New Laws Regarding North Carolina Auto Insurance
March 16, 2010 by Gary Sides
- License plate frames can no longer cover the state name or registration sticker. Initially drivers will get warnings through Nov. of 2010 then you may be subject to a fine.
- Insured car owners now have a three day grace period after their registration expires to register the vehicle and obtain the required safety inspection.
- Its now illegal to send text messages, e-mails and use the Internet while driving. This law applies even when the car is stopped at a traffic light. The penalty is a $100 fine.
- Reptiles must be in secured containers while in transport. If the animal escapes and attacks someone, the owner can be charged with a misdemeanor.
- Instead of the old safety inspection sticker in the window to remind you its time for another inspection the inspection is based on your registration renewal date. When you complete the inspection at a certified inspection station the information is loaded into a statewide database. Your registration cannot be renewed unless the inspection has been completed.
Gary Sides
Marshall Insurance
Don’t Drive and Text
August 4, 2009 by Gary Sides
How many times have you pulled up to a stop light and looked over to the next vehicle only to see someone texting away on their cell phone?
That will soon be illegal in NC.
Gov. Bev Perdue has signed a bill to prohibit the use of cell phones for texting while driving. The measure is set to go into effect Dec. 1 of this year.
Proponents claim that texting while driving diminishes your reaction time as much as being under the influence of alcohol. I think we all agree that is certainly can be a distraction.
Drivers caught texting would be subject to a $100 fine but no insurance points. Just about everyone agrees enforcement will be difficult.
Gary Sides
Driving Under The Influence of Cell Phone (DUIC)
February 24, 2009 by Gary Sides
DUIC or Driving Under the Influence of Cell Phone is just as dangerous as drunken driving or DUI.
A 2006 National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration study found that almost 80% of crashes and 65% of near crashes involved driver distraction i.e. the driver was distracted by their use of the cell phone.
A national insurance company conducted a study and found that 73% of drivers talk on their cellphones while behind the wheel. Even more shocking the study found 19% text while driving.
In North Carolina cell phone use by bus drivers and drivers under the age of 18 are currently prohibited with the exception of emergency situations.
As with any other accidents parents and employers could be held liable for accident caused by children or employees of the company in a company vehicle that are involved in accidents. So its not just the drivers that are at risk in these situations.
Cell Phones and Teen Drivers: A Dangerous Combination?
January 30, 2009 by Gary Sides
A new traffic study suggests NC teenagers have not paid much attention to state law that bans cell phone use by drivers under 18. The law went into effect in Dec. 2006.
A study was conducted by the UNC center and the Institute for Highway Safety. Researchers parked outside of 25 high schools discovered over 11% of teens were talking on cell phones while driving away from school.
Another study found 64% of teens were aware of the law forbidding cell phone use but only 39% of parents were aware of the ban.
Experts liken the use of cell phone while driving to have the same effects as being under the influence of alcohol.
NC Auto Insurers May Raise Rates on Jan 1, 2009
January 7, 2009 by Gary Sides
Auto insurers may increase premiums on NC drivers by up to 9.4& starting Jan. 1, 2009, but a court ruling will determine whether they can keep the extra money.
The NC Rate Bureau, which represents 144 auto insurers that operate in the state, had asked for its largest rate increase in 14 years–12.9%. Insurance Commissioner Jim Long turned the tables, instead ordering a 16 percent cut.
Long ruled that the insurers submitted data to back their positions that didn’t justify the increase they sought. The Insurance Department also argued that the companies skewed their depiction of NC’s market by including claims from riskier drivers who are inexperienced or who rack up insurance points against their license and other decisions. Those drivers are assigned to the NC Reinsurance Facility.
Insurers revamped their requested rate increase in their appeal to the state Court of Appeals and are now seeking 9.4%.
Under state law, insurers can charge the higher rate beginning Jan .1, but any amount collected above the 16% cut ordered by Long must be placed into escrow accounts. If insurers win their appeal, they can keep the money. If they lose, they will have to refund the money to policyholders, plus pay interest at the prime rate plus 3 percent.
A court hearing on the appeal has not been scheduled.
Driving Teens Ignore Ban, Use Cell Phones
January 7, 2009 by Gary Sides
There’s a state ban on cell phone use for drivers under 18, but they seem to use cell phones with the same frequency as before the ban, a new traffic safety study suggests.
The ban is part of the state’s graduated licensing program, designed to limit distractions and risky behavior that can get young drivers into trouble.
In spring 2007, five months after the law took effect in December 2006, reseachers saw teen drivers talking on their phones at about the same frequency as in fall 2006, before the ban was implemented. Researchers parked outside 25 high schools and watched as teens drove away in the afternoon to see how many were talking on their phones.
It’s not surprising to find that teen drivers haven’t stopped using their cell phones, says Robert D. Foss, a senior research scientist with the Highway Safety Research Center at UNC Chapel Hill. The 2006 law has not been widely publicized. Police enforcement also is sporadic, because officers, like the UNC researchers, can’t be sure whether a cell phone-using driver is 18 or younger.