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Stay Protected on the Road this Summer Vacation

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When we load up the car for summer vacation, it is imperative that we take certain safety precautions. Keeping your family protected is the number one priority. Summer vacation on the road can be particularly dangerous if you are not careful to prepare beforehand. Fortunately, if we take some basic steps to prepare for the worst, then road trips can be a heck of a bunch of fun. Here are some very important steps to take before you get out for that summer vacation.

Get your car squared away

If you were to book a ticket on an airplane, train or other public transportation, you would be quite angry if you found out that they did not make certain that the transportation was not travel-ready. Why then, do so many people climb into their cars for vacation without doing the same? Even if you consider your car to be in top notch condition, driving for long distances does something different to a vehicle. You need to have it checked by a respected technician to make certain it is travel-ready. Check the tires, battery, hoses, belts, exhaust, wipers and all of the fluids. This alone could save you a ton of roadside problems.

Buy (or prepare) an emergency kit

This is something that can’t be overstated. When you make your emergency kit, consider the weather that you will be driving through. If you are driving through the Ozarks, you might have a different kit than if you were headed to Daytona. Staples to always have include a flashlight, water, flares, backup food, cell phone and duct tape or electrical tape.  There are a million things you can add, but just think over rationally what you might need in the area you could break down in.

Consider a GPS

GPS systems are fantastic and are no longer terribly expensive. If you can possibly afford one, it could literally save your life one day. At a minimum it will save you time and frustration.

Make advance reservations

Don’t wing it when it comes to staying somewhere at night. The bottom line is that you could end up with nowhere to go in the wrong part of town.

Join a roadside assistance program

These are fantastic to have and they can quite literally be the difference between life and death. It only takes one time of needing these folks before you realize that they are worth every single penny. Loosen the purse strings and buy that security. Just know what you are buying and what you are not.

Give the kids something to do

I have no idea what the percentages are of wrecks that are caused by distracting kids, but my guess is that it would be way up there. Bring the entertainment along for the ride and you will be very glad that you did. You might not keep them quiet but you will certainly get more peace than you would without anything for them to do.

Make sure someone knows where you are and where you are going

This is absolutely vital when you are traveling. You need to have someone in place to know your destination. If something were to happen, then you have a plan in place to get to safety. It is very important to leave an itinerary for someone.

How Students Coming Home from College Can Drive Safe

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Every single spring and summer, college students from all across the country take the pilgrimage home to see good old mom and dad. Unfortunately, a great number of these students will end up in a wreck of some kind or broken down on the side of the road. This is a scary situation for both parent and child, and being prepared is a great idea. Not only should you prepare for the possibility, but you should also make certain that your child knows how to avoid these situations in the first place.  Here are some ideas to help your student when they come home from college:

Make sure they go through some basic driving classes

Most kids (and adults for that matter) do not go through any driver’s training other than when they get their license. Classes are available to help make you a better driver and having your kids go through them will help in the long run.

Make certain they know how to do basic maintenance

College kids generally don’t know how to change a battery, tap a starter or fix a flat tire. They simply have not had life experience to put them in position to need that information. If you teach them the basics, it could literally save them one day on the side of the road.

Make sure they have a well cared for vehicle

If your child is going to be trusted to drive to and from college, then they must have a car that is safe to make that trek regularly. We love to teach our kids lessons and all, but having them drive that rat-trap that they bought themselves for a lesson is not a good idea. Breaking down a long ways from home can end very badly. Get them a decent car or pick them up yourself.

Make certain they have roadside assistance that is up to date

Having a good roadside assistance program is a very good way to make sure your kid has a safety net. These programs can literally be a lifeline for someone that breaks down in the middle of nowhere. It also can give your college student confidence to make the trip.

Make sure they carry a cell phone

Having a cell phone is absolutely vital in the world today, but it is especially important for a college student traveling home for break. They should always have a lifeline back home.

These are just some basic ideas about keeping your student safe. Certainly there are many others. Consider them all when you have them hit the road to come home.

Tips for Single Mothers on the Road

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As a single mother, you already have many challenges in your life. You’re playing the role of both parents and this is not an easy task for anyone. Now if you’re planning road travels, you need to be fully prepared. If you’re going to be the only adult in the vehicle, you want to be sure you are prepared for anything and everything that might happen.

So here are some tips for single mothers on the road:

Pack accordingly – Always pack extra clothes, snacks and emergency supplies in case something happens while on the road. You want to be sure if you ended up stranded for some time, you and your child will be ok.

Make sure car seats are safe and secure – Vehicles are very dangerous, especially in the event of a crash but if your child is in a car seat that is safe and installed correctly, the danger risk goes down dramatically. Don’t take a trip anywhere with your child unless you are confident safety seats and belts are working properly.

Have an emergency roadside plan – What will you do if your car breaks down? How will you get help and also care for your children? Will you be able to comfort your children and fix your car? Who will help you? How far away from home are you? An emergency roadside plan will help ensure you’re alright until help arrives or that you can fix your problem and keep on truckin’.

Have an emergency roadside kit – This kit will help you and your children in the event of an emergency. It might contain road flares, first aid items or vehicle-specific tools. Your emergency roadside kit is super important when you’re a single mom driving alone, no matter how far or short your driving distance.

Have emergency roadside assistance – With emergency roadside assistance, you won’t have to worry about getting stranded alone with your kids or random strangers wanting to help you. You don’t know who you can trust these days and it’s much safer to know that you have a service that will come get you or help you if something goes wrong with your car.

Always carry a cell phone – The fact is, cell phones are so cheap and easy these days, it just doesn’t make sense not to have one with you. Even if you don’t have a service plan, you can carry an old cell phone with you and it will still dial 911 for you in the event of an emergency.

With these tips, you can be safe while traveling on the road alone with your children.

Preparing Your New Teenage Driver for the Road

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Do you have a new teen who is getting ready to hit the road? Driving is a rite of passage for most young people but it can be a very scary time indeed for parents. You want to help ensure your teen is safe on the road in as many ways as possible. So it all begins with proper preparation for the big event.

It’s one thing to learn how to drive on a safety course, but as we all know, things can go wrong when you’re out on the road. What if you get a flat tire? What if someone else hits you? What if there is some other problem and your teen doesn’t now how to react? These are the things you can do extra preparation for and your teen will feel comfortable no matter what happens on the road.

Here are some tips in preparing your new teenage driver for the road:

Do more than just driver’s education- Take driver’s ed to the next level. Don’t let it be enough for your teen just to pass. Also spend time driving with them, discussing certain driving scenarios and also being a good example of a safe driver yourself.

Practice makes perfect- If you want to have a safer teen driver, you’re going to need to let them practice, even if it is nerve-wracking. The more your teen gets to practice certain situations, the more comfortable he will be when they arise. So practice simple car control skills and also be sure he knows where all the basic controls are – windshield wipers, lights, emergency lights, etc.

Get roadside assistance – Roadside assistance is also very helpful in making sure your teen is safe on the road. Should they be out and about and something go wrong with the car, you want to know that your teen knows where to go for help. Your teen won’t ever be stranded with a flat tire, no gas or other troubles when you have a great roadside assistance plan.

Practice aggressive visual search – Often it’s not your teen that you need to be concerned with on the road. It’s all the other drivers and hazards that can be out there. So teach your teen something called aggressive visual search, where he looks around him, behind him and ahead of him for potential dangers. You have to watch more than just yourself when driving a vehicle.

With these tips, you can help prepare your new teenage driver for the road. Now sit back and try not to stress about it when he’s out. We all have to learn sometime, right?

Should You Use Better World Club?

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Most people who are looking for roadside assistance simply want a plan that does what it offers without having to choose between many different options.  Better World Club is one of those companies who have added roadside assistance to their other insurance plans.  Sadly, there are many different plans to choose from so you have to read through all of them to figure out which one is right for you.

The Basic

If you have to save some money, then they offer a basic plan which is bare bones and does not offer much in the way of perks.  Only one vehicle or driver is covered and towing is only offered for a maximum of just five miles.  Most people drive further than that to get to work or to do their grocery shopping.  Unless you live close to every place you drive to, this is not a great distance at all.  You could end up paying a great deal just to get your vehicle towed to the nearest repair shop.  This plan runs in the fifty dollar range which may seem affordable but there are other plans out there that offer so much more for just a few more dollars a year.

Premium Membership

If you, like most people, would probably need a tow of more than five miles then you can consider the premium membership.  This is not as affordable as the basic and runs at just under a hundred dollars a year.  And if you have more than one driver, you can add them for just thirty five dollars a month.  This is not a cheap plan and while it does offer free towing up to one hundred miles, it is still quite expensive when compared to other plans.  This does include other emergencies but you will need to have the money up front for gas and other services and then wait for reimbursement.

Plus Program

If you want to add other people to your roadside assistant plan through Better World Club then they offer a Plus Program.  It’s curious why they call this a “Plus Program” because the price is the same as if you were adding another person to your premium membership.  Most would think that because it is a special program that there would be a discount of some sort.  You can use this to add drivers to your Basic Program as well for a whopping twenty five dollars.  That’s half of the program cost on its own and if you have more than one family member, it can get quite costly.

If you are like most people today, you need to have a roadside assistance plan that is affordable but that also offers a wide variety of benefits.  There also needs to be some simplicity in choosing a plan that best fits your needs.  When you need assistance for more than one vehicle or person, the price should be affordable.  You should not pay more for the other drivers than you are paying for the plan itself.

The Allstate Motor Club for Seniors

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Seniors enjoy the benefits of discounts when they sign up for many different services including roadside assistance.  Their driving habits tend to be a bit tamer than someone younger who is working and going to school.  Families put a great deal more time on the road and this is why they tend to have higher premiums.  Seniors drive less so they shouldn’t have to pay the higher price.  When it comes to roadside assistance, Allstate Motor Club does offer a senior discount but it really isn’t worth it.

Are Recreational Vehicles Covered?

All of the plans are covered with the exception of the Recreational Vehicle plan which can be an issue for those seniors who like to travel.  Many Golden Agers enjoy getting out on the highway and touring the country rather than sitting around bored every day puttering in the garden or watching television.  They still feel that they have a great deal of life to live and want to make the most of it.  So those seniors cannot get a discount on their RVs and would have to pay full price.

If they are towing a vehicle to drive around while they visit the many different sites, there is a discount in this instance.  But the odds are that the RV will have problem before a vehicle that is only being driving one city streets.  While this may not seem like a huge deal, it seems a bit unfair that this discount is not available.

Why It’s Not a Good Deal

Even for the other plans, ten percent off is really not a great discount when seniors consider what these plans offer.  There are very few seniors who would find themselves in a situation where they need to be bonded out of jail.  Sure, there are the few who imbibe in alcohol and drive and for them; this benefit would be a necessity.  For those who do not drink, the odds that they ever get arrested are probably pretty slim.  And yet, this cost is figured in the price of the plan.  Other plans, such as Best Roadside Service, offer benefits that are necessary and this means the cost of the plans are much more affordable.

Discountable Age

As with most plans, a person isn’t considered a senior until they turn fifty five years old.  A savvy senior could shop around and possibly find a plan that is offered to drivers that are fifty years and older.  These are few and far between and tend to cost more, even with a discount.

Seniors who are still driving and who want to get a little break on much needed roadside assistance can find a better company than Allstate.  Best Roadside Service offers all the benefits and services that a senior would need without them ever having to pay a penny out of pocket.  As long as they stay within the terms of the contract, they can have the same service calls as any other member of a younger age.

Roadside Assistance Reduces the Cost of Towing Companies

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Breaking down when on the road is never a fun thing to have happen particularly when you don’t have the money to have the vehicle towed.  Towing companies are typically not cheap and they won’t work with you on any type of payment plan so you would need to have the money up front.  In many cases, leaving your vehicle to get gas or someone to help you move it is a bad idea.  While you are away from the vehicle, it could get towed by the police department and placed in impound.  All this adds up to a great deal of expenditures when the cost could have been reduced.

Non Tow Charges

Have you ever parked in a no parking zone just to run in for a minute and you came back out and there was a tow truck getting ready to tow you?  You got very lucky if your car wasn’t on the truck already because even in this situation, you have to pay the driver to drop the vehicle from his truck.  Most tow companies will avoid towing you if you pay for the minimum fee which is typically between fifty and a hundred dollars.  That’s right; you have to pay even if you have not even been towed yet and are only on the lift.  So the next time you consider “running in real quick”, you may want to simply find a proper parking spot or you could be out some cash.

Once Your Vehicle Has Been Towed

So you didn’t get out of the store in time to stop the tow truck from driving off with your vehicle.  You are not only paying for the tow, but you are required to pay to get the vehicle out of the tow yard.  The towing fee also has to be paid.  This can run from anywhere between one hundred and three hundred dollars.  It doesn’t even matter if you show up on the very same day as your vehicle has been towed.  Once it is in their lot, you have to pay for a full day of your vehicle being there.

Impound Fees

Let’s say that your car breaks down on the side of the road and you get a friend to help you go get a part, spare tire or gas to get it running again.  There is a strong possibility that your vehicle has already been taken by one of any towing companies in your area.  If a traffic officer or highway patrol notices that your vehicle is disabled, they may call a towing company to avoid it creating a danger.  In this case, your car is not going to the tow yard, it is headed to the police impound lot.  If you think that a tow yard charges too much, you don’t want to see the bill from the police impound!

Having roadside assistance may not help if your vehicle is impounded by towing companies because you were illegally parked.  But, if your vehicle is disabled on the side of the road, instead of calling your friend to help, you can call Best Roadside Service and get aid.  They will bring you gas, change your tire or get your vehicle towed to a repair shop.   You don’t pay any upfront costs, all of the charges, even for the gasoline, are covered through your plan.

USAA Roadside Assistance vs. Best Roadside Service

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Do you like paying twice for services?  Are you shocked when you expect a tow truck to come get you out of a bad situation just to find out that the road you are on is not incorporated so you have to pay for the tow?  If these questions sound familiar it could be because you have the wrong roadside assistance such as you would find with USAA roadside assistance.  These are common issues that are covered if you were to choose Best Roadside Service instead.

One of the biggest issues people have when they choose their roadside service is not the service, but lack of it.  Many times they fall into the trap of thinking that they don’t have to worry when they are in trouble because, hey, I paid a premium for this plan so I’m covered.  When they find out that they do not have coverage they are shocked, indignant and end up having to pay the costs for towing or other services they may require.  This is because not all roadside services are created the same and some offer more services for a better price.

In the examples above, this is what you can expect from USAA roadside assistance as they will bring you gas but you are required to pay for it.  With Best Roadside Service, the cost of the gas is figured into the premium you pay.  In some cases, you may be in between checks and you may not have the cash to buy gas.  If you could, you probably wouldn’t have run out in the first place, right?  So what is the point of paying for a service such as this one example if you still have a monetary output?  You could call a friend and have them bring you some gas and save the money on the premium.

Another example that was used was being in need of a tow and not being able to get one because of where your vehicle broke down.  This is a huge issue for most people because vehicles do not always have issues on the freeway or in the city.  Sometimes they break down off road and if this happens, you are not covered and have to pay for the towing.  This means you’re actually paying twice for the same service.  With Best Roadside Service, your vehicle is towed from any location and taken seventy-five miles free of charge.  Now, if you are further than seventy five miles from a repair shop you are required to pay the difference.  The cost is much lower than paying for the full tow though.

The sad thing about companies that are offering roadside service that are not solely in business for this purpose is that they do not really understand the needs of the driver.  With Best Roadside Service, this is why the company was created.  They are in business to provide roadside service for their customers and that is it.  They understand that a client does not always have the cash to pay for the gas and that sometimes a tow is needed even when in an isolated area.

Should You Choose Personal or Commercial Auto Insurance?

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There are two main types of insurance that you can get for your car; commercial auto insurance and personal auto insurance.  These are two very distinct types of insurance and it is important to understand the nature of both before deciding between the two.  Each type has positives and negatives and each has a different price range.  All this information is vital in order make the decision on which insurance is right for you.

Personal Auto Insurance

Personal auto insurance is just that, insurance that is purchased for the use of you and your family and not for business reasons.  Your coverage is set to reflect the normal use that your vehicle goes through when driving the children to school or purchasing groceries.  If you are in an accident, your coverage reflects this type of driving and you would typically be covered.  You choose the amount of insurance you want when you purchase your policy.  For instance, if you only have liability insurance, your vehicle would not be covered if you are found at fault in an accident.  This also means anyone injured in the accident would not be covered either and this could become costly.

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance offers a wider range of coverage than personal insurance and it is vital to have if your car is used at anytime for business purposes.  Even pizza delivery drivers need to have this type of insurance since their vehicle is used for work purposes.  If there were to be an accident in a car that was being used for work and the car only had personal insurance, the insurance company can refuse to pay the claim.  Another positive aspect of commercial auto insurance is that you can insure multiple vehicles and drivers so when the vehicle is used by another driver or in another vehicle, they are also fully covered.

Anytime a car is driven for business purposes it is vital to have commercial auto insurance in order to be fully protected.  If you own more than one vehicle you should have the same coverage on both.  This saves you in the event the business vehicle is out of commission and the other vehicle is driven for work.  While commercial insurance can cost a bit more, the difference in price is not as much as you might think and many find it quite affordable for the amount of coverage that is offered.

What a Roadside Assistance Towing Service Offers

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When you order your roadside assistance plan you may not be aware of what it entails and what is covered.  Most services include bringing gasoline (typically three gallons) when you run out, fixing your flat tire and even sending you a locksmith when you lock the keys in the car.  The most popular service and the one that is used most often are towing your car when your car is disabled.  Nobody wants to leave their car on the side of the road or freeway which is why this is such a popular service.

Why Your Car May Not Be Towed

While you may think that a roadside assistance towing service will tow your vehicle for any reason, this is not always true.  There are some times when this is not covered in your plan and the main reason would be if you were in an accident.  The only way that your vehicle will be towed is if it breaks down due to a mechanical error.  In the case of an accident, if your vehicle is unable to start or to be moved, then you have to pay for the tow.  This is standard practice for just about every roadside assistance plan because the vehicle may be totaled so it would go to the impound yard rather than the closest repair shop.

Where Can Your Vehicle be Towed To

You may want to take your vehicle home to work on it yourself or to a friend’s house if they are a mechanic but this is not covered in any assistance plan.  Depending on the terms of the contract you sign, your vehicle can only be towed to a repair shop within a certain amount of miles.  So, if you are one hundred and fifty miles from your regular repair shop and your car breaks down, you may not be able to have it repaired there.  Instead, it will be taken to a certified shop that is within your plan’s mile limitation.

While a roadside assistance towing service is a great way to stay protected if anything mechanical happens to your car, there are limitations.  You should always read the fine print as some plans only take a vehicle five miles for free.  Choose a quality plan such as Best Roadside Service who offer longer distances of up to one hundred miles.  This way, you have a better chance that your vehicle goes to the repair shop that you want rather than the closest shop to the breakdown.