Drinking and driving sentences from around the world!

I have an application on my Iphone that I have found very useful called beat the traffic. It helps navigate our road systems and identify accidents ahead and other slow downs. Might be worth checking out if you have an Iphone or Android. I received this interesting article from their weekly newsletter that I thought was very interested. Enjoy! 

Drinking and driving is one of the world's most dangerous combinations. As a result, various countries have adopted different measures and laws, being affected by various issues such as culture, religion and the level of intoxication. Note that some of the laws seem to be unbelievable.

Australia: 

The names of the drivers are sent to the local newspapers and are printed under the heading "He's Drunk and in Jail".

Malaysia: 

The Driver is jailed and if married, his wife is jailed too. (If this was in the US, it could explain the high divorce rate :)

South Africa: 

A 10 year prison sentence and the equivalent of a $10,000 fine.

Turkey: 

Drunk drivers are taken 20 miles outside of town by police and are forced to walk back under escort

Finland & Sweden: 

Automatic jail for one year of hard labor.

Costa Rica: 

Police remove plates from car.

Russia:

Not many may be surprised that they have tough laws based on Russians long love affair with alcohol. If caught driving under the influence of alcohol, you lose your driving license for life. Even upon the first offense.

Mexico and Canada:

Give their border patrol agents the right to deny a person entry into the country if he has been convicted of DUI.    

Fun Facts

Can you get a DUI on a horse? Yes you can! You can get a ticket for DUI while on anything that is considered transportation. This includes cars, horses, bikes, mopeds, water crafts (read more about Alaskan man arrested for floating down the river drunk) or even wheelchairs (watch the video).     

York Regional Police lay 142 charges in alleged auto fraud scheme called "Project Sideswipe"

2012-08-10

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Forty-six suspects have been charged in connection with an alleged auto fraud scheme called Project Sideswipe involving staged collisions and suspected false medical billings in Ontario.

One hundred and forty-two charges have been laid to date, including conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, fraud under $5,000, fraud over $5,000 and obstruction of a police officer, notes a statement from the York Regional Police (YRP).

Project Sideswipe involved nine alleged staged collisions that occurred in York Region, as well as suspected associated false medical billings from several medical rehab and assessment centres in Brampton, Toronto and Mississauga, notes a statement from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). The allegations have not been proven in court.

Police believe a ring of recruited drivers and passengers staged collisions to support accident benefit insurance claims. Medical rehab and assessment centres would then use the names, signatures and college registration numbers of medical practitioners, without their proper authorization, and invoice insurance companies for services that were not rendered, the IBC reports.

Rick Dubin, vice president of investigation services for the IBC, characterized the efforts as yet, "another step at driving a wedge into one of the alleged sophisticated fraud networks, operating throughout the Greater Toronto Area.”

“The potential loss to nine insurers is still being calculated, but it is estimated to be somewhere in the neighbourhood of $5 million,” Dubin notes in the statement.

“Insurance premiums are driven by claims costs and right now costs have been driven through the roof in Ontario as a result of fraud and abuse in the system.” Results from a KPMG study estimate the annual cost of auto insurance fraud in Ontario to be in the range of between $770 million and $1.6 billion per year.

Organized Insurance Fraud

The Insurance Bureau of Canada released a recent video outlining the insurance fraud that has been happening in Canada. There are a couple ways that collision's are generally staged. Watch the video to find out how.

License Plate Sticker cost going up! Sept 1,2012

 This is for everyone whose birthday is after September 1, 2012

As of September 1,2012, the price of the sticker will be going from $74 to $82 ($8.00 increase). Then, in Jan 2013 it will go to $90 ($16.00 increase) and in 2014 it will be $98 ($24.00 increase).

Did you know that you can purchase your sticker up to 6 months in advance? So if your birthday is after September 1,2012  you should go and get your sticker before that date even if your birthday is in Dec. You can also purchase a 2 year sticker at $74.00 per year.

 If there is a way to keep your money in your pocket instead of the governments, why not take advantage of the opportunity.

I hope this info can help someone save a few bucks!

What Canadians know .... about insurance.

67% of Canadians believe that, when calculating home insurance premiums, insurers consider whether the outside of a house is brick or aluminum siding.

They are right. Most insurance companies do use type of construction as a rating factor when calculating home insurance premiums. For instance, construction type is factored in when insurers calculate the building replacement cost (i.e., what it would cost to rebuild the dwelling with materials of like kind and quality, if it were destroyed). Click here to learn more about how home insurance rates are calculated. Click here to watch the "Home Replacement Cost" video. (3min., 15 MB)

73% of Canadians believe that the cost of their home insurance is affected by the type of electrical wiring in their home.

They are right. How much you pay for home insurance depends on a number of factors including the kind of wiring you have in your home.  Some older types of wiring, such as knob-and-tube or aluminum, can increase the chance of fire, especially if the wiring has deteriorated or been damaged during renovations.   Some insurance companies want a guarantee that a home does not have this wiring, some may give you time to have it removed, while others might request an inspection to ensure its safety.  Click here to learn more about how home insurance premiums are calculated.

39% of Canadians believe that their home insurance covers them for damage caused by flooding due to spring run-off – the melting of large quantities of snow and ice.

They are wrong. Damage caused by melting or moving snow is generally not covered by home insurance. Home insurance is meant to help policyholders cope with the financial consequences of unpredictable events that are “sudden and accidental.” Predictable or preventable events are not covered. These are called “uninsurable perils.” Damage caused by melting or moving snow is considered predictable, so it is an uninsurable peril. For more information about home insurance, click here.

50% of Canadians believe that their home insurance doesn’t cover damage caused by an “act of God,” such as high winds.

They are wrong. There is no blanket exclusion in a home insurance policy for “acts of God” or “acts of nature.” In fact, you will not find either of these terms anywhere in your policy. The truth is, some damage caused by nature and the environment is covered, and some isn’t. For example, damage to your home caused by wind or hail is generally covered by home insurance if the damage is done to the outside of the building. However, items such as antennas, satellite dishes, etc., are not covered. The interior of a building and its contents are covered only if the storm has first created an opening. Damage caused by flooding is generally not covered (see #1, above). Damage caused by the shaking of an earthquake is also generally not covered, but this type of coverage can be purchased as an add-on to your policy. For more information about home insurance click here.

60%  of Canadians believe that the colour of their cars does not affect what they pay for insurance.

They are right. The colour of your car does not affect your automobile insurance premium. You will not be asked to specify the colour of your vehicle on your auto insurance application. However, many other variables (such as your driving record, how expensive it would be to replace your car, and government regulations) are considered when setting auto insurance rates. Click here to learn more about how auto insurance rates are calculated.

61% of Canadians believe that the cost of their home insurance is affected by whether their appliances are powered by gas or by electricity.

They are wrong. The types of appliances in your home do not affect your insurance rates. Insurance companies base the cost of your home insurance on how likely you are to make a claim and what that claim is likely to cost them. Generally speaking, the lower the risk, the lower the premium. When it comes to the choice between gas and electricity, neither power source appears to be riskier than the other. So, the way your appliances are powered doesn’t affect what you pay for home insurance. For more information click here.

58% of Canadians believe that the contents of their vehicles are not covered by their automobile insurance.

They are right. Your automobile insurance covers the driver, the passengers and, depending on your policy, the car itself. It does not cover the stuff you carry around in your car. Typically, any sporting equipment (e.g., golf clubs), DVDs and MP3 players or other items that may get stolen from your car or damaged in a collision are covered by your home or tenant’s insurance. However, if you run a home-based business, your standard home or tenant’s insurance policy will likely not cover items related to that business (e.g., products or equipment) if they get stolen from or damaged in your car. Check with your insurance representative to find out what types of vehicle contents your home or tenant’s insurance covers.

68% of Canadians think that auto insurance covers damage to their vehicles if they hit a moose, a deer, or any other wildlife.

They are right, if they have Comprehensive coverage.
If your vehicle hits a deer, or any other wild animal, any resulting damage to your vehicle is covered, likely under the Comprehensive section of your car insurance policy.

Talk to your insurance representative to learn more. For more information about car insurance, click here

Tips to Recognize Car Insurance Myths: The Top 5 Misconceptions

Car insurance can be confusing, and it doesn’t help that there is plenty of misinformation being passed off as truth. Some car insurance myths have been circulating for so long that they’ve become entrenched, and the more they are passed along, the more they are believed. InsuranceHotline.com has the truth behind five common car insurance myths.

Myth #1. Every ticket affects car insurance rates. While getting a ticket is the most common reason why a driver sees an increase in rates, it’s not true that every single ticket results in a rate increase. Most insurance companies charge only for a select list of violations, and they are generally moving violations. This means that parking tickets won’t affect insurance rates. There are also a variety of other tickets that won’t cause an increase. While this varies based on the insurance company’s policies, the fact remains that not every ticket is a chargeable one.

Myth #2. Car insurance covers everything in and on the car. Many people persist in the belief that anything and everything that is in the car, as well as after-market parts and stereo equipment added to the car, will be covered by the insurance policy. This is not the case. Car insurance policies do have a limited amount of coverage for contents, but it’s usually quite low. A car insurance policy is designed to protect from the major financial impact of damage to the car itself as well as medical bills as a result of injury from a car accident. Personal property is most often covered under a home insurance policy rather than auto insurance. Make sure you keep your receipts for any after-market parts and equipment installed. Please speak with your insurance professional directly to find out those items are covered.

Myth #3. No-fault insurance means no one is at fault in an accident. No-fault insurance is named somewhat confusingly. It doesn’t mean that no one will be found at fault when there is an accident; there is always a determination of fault on the part of the insurance company. No-fault actually means that it doesn’t matter who is at fault – each party’s insurance company plays the claim for their customer. “Fault is always determined in an accident, and the at-fault party can expect to see their rates affected by the accident in most cases.” Tammy Ezer of InsuranceHotline.com clarifies.

Myth #4. My insurance covers a car that I borrow. Insurance policies follow the car, not the driver. It is the vehicle owner’s insurance that will handle any incidents that might occur. This means that if you borrow someone’s car and are involved in an at-fault accident, it may cost the owner of the car in the form of a deductible and/or an increase in their car insurance rate not the person who borrowed the car. When lending or borrowing a car, make sure you’re fully aware of the potential consequences.

Myth #5. The legal minimum is enough coverage. Each province mandates a minimum legal amount of liability coverage every driver must carry in order to be financially responsible. That doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect amount of coverage for every driver. In fact, it doesn’t include collision or comprehensive coverage and may well be too low a liability limit for complete protection. Most people carry more than the legal minimum to avoid out-of-pocket costs in an accident. Legal minimums make sure no one is driving without liability coverage to protect other drivers – they aren’t meant to be a complete insurance package.

Article from insurancehotline.com May 9, 2012

5 Reasons Why You Need Tenants Insurance

It is no secret that insurance is vitally important. Car, life, home or medical insurance coverage is necessary to protect you in the case of emergency or an accident. Yet, many renters fail to purchase tenants insurance. Similar to home insurance quotes, the quotes for tenants insurance (also renters insurance) depends on many variables. However, the good news is that tenants insurance tends to be far less expensive than many other types of home insurance policies, because it doesn’t include coverage on the actual building (which tends to be the bulk of home insurance costs). Considering the relatively low cost of tenants insurance, not carrying coverage is an unnecessary risk. Here are the top misconceptions about renters insurance and why you need a policy to protect you:

1.    My landlord’s insurance policy will cover me.

While your landlord may have insurance coverage on the building where you are renting, that insurance is in place to protect the structure and the landlord’s own personal liability in case someone is injured on the property – not your possessions. As a renter you should carry your own tenants insurance to protect your belongings from potential risk.

2.    The upgrades I’ve made are covered by my landlord’s policy.

While your landlord’s insurance policy protects improvements that they’ve made – it doesn’t cover the improvements you’ve made. So if you’ve installed a new closet organizer or made other changes to your living quarters that are damaged in the event of an accident (i.e. fire), don’t expect to be compensated. Only your tenants insurance can provide you with that coverage.

3.    I don’t own that much – I don’t need to insure my possessions.

Though you may not think your possessions would present a significant loss to you, take an inventory and you’ll see how quickly the value adds up. You don’t need to have big screen televisions or expensive art and jewelry – books, electronic media, and small kitchen appliances add up quickly! At the relatively low cost of tenants insurance, coverage to protect your belongings from fire or theft will help give you the peace of mind and comfort you need.

4.    If I’m careful I don’t need to have liability insurance.

Accidents happen. That’s why we need insurance. Though you may not intentionally injure someone in your home, or you don’t plan on causing damage to a friend’s or neighbour’s property, there is always a possibility that you could. Having third party liability insurance (which is forms part of your tenants insurance policy at a low cost) will protect you from accidents which could cause damage or injury to another’s property and end your relationship with them if you can’t afford to rectify the damage out of pocket.

Have a dog? Even if your dog’s never bitten, third party liability insurance will let you rest easy. In the case of an unfortunate event where your dog hurts someone else, their medical expenses and any other awards will be covered by your insurance policy, rather than you trying to find the money to compensate the affected person(s).

5.    My landlord will look after me if I have to vacate my apartment.

Your landlord isn’t responsible for paying your living expenses in the event when you can’t continue to live in your rented dwelling while an insurance claim is being settled or repairs are being made. This includes cases of fire, theft, vandalism, etc. A commonly missed advantage to tenants insurance is that, similarly to home insurance, your insurance provider will help to cover your living expenses while repairs are being made in the case of an accident, (i.e. fire). This will ease the financial burden to you while the claims process progresses and repairs are being made, and keep you in the lifestyle that you are accustom to.

Tenants insurance (renters insurance) is a flexible and affordable way for renters to achieve peace of mind and protect themselves and their possessions. Drivers and homeowners wouldn’t consider going without car and home insurance, and with the relatively low costs for tenants insurance, renters should also insure themselves against loss.