Emergency Safety Vehicle Awareness:

What is an emergency vehicle?

An emergency vehicle is defined as a police vehicle, ambulance or fire truck. These vehicles may have red, white or a combination of red and white lights which, when responding to an emergency, are constantly moving. (See Section 375 (41) of the Vehicle & Traffic Law.)

What should I do if I am approached by an emergency vehicle with its light and sirens going?

• When approached (from the front or rear) by an emergency vehicle whose light and siren are activated the driver of every other vehicle must yield the right of way.
• In yielding the right of way, you must drive immediately to the right hand edge or curb of the roadway, parallel to the roadway, and clear of any intersection.
• You must stop and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle or vehicles have passed, unless otherwise directed by a police officer. (See Section 1144 of the Vehicle & Traffic Law.)

How far must I park from a fire hydrant?

Unless otherwise indicated by pavement markings, parking meters or official signs, you may not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. You may not stop or stand within 15 feet of a fire hydrant unless a licensed driver is in the front seat so the vehicle may be immediately moved in the event of an emergency.

What do different colored flashing lights mean on personal vehicles?

These lights are only to be used in the event of an emergency operation. The people who display and use these lights must have written permission from the authorized chief officer of the organization for which they are volunteering.

	A flashing blue light indicates a volunteer fire fighter responding to an emergency call.
	A flashing green light indicates a volunteer ambulance service member responding to an emergency call.
	A flashing amber light, indicates a hazard vehicle engaged in a hazardous operation (i.e., snowplow, tow-truck, utility company vehicle). NOTE: In cities with a population over 1 million, a flashing amber light may be used on the vehicle of an individual who is a member of a volunteer civil or crime patrol.

What should I do if I am approached by a personal vehicle with a colored light flashing?

These are not emergency vehicles. Their drivers must obey all traffic laws. You need not yield the right of way to these vehicles. However, if you can do so safely, you should yield the right of way to vehicles with blue or green flashing lights as a courtesy. Also, be cautious in the vicinity of a hazard vehicle.

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Fall Safety Driving Tips

School Buses are back on the roads!
Watch out for school buses and children. Please remember that you must stop if you are following or approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing. It's the law!
...
Will you be traveling in New York State? Check these sites for construction areas and anticipated delays.
•The Thruway website lists areas of construction.
•The NYS Department of Transportation website lists construction areas on other roads in New York State.
Remember, in road work zones fines are doubled.

Regular Brakes and ABS Brakes:There is difference in the way that regular brakes and ABS brakes need to be used and the way they work. Please familiarize yourself with the braking systems of the vehicles you drive BEFORE you need to try to make a quick stop. For more information on these differences see our Vehicle Issues Page for links to information on ABS.

Wet leaves can be as slippery as ice!
If it is rainy and wet, please watch for patches of wet leaves in the roadway.

Studded Snow Tires
Studded snow tires may be on your vehicle from October 16 through April 30.

Time to "fall back", not asleep!!
Sunday, November 6 is the day that the clocks are turned back one hour. That one hour change can have several effects:

•Turning the clock back affects your body's internal clock.
•You are likely to be fatigued until your body has adjusted to the time change.
•You may be commuting in the dark more frequently, which you haven't done in six months.
•Incidences of drowsy driving crashes are much higher during the first weeks following the time changes.

After the time change
In the fall and winter, with nights coming early and fog often occurring, be sure to have your head lights on and follow at a safe distance.

During hunting season, deer will be trying to avoid hunters and may cross roadways.
Please see our page of tips for avoiding crashes with deer.

Getting your snowmobile ready for winter?
Snowmobile information is available at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. 

Wear your helmet when snowmobiling - it's the law!

Home Winterizing Maintenance: 5 Checklist Items Pre-Winter

Good preparation means starting early. Take these tips to heart today so your chores will be easier when the cold fronts descend on your part of the world:

1. Get the furnace inspected

One of the most important parts of wintertime living is keeping the heat flowing, so make sure your furnace is running at its best. HVAC professionals can get very busy with faulty furnaces during the late winter months, so calling in the early fall will help ensure you get the work done.

2. Look at your roof and gutters

Now is the time to replace any worn shingles, inspect the flashing and add insulation to your attic. Watch for debris in the gutters and downspouts as well – snow melt can lead to serious runoff, and that needs to be directed away from your home to avoid water damage. Can’t get up on your roof? No worries – a good contractor can handle the inspection in less than an hour.

3. Inspect your windows

Many homes lose a great deal of heat through tiny cracks around windows and doors. Not sure how your windows and doors are doing? Try the candle test. In a perfectly still room, light a candle and hold it near the top, bottom and sides of your doors and windows. When the candle flickers, you have a draft. In some cases, new weatherstripping or caulking can remedy the issue. If you need replacement windows, now is the time.

4. Remember the chimney

A thorough chimney inspection is necessary to make sure your fireplace is safe for winter use. If it hasn’t been cleaned in a while, contact a chimney sweep for help. While you’re at it, put fresh batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

5. Do basic maintenance.

Small maintenance tasks are often overlooked, and that can wreck havoc on your spring.

• Drain water hoses or sprinkler systems
• winterize your lawn mower
• store summer gardening equipment
• Trim back tree branches that overhang power lines to prevent damage from ice-laden limbs.

Autumn is the best time to start handling the tasks that can make winter much easier. Whether you need window replacement, a clean chimney or more insulation to avoid an ice dam on the roof, get it done now before the harsh weather makes the work more difficult.

Auto Insurance Claims: Top 10 Items You Need When You Make A Claim

Top 10 Items You Need When You Make A Claim:

 
1. Who did I have an accident with? Be sure to get complete information from the other party(ies) involved. This means copying down their address, driver’s license #, date of birth, and ask for their phone number.  In addition, obtain their insurance information including, the company, policy #, agent if there is one, the policy begin and expiration date and their phone #. You need to make sure that you have as much info as possible to give your insurance company; this will help get your claim resolved as fast as possible.

2. Were there any witnesses? Was there anyone who saw the accident happen? You want to make sure that you get information from anyone who saw the accident. This will assist the insurance companies to determine who is liable for the accident.

3. Were the police called? If the police called or showed up, make sure to get the name and badge # of the officer and a report number. It may take your insurance company up to 3 months to get a police report, so be sure you take the information but don’t rely on the insurance company getting the information.

4. What kind of vehicle or vehicles were involved in this accident? You want to make sure that you get the vehicle year, make and model, the license plate #, and VIN number for each vehicle involved.

5. Where did this happen? Get the intersection or street that the accident happened on. Also, you want to make sure that you know how many lanes are on each side of the street, if the street or streets are 1 way or 2 way, the type of striping on the pavement within 100 feet each direction of the loss, i.e. is it a solid, double yellow line, a white line, etc. Also, you want to know where each vehicle impacted, what lane you and the other car were driving in just before the accident, the direction of travel for each vehicle, and if there were any signs posted that control traffic flow.

6. How many passengers were in each vehicle? Take note of how many people were in each of the vehicles involved. Once you know, make a brief note of their description or name including: ethnicity, gender, weight, height, etc. This will help if you are the victim of a staged accident or other type of insurance fraud since people sometimes mysteriously are reported as an occupant of the vehicle when they were not present. This is not common, but if it ever does happen, this will help you avoid being a victim.

7. What type of condition was the car in right after the accident? Was the vehicle drivable? Where is the damage? Is there any additional damage on the vehicle not related to the accident? If there is additional damage on the vehicle not related to this accident, be sure to tell your insurance company.

8. Where do I want to get my vehicle repaired? If you have a shop in mind, have that information with you. If you don’t, ask around, your friends might have a good recommendation. Otherwise, you can ask your insurance company if they have a repair program. If they do have one, be sure to ask about the program’s warranty, cost, and if there is a benefit to using it.

9. Write down all the information. Record all the information that you have gathered and keep it in a safe place. This is to assist you if there is a problem with the claim. When you report it, be sure to write down who you spoke with, your claim #, and what if any promises were made. This will make your life easier if someone says something and then it doesn’t happen.

10. Take pictures of the accident right after it occurred. Take a photo of your vehicle and the other vehicle(s) involved including all 4 corners. Also, if you can get the other party in the photo, that will help in the event that either insurance company needs help identifying the other party involved.

If you have a claim that needs to be filed, the above items are good to gather since it will make the process easier and assist your insurance adjuster to resolve your claim at a faster pace. The insurance adjuster(s) you will deal with each have a job, it is to resolve as many claims as they can in the least amount of time possible. As a result, the more information you can give him or her, the smoother the process will be.

by Darryl Lee

New York (NY) Teen Auto Insurance Laws, Rates & Requirements

In the state of New York, the following risky driving habits are among the leading causes of traffic accidents: speeding, unsafe or too-frequent lane changing, not using turn signals, tailgating, not yielding the right of way, ignoring traffic signals, and driving while impaired by alcohol or chemicals. New York teens engage in some of the same dangerous behaviors, but they have a number of other  issues working against them – especially in the beginning stages of driving. Teens are known for driving while talking on a cell phone or texting. In addition, lack of education (which can lead to all of the causes listed above), driving at night, and driving with too many passengers are top causes of teen car crashes in the state of New York.

In an effort to reduce the number of teen car accidents, the state of New York has its own version of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). New York’s Graduated Driver Licensing program follows a three step process to help educate teens about the rules of the road and teach them about the dangers of unsafe driving practices. The program also comes with a number of restrictions to help keep teens and other drivers on the road safe during the process.

Continue reading to learn more about New York’s teen driving laws and the consequences for violating them.

New York Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) and Driver License Requirements
In the state of New York, all beginning teen drivers must complete three steps before receiving a full unrestricted license. These include:

•    Learner’s License
•    Intermediate License
•    Unrestricted License

Learner’s License
You must be a at least 16 years of age to receive a learners license. As of February 22, 2010, you will be required to hold the learner’s license for 6 full months. During this time, you must complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving time to include 15 hours at night.

Intermediate License
The intermediate license or “restricted license” is available to teens 16 ½ or older that have satisfied all of the requirements of the learner’s license.

Unrestricted License
You must be 17 years old to obtain an unrestricted license. If you have not taken a driver education course, you must be 18 years of age. To obtain your unrestricted license, you must satisfy all of the requirements of the intermediate license, meaning, you must have a clean driving record, by following the laws of the intermediate license to the letter. Please review the next section “New York Teen Driving Laws and Enforcement” for details.

To obtain a learner’s license, you must be at least 16 years of age and:

•    Provide two forms of identification as proof of identity
•    Provide a social security card
•    Provide a signed consent form
•    Take a written knowledge test
•    Take a vision test
•    Pay the $10 application fee
•    Pay the $12.50 document processing fee

To apply for your intermediate license and you will have to show proof of identity. If you have completed a driver education course, you will have to provide your certificate of completion as well.  

New York Teen Driving Laws and Enforcement
In the state of New York, learner permit holders must be accompanied by a licensed adult age 21 or older, at all times. Permit holders younger than age 18 cannot transport passengers under 21, unless accompanied by a licensed adult age 21 or older. In addition, permit holders are prohibited from driving on streets located within any New York City park.

Intermediate license holders are prohibited from driving between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.. In addition, you may transport only 1 passenger under the age of 21 at any given time. If you violate any of the conditions of New York’s Graduated Driver Licensing program, you may lose your driving privileges and/or your licensing will be delayed.

New York Cell Phone Use/Texting While Driving Laws

In the state of New York, cell phone use while driving is prohibited for all drivers unless you are using a hands-free device. Texting while driving will be against the law beginning November 1, 2009. The fine for violating the text messaging law will be $150. Currently, the hands-free cell phone law is treated as a secondary offense, meaning, you must be stopped for another traffic violation to receive a citation for violating the cell-phone law.

New York Teen DUI Laws

In the state of New York, it is a crime for a teen to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration level (BAC) of 0.02% or higher. A BAC of 0.02% is as little as one beer, one glass of wine or one mixed drink for most people. Proof of a BAC of 0.02% is all that is needed to convict a New York teen of DUI. If you get caught driving with a BAC of 0.02% or higher, you risk losing your driving privileges until you turn 21. If you get caught driving under the influence of any other substances such as marijuana or even prescription drugs, you risk the same penalties.

New York Teen Auto Insurance Requirements

It doesn’t matter if a vehicle is registered in a teens name or the parent’s name, in the state of New York you must carry minimum liability coverage in the amounts of $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury, $25,000/$50,000 uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motorist bodily injury, $10,000 for property damage, and $50,000 personal injury protection (PIP). Because the risk of having an auto crash is significantly higher during a teen’s first year behind the wheel, New York auto insurance companies recommend purchasing higher amounts of coverage than the legal limits. If you plan to add a teen driver to your existing auto insurance policy, instead of purchasing a separate policy, keep in mind that your annual rate will increase anywhere from $1,200 to $4,900 a year. The average increase is around $2,171 a year.

Michelle Burton is a published author and contributing editor for Trouve Media, Internet Brands, and Publications International, Ltd.