Where We Stand 2 Weeks In…

The new ban on texting while driving in MA law has been in effect for over two weeks now.  Hopefully, time will show that there will be fewer accidents due to lack of attention to the road.  Previously, people would text by glancing at their phone, and while they finished the text they travelled over two football fields!  It seemed harmless and quick, but the amount of time one’s eyes were on the phone instead of the road was unnerving.

Unfortunately, while driving on any given road it is easy to look over or across the street and see someone peering down to text a friend or read an incoming text.  There is no way the police are going to be able to catch everyone that is texting while driving, it is not realistic.  But, a sure fire way to get people to stop is increase awareness.  The average commute to work is about 25 minutes.  Rarely is a text so important that it cannot wait until the end of the drive.  With the interactive, instant world we live in it is tough to step back and choose safety over convenience.  Sadly, most people that do not text while driving are the ones who know someone who got in an accident while texting.

To increase awareness, companies like Plymouth Rock are offering free buttons and bumper stickers to inform drivers of the law and dangers of texting and driving.  Texting is an unnecessary risk, and no matter how good someone thinks they are at texting, it just takes one glance at the phone to become a hazard on the road.

Even if you are one of the wise people that don’t text, others may and there are still more risks on the road than texters.  So, take a step towards safer driving and call Encharter Insurance today so that we can make sure you are covered for any accident that may occur in the future.  Double check your Reading MA Car Insurance policy and call us at 888-865-1244 or come to one of our offices to speak with our caring and knowledgeable staff. We look forward to assisting you and answering any questions you may have.

At Encharter, “Its all about protecting you!”

New MA Texting Ban to Take Effect in October

Do you ever leave the house feeling like something is completely amiss but you can’t put your finger on what exactly it is? I experienced this very recently and I seriously felt as though, if I could lose a limb, I was missing an arm. And would anyone like to take a guess as to what I actually had been missing? My cell phone! And I was in my car when I realized it…so you know what I did? I turned around to pick it up!

Saying something like, “I feel incomplete without it” is what you would say about your spouse, not an electronic device. But the reality is, in this day and age, we have developed such a dependence upon our cell phones and, when it comes to driving, it’s become dangerous. So legislators in Massachusetts are attempting to do something about it. According to an article on Boston.com, beginning in October, a texting while driving ban will take effect. The article continues, “The texting ban covers e-mailing, Internet searching, and other non-calling activity on a phone, laptop, or handheld electronic device by anyone operating a motor vehicle.” If you are found to be in violation of this new law, you will be fined, but “the offense will not be considered a moving violation and will not result in an insurance surcharge.”

For more information about this new law, see the article and visit the MA Legislative website.

Of course, if you have any questions about Reading MA Car Insurance, Reading MA Homeowners Insurance, Reading MA Life Insurance or Reading MA Business Insurance, we’d love to help! Contact your local Encharter Insurance agent today. You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Reading MA. And now, be sure to find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!

At Encharter, “It’s all about protecting you!”

Distracted Driving Facts and Tips

The recent ban on texting in MA while driving, brings up the issue of distracted driving.  There are plenty of opportunities, aside from texting, to become distracted. Ranging from internet use and “app” purchasing on Smartphones to entering an address into a GPS, Encharter recommends that you drive safely by pulling over to a well-lit parking lot or shoulder on the side of the road, or even a gas station, before using these electronics.

According to CNBC, an experiment was conducted by Car and Driver Magazine to show just how much distracted driving can impair your abilities; maybe even more so than drunk driving! These were the results for reaction time for braking:

• Unimpaired: .54 seconds to brake
• Legally drunk: add 4 feet
• Reading e-mail: add 36 feet
• Sending a text: add 70 feet

 

For those of you that still aren’t convinced that distracted driving is dangerous, look at these additional facts and articles (and even a film if you are interested!):

The Transportation Safety Group at the National Safety Council found that distracted drivers account for nearly 80 percent of car crashes.

“In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in crashes that involved distracted driving.” – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The 2008 Chatsworth train collision in LA

MBTA: Conductor in Boston trolley crash was texting his girlfriend

COW – “It’s all about Cassie COWan – a nice girl from a nice Gwent valleys family – who kills four people on the road because she used her mobile and lost her concentration for a few seconds.”

At Encharter Insurance, we want you to be as safe as possible on the road and avoid dangerous driving habits. If you have any questions about Reading Car Insurance, Reading Life Insurance, Reading Homeowner’s Insurance or Reading Business Insurance, we’d like to help! You can call us at 888-865-1244, you can visit our virtual insurance office at www.encharter.com or you can visit our office for insurance in Reading MA. And now, you can find us on Twitter© and Facebook©!