.
• Prevent drafts and heat loss by adding weather stripping around doors and caulking windows. Install storm windows, if appropriate.
• Check for water leaks and make repairs, if needed. If a water pipe is exposed in an unheated area, such as a garage or crawl space, wrap the pipe in UL-listed heat tape; use only thermostatically controlled heat tape on plastic piping.
• Learn where water pipes are located and know how to shut off the water supply in the event of an emergency to prevent damage.
• Clean out your dryer lint trap or lint screen after EVERY use. It takes only a couple of seconds and can help stop a potential fire before it ever becomes a significant risk factor. Debris that builds up in the lint trap can catch fire when exposed to the appliance’s heat settings.

Winter is prime time for house fires, with more deaths occurring in December through March than any other time of the year. Develop an exit strategy with your household and run practice drills with your family to help avoid preventable tragedy. 

Related: Creating a Fire Escape Plan

With knowledge of the most common fire risks, our tips for fire prevention and a strong emergency response plan in place, you and your loved ones will be well equipped to protect yourselves and your home.

An auto insurance policy, like most legal contracts, includes various provisions and stipulations that can become confusing. This guide will share common coverages in a policy, including basic information about personal auto insurance. Be sure to review your individual policy for specific details on your coverages, terms, limits, conditions, and exclusions. We recommend finding your local independent insurance agent, who can help you navigate purchasing a policy based on your unique needs in addition to providing you information about coverage and pricing options.

What’s Included in an Auto Insurance Policy?

Auto insurance protects you and your vehicle. It provides financial and liability security for any auto-related damages, injuries, or losses. It can protect you, your passengers, pedestrians, and your automobile. In most states, to drive on the road you are required to have auto insurance. Basic coverages with auto insurance include:

• Liability
• Medical Payments
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or No-Fault
• Physical Damage 

Liability Coverage

Personal auto liability coverage pays others for damages and injuries you become legally responsible for because of a covered auto accident. This section of the policy is comprised of both bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage. Bodily injury includes medical bills, loss of income, or pain and suffering. Property damage generally involves damage to someone else’s auto, but it would also include a building, or any other property damaged in an auto accident.

Most states require mandatory liability insurance on motor vehicles. Your liability coverage will apply up to the limit of liability that you have selected. Certain items such as legal fees and defense costs will be paid in addition to your limit of liability. Remember that you will be held responsible for your obligations arising from a covered auto accident that exceed your limit of liability coverage.

The limit for bodily injury coverage is generally a split limit while property damage liability is generally a single limit. When you see $100/$300 for bodily injury coverage, this means that you have up to $100,000 of coverage for each person injured in an auto accident and the maximum amount of coverage for bodily injury arising from any one auto accident is $300,000. When you see $100 for property damage coverage, this means that you have up to $100,000 of coverage for damage to property arising from an auto accident.

Medical Payments Coverage

Medical payments coverage pays for reasonable medical expenses you and members of your immediate family sustain while in your vehicle or in someone else’s vehicle. It also applies to you and members of your immediate family if struck by a motor vehicle as a pedestrian. Finally, any person injured while occupying your covered auto is provided medical payments coverage.

This coverage is limited to medical treatment received within the first three years after the accident. A common limit of coverage for medical payments is $5,000 per person, but various limits of coverage are available. Each individual eligible for coverage can receive up to the full limit of coverage per accident regardless of the number of people injured in the accident.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or No-Fault Coverage

This coverage pays you back for expenses resulting from injuries sustained in an accident. The expenses may include your medical costs, wage loss, replacement services, and in the event of death, funeral expenses. This coverage is only available in no-fault insurance states such as Minnesota.

Physical Damage Coverage

Physical damage coverage compensates for damage to a covered auto and to certain non-owned autos. This includes collision and other than collision coverage (also known as comprehensive coverage).

Related: Overview of Rental Car & Auto Insurance

Who Should be Listed on Your Insurance Policy?

Everyone in your household that is licensed should be a listed driver. This includes both family members and non-relatives. A newly licensed teenager should be added on your insurance policy immediately. Giving consent for your teen to obtain a license makes you legally responsible for the young driver. The insurance company also requires they be listed drivers, so contact your agent to add them to your policy. A newly licensed permitted driver who has the ability to drive without a parent or guardian (such as a school permit) is also required to be listed on your policy once the permit or license has been issued.

If a licensed driver is not listed, expect the insurance company to ask about them. Insurers obtain reports that list potentially undisclosed drivers. Anyone driving your vehicle on a regular basis that are not a household member could have a gap in coverage. This should be discussed with your agent to make sure that driver is covered properly.

What Additional Personal Auto Insurance Coverage Options are Available?

Depending on your unique auto insurance needs, your independent insurance agent could recommend your policy includes coverage for additional scenarios or circumstances.

Uninsured / Underinsured Motorists Coverage

Uninsured motorists coverage and underinsured motorists coverage are two separate coverages that provide you, members of your immediate family, and occupants of your vehicle with bodily injury coverage arising from a covered accident caused by a vehicle that maintains no insurance or has insufficient limits of liability to compensate for the injuries sustained. Both coverages compensate for bodily injury which includes medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering. These coverages do not help you to pay for the damage sustained to your motor vehicle or other property.

Most people maintain the same limit of liability for uninsured motorists and underinsured motorists coverage as they carry for their bodily injury coverage. Generally, the limit for both uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage is a split limit. When you see $100/$300 for uninsured motorists or underinsured motorists coverage, this means you have up to $100,000 of coverage for each person injured in an auto accident and the maximum amount of coverage arising from any one auto accident is $300,000.

Coverage for Damage to Your Auto

This section of the policy is often referred to as the physical damage section and includes both comprehensive and collision coverages. These two coverages provide reimbursement for the lesser of the cost to repair the vehicle or the full value of the vehicle. In addition to an insured vehicle, in some circumstances these coverages will also apply to a non-owned vehicle.

Comprehensive coverage, also referred to as other than collision coverage, includes damage to your covered vehicle caused by flood, fire, theft, hail, wind, vandalism, falling objects, contact with animals, or breakage of glass. Collision coverage includes damage to your covered vehicle caused by it striking or being struck by another vehicle or object.

These coverages are not required unless your vehicle is financed or leased. You can purchase both comprehensive and collision coverage for a vehicle or only comprehensive coverage. You will need to select a deductible for each of these coverages, which represents the amount of any loss you are willing to pay out of your own pocket before the insurance policy pays the remaining amount of a covered loss. By selecting a higher deductible, you will lower your policy premium but you will also be responsible to pay more money in the event of a loss.

Towing and Labor Coverage

This optional coverage will provide you with towing and labor costs you incur each time your insured vehicle or in some circumstances a non-owned vehicle is disabled. The disablement might occur for a variety of reasons such as mechanical or electrical breakdown, dead battery, flat tire, locking the keys in your vehicle, or running out of gas. This coverage is only available for vehicles that maintain comprehensive and collision coverage. You will be required to select a limit of coverage per disablement.

Transportation Expense Coverage

If you maintain both comprehensive and collision coverage on your vehicle, you will automatically receive up to $20 per day for the cost of renting a vehicle if your vehicle is temporarily disabled from a covered comprehensive or collision loss. This coverage is payable for no more than a thirty-day period. You may elect to increase the per day limit associated with this coverage to $30, $40, or $50.

Auto Loan/Lease Coverage

Leased or financed vehicles with both comprehensive and collision coverage may elect to add auto loan or lease coverage. In the event of a total loss, your comprehensive or collision coverage will pay you for the full value of your vehicle and this coverage will pay you for the difference between the full value of your vehicle and the amount remaining owed to the bank, financing or leasing company.

Trip Interruption Coverage

This optional coverage is available for vehicles that maintain both comprehensive and collision coverages. In the event your insured vehicle is disabled more than 100 miles from home for more than a 24-hour period, you will be reimbursed for reasonable meals, lodging, and transportation expenses incurred up to $600.

Uninsured Motorists Physical Damage Coverage

This optional coverage is available for vehicles that maintain uninsured motorists coverage, but no collision coverage. In the event your vehicle is damaged by an uninsured motor vehicle, you will be reimbursed for the lesser of the cost to repair your vehicle or the full value of your vehicle. The maximum amount payable to you through this coverage is $15,000 and an automatic $250 deductible applies. This coverage is not available on our Nebraska policies.

The Personal Auto Insurance policies we offer include coverages that some other carriers charge as separate add-ons, including identity recovery, rental car coverage and roadside assistance. To learn more about our offerings, explore our Personal Auto Insurance information. 

Freezing rain and fluctuating winter temperatures can leave roadways littered with potholes, causing vehicle damage and costly repairs for motorists! Potholes tend to form when moisture collects in small holes and cracks in the road surface. As temperatures rise and fall, the underground moisture expands and contracts. This results in broken up pavement, which is then continually impacted by the weight of passing cars.

Blown tires, dented rims, damaged wheels, dislodged wheel weights, displaced struts, dislocated shock absorbers and damaged exhaust systems are all costly common automotive issues. Other signs include misaligned steering systems and ruptured ball joints. 

How Can You Protect Your Vehicle From Winter's Potholes?

1. AAA suggests making sure tires have enough tread and are properly inflated. To check the treat depth, insert a quarter into the treat groove with Washington's head down. The tread should cover part of Washington's head! If it doesn't, it's time to start looking for new tires!
2. Keep an eye out for potholes when driving — stay focused on the road ahead and don't get distracted! If you need to swerve to avoid a pothole, make sure to check surrounding traffic to avoid causing a collision or endanger nearby pedestrians or cyclists.
3. If a pothole cannot be avoided, reduce speed and check the rearview mirror before any abrupt breaking. Hitting a pothole at higher speeds increases the likelihood of damage to tires, wheels, and suspension components.
4. A puddle of water can disguise a deep pothole. User care when driving through puddles and treat them as though they may be hiding potholes!
5. Hitting a pothole can knock a vehicle's wheels out of alignment and affect the steering. If a vehicle pulls to the left or right, have the wheel alignment checked by a qualified technician.
6. Any new or unusual noises or vibrations that appear after hitting a pothole should be inspected immediately by a certified technician. A hard pothole impact can dislodge wheel weights, damage a tire or wheel, and bend or even break break suspension components. 

Follow the steps above to help avoid and prevent potholes and keep your vehicle safe this year!