Michigan's Requirements for Auto Insurance

In Michigan, all cars must have no-fault insurance. This means that every car on the road must be insured, and if an accident occurs their own insurance will cover any costs according to their plan.
The seceratary of state says the required coverages include: "bodily injury/property damage (BI/PD), personal injury protection (PIP), and property protection insurance (PPI)"

This basically means that if you have the state minimums of 20/40 (bodily injury/property damage) then you will still have to pay for any damage to your vehicle on your own. This low amount of coverage is generally recomended only for older cars.

You need to be able to prove that your automobile is covered by insurance if a police officer pulls you over. If you are not able to prove your insurance coverage to the officer, the SOS says,

"the court may order the Secretary of State to suspend your driver license. Until proof of insurance is shown, the Secretary of State will not renew, transfer, or replace your vehicle’s license plate. You may be required to prove the vehicle is insured for not less than six months and pay $50, plus any other fees required by law. The plate could also be canceled if proof of insurance is not produced."

As you can see, there are some stiff punishments from not having insurance. To avoid this, or ensure you and your car are properly covered, call your Michigan Allstate agent Craig Borowsky.

Toll free number (888) 991-2557
Visit the Secritary of State for the full Offical Michigan Insurance Requirements

Crashes are the leading cause of death among American teens

THE EPIDEMIC (excerpted from Allstate Website)

No other kind of hazard comes close to claiming as many teenage lives, including teenage homicides (13%) and suicides(11%). (2002 figures). Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, killing between
5,000 and 6,000 teenagers every year.

A TEENAGER’S ODDS
Teenage drivers account for 12.6% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes. The fatal crash rates among 16 to 19-year-olds is four times that of older drivers. Risk is the highest at age 16, when the fatal crash rate is 40% higher than for 18 year olds and 30% higher than for 19 year-olds.

THE ENEMIES: CELL PHONES
• 56% of teens said they make and answer phone calls while driving. Talking on a cell phone can double the likelihood
of an accident and can slow a young driver’s reaction time to that of a 70-year-old.
• 13% of teens said they send and respond to text messages while driving.

for additional info: http://www.allstate.com/content/refresh-attachments/TeenDriving_facts.pdf

TEEN DRIVERS

Do you have a new teen driver? Are you looking for ways to reduce your insurance costs?? I'd like to make a suggestion, talk with your agent! Be sure you are getting all the discounts your teen is entitled to from your insurance company. For example, Allstate offers a good student discount of 10% (B average proven with report card or ACT test scores). You should also enroll your child in the Adept Driving School Teen Smart video/computer based training program and receive an additional 15% off for a total of 25% discount off their rates when they complete the program and receive their certificate which continues until they are 21. (Note: if we are your agent we can provide a code for $30 off the course)

This interactive parent/child course gives parents the opportunity to dialogue with their child about driving. It also guides the conversation and give discussion points and suggestions. Additionally, it provides the opportunity for the parent to critique the child's driving in specific situations(beware it also allows the child to do the same) Several parents of our teen drivers have already taken advantage of this offer. Contact us if you want more info.