Downey Insurance Group Blog | Great Insurance People

As prom season and graduation season are here, we at Downey Insurance want to remind you to drive safe.  Many new drivers are out, so be extra careful driving around this month. Downey Insurance would also like to remind you that you should never drive under the influence and you should always buckle up.

The problems of driving impaired happen all over the country. “A 2002 study revealed that 40% of teen traffic fatalities during the prom and graduation weekends were alcohol-related. Fatal car accidents, injuries, and assaults are not an adolescent rite of passage for any teen. Underage drinking is a major factor in the two leading causes of teenage deaths: car crashes and fatal injuries.”¹

At Marlborough High School, home of Downey Insurance’s interns, after senior prom, there is a substance-free All-Nighter. For the 25^th consecutive year, the MHS All-Nighter, a collaborative effort of parents and the entire community of Marlborough, came together to provide a safe, alcohol and drug free celebration for the students following the senior prom. This year the theme was “Hollywood” and the students were all transported by busses to the local Wayside Racquet and Swim Club for a night of activities. The students were greeted by the paparazzi as they walked in the doors and had their picture taken with their date. Some activities there were swimming, tennis, zumba, games, tug-of-war, food, and more food. The Outback provided the students with delicious food all night!  A special thanks goes out to the VinBin and Bertucci’s for their help with the fundraising!

So make sure you’re safe this prom and graduation and from the folks at Downey Insurance, Congrats Grads! You did it! And Congrats to Lindsay and Curt, our interns here at Downey Insurance that graduated with the Class of 2010 from Marlborough High School!

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Recently, Charlie Downey, of Downey Insurance, and two of his interns went to a local grocery store, Price Chopper, to buy some food to help “Stuff-A-Bus”. Here at Downey Insurance, we believe in helping the community, and what better way to help than to make sure everyone is fed.

This year was the third annual “Stuff-A-Bus”, Food Pantry Donation Drive. In Marlborough, 1,200 residents are served by the Food Pantry every month and out of that 1,200 are approximately 450 children. In these hard times, food is in short supply for some families, and the need for food donations has increased 30% from 2009 to 2010. With the summer coming up, the need for food is more extreme so it was a good time for Downey Insurance to help out.

Last year, “Stuff –A-Bus” had donations that reached 16,000 pounds of food and supplies! That was enough to fill the Food Pantry for the summer and into the fall. Let’s hope that this year “Stuff-A-Bus” gathered even more food and supplies and that our donations helped!

Make sure you check out our videos of the Downey Insurance gang helping “Stuff-A-Bus” on our Downey Insurance Group’s Facebook page.

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HANOVER IS PROUD TO SPONSOR A CRASH PREVENTION AUTO TRAINING “SUMMER EVENT”!

DOWNEY INSURANCE GROUP CUSTOMERS CAN SAVE $100 OFF THE WELL-KNOWN IN CONTROL CRASH PREVENTION TRAINING PROGRAM, AND POSSIBLY SAVE EVEN MORE ON THEIR HANOVER INSURANCE!

Hanover Insurance a Carrier that we at Downey Insurance Group offer has been offering insurance discounts for graduates of the In Control Advanced Driver Training Program for several years. This Summer, we are partnering again with In Control to sponsor a Crash Prevention program to help your clients save on their insurance and help reduce crashes in your community.

If you are unfamiliar with the program: Participants of all ages are given hands-on, closed course instruction on how to avoid the most dangerous driving situations. The half day program utilizes professional instructors and In Control’s vehicles to train drivers in real world situations. Participants learn how to perform a panic stop, the dangers of tailgating and text messaging, the effect of speed on control and many, many other important lessons.

Training will be offered at In Control locations in S. Weymouth, N. Andover, Worcester, and Otis Air Base on the Cape. Classes are available most Saturdays and Sundays as well as some weekdays. Courses generally run from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM and again from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM. All drivers must be licensed or have had their permit with at least 10 hours driving experience (parents and/or Driver Ed). Families are encouraged to train together.

SUMMER EVENT REDUCED COST: The normal cost of this course is $299. Thanks to our Sponsorship, In Control is pleased to reduce the price to $199 for Hanover personal auto policyholders, Hanover Agency employees, and family members of both. This $100 discount is available when registering between Memorial Day 5/31/2010 and Labor Day 9/6/2010.

To Register, go to:

www.DriveInControl.com/HanoverSummer and follow the simple instructions, or call In Control at 888-301-7233. Please be sure to mention you are registering for the “Hanover Summer Event” course if you call.
For more details about the Program, go to the In Control Web Site at www.DriveInControl.com or call Dan Strollo at In Control at 978-658-4144. For questions about this Hanover-sponsored Summer Event, call Fran Delage at 508-855-8187

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Oprah Winfrey campaigns for no cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle.

April 30^th, 2010 marks the launch of the “No Phone Zone Day” campaign headed by the well-known talk show host, Oprah Winfrey. “No Phone Zone Day” is a campaign with hope to get everyone to pledge against phone use in vehicles. This event took place throughout the country, one being at our local Boston University which was attended by our fellow Downey Insurance intern, Alycia Dafoe.   She attended this event along with students located throughout Massachusetts with other members of Marlborough High school club, SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions.

The No Phone Zone campaign was in efforts to convince all auto drivers to pledge for no cell phone use while driving, where it has many consequences.  The options available to pledge for are as follows:

• Avoid all texting while driving.
• No texting while driving and only hands free calling if needed.
• No texting or use of phone while driving and if needed, pull over and secure the vehicle.

Along with Alycia Dafoe, at this event, was a fellow classmates who has experienced a motor-vehicle accident first-hand due to cell phone use while operating. Because of texting, the individual caused an accident resulting in minor damage. Conseqently, the individual’s vehicle auto insurance sky rocketed.

Think twice before cell phone use while operating a moving vehicle. Join the Downey Insurance Group today in signing Oprah Winfrey’s  ”No Phone Day Pledge” to make the roads in this country a safer place.

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USTIANEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – April 23, 2010) – The US Travel Insurance Association reports that most of its member companies are providing coverage to travelers affected by trip cancellations and delays arising from the volcanic eruption in Iceland. To qualify for coverage, the travel insurance policy must have been purchased prior to the volcano eruption.

“Travel insurance covers travelers in any number of situations. Under the current circumstances, where ash has grounded thousands of flights, travelers are covered because their flights have been cancelled or delayed due to weather; a destination is made uninhabitable; an airport closed for 24 hours or more, and/or airline service has ceased because of natural disaster,” explains UStiA president Jim Grace.

Travel insurance coverage in such situations generally falls into two main categories:

• trip cancellation and interruption provides reimbursement for nonrefundable travel expenses such as airline tickets, prepaid tours, cruises, etc.
• trip delay reimburses expenses incurred, such as hotel accommodations, meals, etc. up to set limits.

In addition, all companies are providing assistance services for travelers who are stranded abroad. Such services include help in rebooking flight arrangements, finding hotel accommodations, facilitating money transfers, notifying work/family, etc.

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FEMA has put a HIATIS on NFIP from issuing new and renewal flood insurance as of 3/29/2010.

Any new or renewal policy effective on or after 03/29/2010 will not be issued until the Hiatus is lifted.  IF the hiatus is lifted retroactive all policies will be issued/renewed with the date requested.  If the Hiatus is not lifted retroactive then all policies will be issued/renewed with the date the hiatus was lifted.

All policies should be returned paid in full to NFIP they will hold and issue accordingly. If the hiatus is not lifted within a “reasonable amount of time” they will return applications and payment to insured.

If you would like to read more about this hiatus please go to  www.nfsmt.com.

thank you,

Brenda J. Lando, CISR, AIAM
Personal Lines Manager
Downey Insurance Group
www.downeyinsurance.com
Marlborough, MA–Keene, NH–Brattleboro, VT
PH# 508-485-0130

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