Category: Safety Tips

Keeping Your Identity Safe From The Internet and Telephone Scams

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What would you say the fastest growing crime in the United States is today? If identity theft came to mind, then you’re exactly right. Statistics by the Federal Trade Commission show that over 20% of all identity theft cases involve the internet and telecommunications. While you might think identify theft scams are easy to spot and avoid, the criminals behind such scams devote themselves to putting together emails, phone calls, and websites that appear enticingly legitimate.

Most email and telephone identity theft scams ask you to provide your Social Security number, credit card account information, or banking account information. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, unless you initiate the call and know you’re speaking with a legitimate representative from the company you’re doing business with, you should never give out any personal or financial information.

Of course, there are innumerable scams circulating the country. The following are a few of the most commonly seen:

Moving Money Scams / Nigerian Money Offers. The “can you help me move my money from my country” scams were around before the internet was even a thought. Despite people being aware of the con, these scams still make $100 million each year. The scammers will send out mass emails. They claim to be in a foreign country, often Nigeria. They ask the recipient to assist them in moving their money out of their country and promise to pay the recipient from helping them. The explanation for the request is often a heartbreaking tale or humanitarian cause like a sick relative needing a surgery.

Phisher / Account Verification Scams. These scams involve the scammer purchasing domain names that closely resemble that of legitimate and reputable businesses. One of the most recent scams involved the E-Bay domain name. The scammers purchased domain names like change-ebay.com and ebay-verification.net and sent out mass emails asking consumers to provide their personal and credit card information. The emails often asked the recipient to verify a purchase or made threats to cancel the account if the recipient didn’t provide the information. Other companies being used in alike scams include: AOL, PayPal, MSN, Discover Card, Best Buy, and Bank of America. Even if you’ve recently purchased an item or made a transaction with a company, you should never comply with emails asking for personal or financial information. Most companies don’t conduct business in such a manner. To make sure, use the official phone number for the involved company to find out if the request is legitimate.

Get Your Free Credit Report Scams. Most correspondence related to getting a free credit report will turn out to be a scam in one way or another. Free is usually the relative word since most receive a bill charging for the service after it’s used. Other free credit report scams are simply after your Social Security number.

You’ve Won a Free Gift Scam. The phone call or email saying that you’ve won a free gift is luring. The scammer will claim the gift is free, but that they need your credit card information to cover the shipping and handling. With your credit card number in hand, they can use it for a lot more than shipping and handling. Just remember that few things are free and those that are don’t require a credit card.

You’ve Won the Canadian or Netherlands Lottery Scams. According to the FBI, this scam has collected approximately $80 to $100 million so far. Keep in mind that you first must buy a ticket or enter a lottery to win it. If you haven’t purchased a ticket, you haven’t won.

Questionnaires. This is a request for your personal and financial information under the guise of a friendly questionnaire. The scammer often claims to be a childhood or old social network friend. The questionnaire may blatantly ask you for your info or be subtly collecting information related to your account passwords by asking you your birthday, favorite things, name of your kids, and such. Delete the questionnaire. Giving false information only alerts the scammer they’ve reached someone willing to respond and possibly provide inadvertent information in the future.

IRS Audit Scams. Scammers have sent out emails claiming the recipient must undergo an e-audit within 48 hours or face penalties and interest. The e-audit questionnaire asks for personal and financial information. Be aware that the IRS doesn’t correspond with taxpayers about audits via email and certainly doesn’t have anything called an e-audit.

Resume Scams. Identity theft even occurs from sending out a resume. Scammers can place a print or online help wanted ad just like a real employer can. Never place your birthday or Social Security number on resumes. That information can be collected by legitimate employers during the interview stage.

The best way to stay safe is NOT responding to anything you feel has the potential to be a scam. Most email carriers will have a ‘Mark as Spam’ button (or something similar to that) that you may click while reading the email.

We hope this article helps keep you and your loved ones safe. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please just give us a call, we are happy to help.

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Dog Bite Prevention Tips

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If you own a dog, you should be aware that it is not completely unlikely that your dog might bite. According to 2009 figures from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), approximately 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. Of these bites, about one in five result in wounds that require medical attention. Furthermore, the property/casualty industry pays out hundreds of millions of dollars to satisfy dog bite claims each year. But you can take steps to make it less likely that your dog will bite.

Prior to bringing a dog into your household:

  • Speak with a professional such as a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, or a responsible breeder to find out which breeds of dogs are the best fit for your household.
  • Dogs with aggressive natures are not appropriate for households with children.
  • Pay attention to cues that a child is apprehensive about a dog. If a child seems fearful of dogs, wait before bringing a dog into your household.
  • Before buying or adopting a dog, spend time with it. Exercise caution when bringing a dog into a household with an infant or toddler.

If you decide to adopt or purchase a dog:

  • Spay or neuter your pet since this action reduces aggressive tendencies.
  • Don’t ever leave young children or babies alone with a dog.
  • Don’t play aggressively with your dog. Avoid wrestling or tug-of-war games.
  • Teach your dog submissive behaviors such as rolling over to expose the abdomen, and giving up food without growling.
  • Seek professional advice from a veterinarian or responsible breeder if the dog develops aggressive or other unwanted behaviors.

Teach children special safety precautions to take around dogs:

  • Children should not approach an unfamiliar dog
  • Don’t run from a dog or scream
  • If an unfamiliar dog approaches, remain motionless
  • If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still
  • Report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior to an adult.
  • Avoid making eye contact with a dog.
  • Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
  • If bitten, immediately report the bite to an adult.

Be a responsible pet owner and protect yourself and others from dog bites, pain and suffering, as well as insurance claims! Call the Stromsoe Insurance Total Protection Team and make sure you are properly protected today.

Here are 4 Easy Ways to Reach Us:

  1. Call 951-600-5751 or 877-994-6787
  2. Fax 951-677-6265
  3. Email – [email protected]
  4. Visit agency.thebutlerweb.com

Drinking and Driving: A Threat to Everyone

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U.S. drivers got behind the wheel after drinking too much about 112 million times in 2010. Whenever anyone drives drunk, they put everyone on the road in danger. Choose not to drink and drive and help others do the same.

Though episodes of drinking and driving have gone down by 30% during the past 5 years, it remains a serious problem. Alcohol-impaired drivers are involved in about 1 in 3 crash deaths, resulting in nearly 11,000 deaths in 2009. A recent CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report discusses drinking and driving and the proven measures that can help.

A Serious Problem, Happening 112 Million Times a Year

U.S. drivers got behind the wheel after drinking too much about 112 million times in 2010.

    Certain groups are more likely to drink and drive than others.

  • Men were responsible for 4 in 5 episodes (81%) of drinking and driving in 2010.
  • Young men ages 21-34 made up only 11% of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32% of all instances of drinking and driving.
  • 85% of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means 5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women during a short period of time.

Steps for Safety

Seat belts help keep everyone safe on the road.

Seat belts can protect every passenger on every trip. Just by buckling up, you reduce your risk of serious injuries and deaths from crashes by about 50%.

There are proven steps that people can take to help prevent drinking and driving.

States can:

  • Enforce 0.08% blood alcohol concentration and minimum legal drinking age laws.
  • Expand the use of sobriety checkpoints.
  • Require ignition interlocks for everyone convicted of drinking and driving, starting with their first offense.
  • Consider including strategies to reduce binge drinking—such as increasing alcohol taxes—to reduce drinking and driving, since the two behaviors are linked.
  • Pass primary enforcement seat belt laws that cover everyone in the car.

Employers can:

Definitions of proven measures

  • Sobriety checkpoints are locations at which police stop drivers to judge if they are driving under the influence.
  • The minimum legal drinking age prohibits selling alcohol to people under age 21 in all 50 states.
  • Ignition interlocks are devices that prevent drivers from operating their vehicles if they have been drinking.
  • State primary enforcement seat belt laws allow police to stop vehicles just because someone is not wearing a seat belt.
  • Set policies that immediately take away all work-related driving privileges for any employee cited for drinking and driving while using a company or personal vehicle for work purposes.
  • Use workplace health promotion programs to communicate the dangers of drinking and driving, including information directed to family members.

Health professionals can:

  • Help patients realize that car crashes are the leading cause of death for everyone ages 5-34 and that 1 in 3 of all crash deaths involves a drunk driver.
  • Routinely screen patients for risky drinking patterns, including binge drinking, and provide a brief intervention—a 10–15 minute counseling session—for patients who screen positive.

Everyone can:

  • Choose to not drink and drive and help others do the same.
    • Before drinking, designate a nondrinking driver when with a group.
    • If out drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi.
    • Don’t let friends drink and drive.
  • Choose not to binge drink themselves and help others not to do it.
  • Talk with a doctor or nurse about drinking and driving and request counseling if drinking is causing health, work, or social problems.
  • Buckle up every time, no matter how short the trip. Encourage passengers in the car to buckle up, including those in the back seat.

We hope this article helps keep you safe. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

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Back to School Bus Safety Tips

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Most of you probably have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews going back to school soon. We came across some bus safety tips we wanted to share with you. It might be a good idea to print these out and go over them with your loved ones.

For some 25 million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. Unfortunately, each year many children are injured and several are killed in school bus incidents.

Rules for getting on and off the school bus:

Getting on the school bus
• When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. Do not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.
• Line up a safe distance away from the street or road as the school bus approaches.
• Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.
• Use the handrail when stepping onto the bus.

Behavior on the bus
• When on the bus, find a seat and sit down. Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not allowed.
• Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.
• Keep aisles clear – books or bags are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.
• Before you reach your stop, get ready to leave by getting your books and belongings together.
• At your stop, wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat, then walk to the front door and exit, using the handrail.

Getting off the school bus
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road until you can turn around and see the driver.
• Make sure that the driver can see you.
• Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross.
• When the driver signals, walk across the road keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
• Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.
• Stay away from the rear wheels of the bus at all times.

Correct way to cross the street
• Children should always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, and then left again before crossing.
• They should continue looking in this manner until they are safely across.
• If a student’s vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, they should move out to where drivers can see them and they can see other vehicles — then stop, and look left-right-and left again.

We hope you find these safety tips useful. Please pass them along to those you care about. If you have any questions or comments, please post in the comment section below or you may contact our office at 877-994-6787.

Children, Adults and Pets Enclosed in Parked Vehicles Are at Great Risk

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Each year children die from hyperthermia as a result of being left in parked vehicles. Hyperthermia is an acute condition that occurs when the body absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. Hyperthermia can occur even on a mild day. Studies have shown that the temperature inside a parked vehicle can rapidly rise to a dangerous level for children, adults and pets. Leaving the windows slightly open does not significantly decrease the heating rate. The effects can be more severe on children because their bodies warm at a faster rate than adults.

Shown below is a time lapse photo of a thermometer reading in a car over a period of less than an hour. As the photograph shows, in just over 2 minutes the call went from a safe temperature to 94.3 degree F. These photos demonstrate just how quickly a vehicle can become a death trap for a child.

Hyperthermia deaths aren’t confined to summer months. They also happen during the spring and fall. Below are some examples.

  • Honolulu, HI, March 07, 2007: A 3-year-old girl died when the father left her in a child seat for an 1.5 hours while he visited friends in a Makiki apartment building. The outside temperature was only 81 degrees.
  • North Augusta, SC, April 2006: A mother left her 15 month old son in a car. He was in a car for 9 hours while his mom went to work. She is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.
  • Denver, CO, August 2008: Two kids that died in an overheated car may have been on their own for more than 3 hours as their mother slept after working a night shift. The kids died in a closed but unlocked car. Investigators believe the temperature in the car may have reached 123 degrees F.

Adults are in danger too. On July 12, 2001, a man died of heatstroke after falling asleep in his car with the windows rolled up in the parking lot of a supermarket in Hinds County, MS.

How Fast Can the Sun Heat A Car?

The atmosphere and the windows of a car are relatively “transparent” to the sun’s shortwave radiation (yellow in figure below) and are warmed little. This shortwave energy, however, does heat objects it strikes. For example, a dark dashboard or seat can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to more than 200 degrees F.

These objects (e.g., dashboard, steering wheel, childseat) heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation (red) which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

Objects Heated by the Sun Warm Vehicle’s Air

Heat Safety Tips –

For Children:

  • Make sure your child’s safety seat and safety belt buckles aren’t too hot before securing your child in a safety restraint system, especially when your car has been parked in the heat.
  • Never leave your child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down.
  • Teach children not to play in, on or around cars.
  • Always lock car doors and trunks–even at home–and keep keys out of children’s reach.
  • Always make sure all children have left the car when you reach your destination. Don’t leave sleeping infants in the car ever!

For Adults:

  • Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or rescheduled strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Children, senior and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
  • Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
  • Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods, like meat and other proteins that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
  • Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol or decaffeinated fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, are on fluid restrictive diets or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids. Do not drink alcoholic beverages and limited caffeinated beverages.
  • During excess heat period, spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, go to a library, store or other location with air conditioning for part of the day.
  • Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn reduced your body’s ability to dissipate heat.
  • Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.

If you are interested in more heat wave safety tips to keep your loved ones safe this summer, contact our Total Protection Team at 877-994-6787 or Email [email protected].

What Parents Can Do to Keep Kids Safe at School

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Source:  National Crime Prevention Council

For most of the year, children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their own home. At school, children need a secure, positive, and comfortable environment to help them learn.

Overall, schools are one of the safest places children can be. However, some schools have problems, such as bullying and theft, which make them less secure. These problems make students and educators feel less safe, and it makes it harder for students to learn and for teachers to do their jobs.

But there are specific ways that parents can make going to school a safer and more valuable learning experience for their children.

In the Classroom

Kids need a safe and comfortable environment to learn to the best of their capabilities. This means they have to feel safe in their school and be able to positively interact with their teachers and classmates. By doing the following, parents and other adults can help make sure children have a positive school experience.

  • Talk to your children about their day. Sometimes children won’t tell you right away if they are having problems at school. Ask your children if they see anyone bullied, if they are bullied, or if anything else makes them feel uncomfortable. Look for warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, loss of friends, or torn clothing.
  • Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Explain that fighting could lead to them getting hurt, hurting someone else, or earning a reputation as a bully. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, sticking with friends, or telling a trusted adult.
  • Keep an eye on your children’s Internet use. Many elementary schools have computers with Internet access. Ask your children’s school if students are monitored when they use the Internet or if there is a blocking device installed to prevent children from finding explicit websites. Talk to your children about what they do online – what sites they visit, who they email, and who they chat with. Let them know they can talk to you if anything they see online makes them uncomfortable, whether it’s an explicit website or a classmate bullying them or someone else through email, chat, or websites.
  • Ask about the safety and emergency plans for your children’s school. How are local police involved? How are students and parents involved? What emergencies have been considered and planned for?

Traveling To and From School

  • Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren’t many people.
  • Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.
  • Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling or friend, and to wait at bus stops with other children.
  • Teach children not to talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around or in their school they should tell an adult.
  • Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.

On the bus

  • Have your children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up.
  • Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or on the grass while waiting for the bus.
  • Teach children to make sure they can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see them before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus.
  • Be aware that often bullying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about their bus – who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult.

If you’d like to work towards making your children’s schools safer on a larger scale, consider implementing Be Safe and Sound. This campaign provides a model for how parents, students, and school staff can work together to make schools safer and more secure.

We hope this provides you with some meaningful and useful information on how to keep your kids safe at school and provide them with the greatest opportunity for success.

Limit The Effects Natural Disasters Have on Your Life

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As the fun and sun of summer arrives, so does the threat of many natural disasters. Happenings like earthquakes are always a threat, but floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and such are more apt to strike in the warmer summer months. There are three very important steps you can take to limit the effect natural disasters have on your life and property and expedite your recovery process.

1. Planning. There are some basics that any natural disaster plan should include:
• Always have several escape routes mapped out. Each family member should know where to meet, who to call for help, and where to call to signal their safety to other family members. Your family safety plan should be posted in a central location and the escape route and emergency contact numbers should be reviewed every six months.
• If possible, store irreplaceable items and documents like birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates; passports; deeds; social security cards; expensive jewelry; and heirlooms in a safety deposit box during high-risk seasons if you live in an area frequently hit by natural disasters. You may also put video or photo documentation, a listing of serial numbers, appraisals, and receipts for these items in your safety deposit box.
• Scan your photos to your computer. You can store your photos with an online storage service or make a CD to place in your safety deposit box.
• You should have an emergency overnight bag ready to go for every person and pet in your family and always keep a credit card, emergency cash supply, and personal identification with you during high-risk seasons.

As far as disaster-specific planning goes, here are some key points:

Earthquake planning. Follow the directions from tornado planning. You might also want to place an emergency kit in your vehicle and at your place of employment. Check to make sure your child’s school is also well-prepared.

Wildfire planning. Wildfires can begin unnoticed and spread rapidly with little forewarning. An effective evacuation plan is vital in many cases. If you do have forewarning, then stay tuned to the emergency broadcasts and follow the evacuation directions from local authorities. Remember to take your emergency evacuation bag with you.
If you’re under a warning, but haven’t been advised to evacuate yet, then you might have time to turn off your gas lines and propane tanks, soak your roof and shrubs with water, move flammable furniture to the center of rooms, and move large valuables to the safest location possible.

Flood planning. Many people live in possible flood areas and don’t realize it. For example, those living in areas that recently had a wildfire and those living downstream from a dam could have problems with flash flooding. Those living in or near a construction area could find their risk of flooding increased due to changes in water flow patterns. You can assess your risk of flooding by contacting your local building authority and your insurance agent. Since basements aren’t usually covered by typical flood insurance policies, those with a basement need a plan on moving their valuables to upper-levels. Do make sure that you have an escape plan, as discussed above, in place for your family.

Tornado planning. Unlike many other disastrous events, leaving your home during a tornado warning is seldom a wise move. Everyone in your family should know where they should go during a tornado warning. While a basement is ideal, not everyone has one. You can use a central room; preferably one that doesn’t have windows or overhead objects. Be sure your emergency kit and phone numbers are in your designated room.

Hurricane planning. Most people in areas prone to hurricanes are already on high alert during hurricane season, but do keep in mind that hurricanes and the stormy remnants are often unpredictable. The flood planning from above is applicable to hurricane planning. Additionally, you’ll want to have a supply of nails and plywood ready to go so that you can board-up your home before evacuation. Remember, if your local authorities issue an evacuation, then you need to heed it.

2. Prevention
Aside from living in an area not prone to natural disasters, there isn’t much you can do to avoid them. However, unlike most other natural disasters, wildfires can sometimes be prevented. You can personally prevent fires by being careful when using open flames, maintaining your chimney flue, and not throwing cigarettes outdoors. Of course, wildfires can happen regardless of your personal care with fire.
You can help to prevent flames from impacting your home by creating a defensible space. In fact, some insurers are now inspecting properties for defensible space before issuing or renewing policies. Your insurance agent, local agricultural organizations, and federal agencies like the American Red Cross and FEMA are valuable information sources on creating defensible spaces. The damage of flooding can also be limited by planning water diversions and landscaping as protective devices.

3. Insurance
Last, but certainly not least, you should make sure your existing insurance is providing adequate protection. For example, your regular Homeowners policy most likely won’t provide coverage if a boulder falls or rolls into your home since such would be considered an earth movement and need to be covered by Earthquake insurance. Another example would be your regular Homeowners policy not covering damage from a water or sewage system outside your home breaking, or damages from a flash flood, as these would fall under Flood insurance. If you obtain Flood insurance, keep in mind that the coverage won’t become effective for 30 days and your basement usually still won’t be covered.

July 1, 2011 California Tax Decrease

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That’s right, effective July 1, 2011 Californians will experience a decrease in California city and county tax, as well as California vehicle license fees. Here are all the details…

As a follow up to the CRA alert on June 13 with regard to the status of the state sales tax rate and vehicle license fee, both will be reduced Friday. The Legislature and Governor were not successful in their attempt to extend the higher tax rates for additional years.

As a result, effective July 1, the 1 percent sales and use tax rate increase that was approved with the state budget and effective April 1, 2009 will expire, lowering the statewide base tax rate from 8.25 percent to 7.25 percent. In areas where there are voter-approved district taxes, the total tax rate related to sales and purchases will be the statewide base tax rate of 7.25 percent plus the applicable district tax.

Also, the current Vehicle License Fee (VLF) will drop by .5 percent from the current 1.15 percent rate.

For more information on the California city and county sales and use tax rates visit the BOE’s website at http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/2011/77-11-H.pdf.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you may contact the Total Protection Team at 951-600-5751 or Email us at [email protected].

Beware of the SCAM of Fake Auto Accidents

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Many think of fraud as a non-violent crime. In reality, vehicle insurance scams, including staged traffic accidents, are far from non-violent. Aside from costing honest consumers hundreds to thousands of dollars in added insurance premiums, this steadily growing form of fraud has resulted in countless injuries and deaths to innocent victims of the scams. In fact, data from the NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) shows that staged traffic accidents have rapidly become a leading source of insurance fraud nationwide.

How Does It Work? These criminally staged collisions frequently involve several suspects driving a car. The victim is the driver of another vehicle that’s being targeted by the suspects staging the collision for their own financial gain.

The suspects will most often use one of two techniques:

1. Swoop and Squat. Two or more suspects drive two different vehicles. They target an unsuspecting vehicle, most often an older model that only contains one victim. This is done so that there will not be any witnesses to the collision. The one or two suspects in the squat vehicle position their car in front of the vehicle driven by the victim. They slow to create a smaller space gap between themselves and their victim. Then, the swoop vehicle suddenly changes lanes to cut in front of the squat, thereby causing the squat vehicle to throw on breaks and stop. As a result, the innocent victim rear-ends the squat. Meanwhile, the swoop vehicle is long gone and the squat vehicle is claiming that an unknown vehicle cut them off and forced them to brake.

2. The Drive Down or Wave On. In this version, the suspect(s) are stopped at the entrance to a parking lot or an intersection. They wave on or yield the right-of-way to the victim. When the victim proceeds, the suspect intentionally accelerates to collide with the victim.

What Can Drivers Do to Reduce the Risk of Being a Victim?

  • Stay aware of your surroundings, paying close attention to what the vehicles several in front, behind, and beside you are doing and maintaining sufficient room between you and all other vehicles.
  • Use caution when making a turn in front of another vehicle, even if they yield the right-of-way.
  • Since suspects tend to look for innocent drivers that accidentally cross the center line and then sideswipe them, pay close attention to staying within the lines of a lane.
  • After any accident, count the number of passengers and get their personal information. You might find that more people are listed on the insurance claim than were actually in the accident.
  • Avoid driving when you’re stressed; preoccupied with a cell phone, map, or food; or lethargic. All of these lessen the care with which you drive and your concentration abilities, thereby increasing your vulnerability.
  • Have a camera in your vehicle to take photos of the scene, license plates, and the occupants of the vehicle with which you have an accident.
  • Always call the police and get a copy of the police report. If the damage to the other car is minor, then ask the officer to specify this on the report, as this will make it more difficult for the other party to create more damage for a larger claim.
  • Alert the authorities if you feel the accident was staged.

In closing, these staged traffic accidents often have criminal elements that reach far beyond just the suspected drivers. It’s often a criminal collaboration among unscrupulous doctors and attorneys who willingly and knowingly assist in the fraudulent insurance claim process.

We hope this article helps keep you and your loved ones safe.  If you have questions, comments or concerns, please let us know.  You may reach any one of our knowledgeable Protection Coaches at 951-600-5751, Call Free 877-994-6787, or email [email protected].

Avoid Aggressive Driving and Road Rage: SAVE LIVES

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Basic decency during driving can seem hard to come by these days. “Road rage” refers to the ability of perfectly sane people to become angry maniacs when behind the wheel of a car. On average, at least fifteen hundred people including men, women and children are killed or injured each year in America due to aggressive driving. Aggressive driving such as tailgating, cutting off other vehicles, and giving the one-finger salute are unfortunately quite common in the United States.

In fact, the problem of discourtesy when driving is responsible for as much as thirty percent of all traffic collisions. Drivers routinely ignore the basic rules of driving, engaging in overtly aggressive behaviors even to the point of murder. One of the most important situations where discourtesy results in injuries or death to other drivers is in right-of-way situations. Whenever two vehicles are driving along a path that puts them at odds with one another, the problem of right-of-way becomes boiled down to who goes first.

Right-of-way is always granted by the other driver, but the problem becomes exacerbated when drivers do not follow the rules concerning right-of-way. Unfortunately, being legally right does not mean being safe. Drivers who cede their right-of-way to the other driver might actually put themselves at risk.

Consider a common situation where, in congested traffic, a driver wants to be let in to the neighboring lane and the driver gives it to them. Before doing so, the driver must check for traffic coming from the rear. If there are two or more lanes going in the same direction, the driver also has to be aware of drivers passing him on the left, since the other driver could pass into that left lane. Other drivers who are not aware of the first driver may not understand that they are yielding their right-of-way.

Drivers must also remember to consider alternate routes. Sometimes avoiding left turns altogether can be the best choice. If a driver has missed a turn and needs to get back to the intersection, performing a U-turn might actually be very dangerous.

When you head it on the road today set an example, so that other drivers can be reassured that there is at least someone who is attempting to drive responsibly.

Thanks!

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