During deer season, which generally runs from October through December, there is a dramatic increase in the movement of the deer population. Many of these deer find their way onto highways and into suburban neighborhoods. As a result, more deer-vehicle collisions occur in this period than at any other time of year.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that there are more than 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions each year, resulting in 150 occupant deaths, tens of thousands of injuries and over $1 billion in vehicle damage.

In 2013, 191 deaths were the result of collisions with animals, with deer being the animal most often struck, according to the IIHS.

One out of 169 drivers will have a claim from hitting a deer, elk or moose in 2015,, about the same as a year earlier. Those odds more than double during October, November and December. Nationally the average cost per claim average is $4,135, up 6 percent from 2014, when it was $3,888.

These claims are most likely in West Virginia, where the odds of such an accident is 1 in 44, 11.4 percent less likely than in 2014, when the odds were 1 in 39. West Virginia has held the top spot for nine years in a row. In Hawaii, the odds are 1 in 8,765, making that state the least likely for the ninth consecutive year.

FIRE LOSSES

Great strides have been made in constructing fire-resistant buildings and improving fire-suppression techniques, both of which have reduced the incidence of fire. However, in terms of property losses, these advances have been somewhat offset by increases in the number of and value of buildings. In 2014, on average, a fire department responded to a fire every 24 seconds in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association. A structure fire occurs every 64 seconds; a residential structure fire occurs every 86 seconds and an outside property fire occurs every 52 seconds.

STRUCTURE FIRES

There are about a half million fires in structures each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In 2013, 79 percent of structure fires were in residential properties and 21 percent were in non-residential structures, including storage facilities, stores and offices, and industrial properties, and public assembly. Public assembly fires include fires in eating and drinking places and other entertainment venues, houses of worship and other places where people congregate. There are approximately 7,600 structure fires in eating and drinking establishments each year, according to a NFPA report based on data between 2006 and 2010.

According to the NFPA, fires in nightclubs are among the most deadly public occupancy fires, because they contain a large number of people in one main space. In January, 2013 a deadly nightclub fire in Brazil claimed over 230 lives, making it one of the most deadly nightclub fires on record. The deadliest nightclub fire in world history was the 1903 Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago, Illinois in which 602 people were killed, followed by a 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston, Massachusetts which claimed 492 lives and a fire at the Conway’s Theater in Brooklyn, New York in 1876 which killed 285 people. The 2003 Station Fire in Rhode Island claimed 100 lives, and ranks as number eight. The complete top ten ranking is posted at NFPA: Nightclub Fires.

HOLIDAY FIRE LOSSES

Fireworks

On Independence Day in a typical year, far more U.S. fires are reported than on any other day, and fireworks account for two out of five of those fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 reported fires, including 1,200 total structure fires, 400 vehicle fires, and 16,300 outside and other fires in 2011, according to a fireworks fact sheet from the NFPA. Key stats include:

• Fireworks fires resulted in an estimated eight reported civilian deaths, 40 civilian injuries and $32 million in direct property damage.
• In 2013, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 11,400 people for fireworks related injuries; 55 percent of those injuries were to the extremities and 38 percent were to the head.
• The risk of fireworks injury is highest for young people ages 0-4, followed by children 10-14.

Home Fires

• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says Thanksgiving Day is the leading day for home cooking fires, with three times as many occurring on Thanksgiving as any other day of the year. In 2011, there were 1,210 fires on Thanksgiving, a 183 percent increase over the daily average.
• U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 230 home structure fires that began with Christmas trees from 2007 to 2011, according to a fact sheet from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
• Home Christmas tree fires caused an average of six civilian deaths, 22 civilian injuries and $18.3 million in direct property damage annually from 2007 to 2011.
• Electrical failures or malfunctions were involved in about one-third (32 percent) of the home Christmas tree structure fires. One in six (17 percent) occurred because some type of heat source was too close to the tree. Decorative lights were involved in 12 percent of these incidents. Seven percent of home Christmas tree fires were started by candles.
• The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New Year’s Day and Christmas Eve, according to another NFPA fact sheet.
• During the five-year-period of 2007-2011, the NFPA estimates that decorations were the item first ignited in an estimated average of 920 reported home structure fires per year. These fires caused an estimated average of six civilian deaths, 47 civilian injuries and $12.9 million in direct property damage per year, according to an NFPA fact sheet.

For information about Holiday Safety and Preparedness, see our Pinterest board.

Are you prepared to deal with a flood? How about a power outage? What’s your plan if there’s a hurricane coming? (Planning a hurricane party is not the correct answer.) If you have never planned for disaster, this is your time. September is National Preparedness Month, and the theme is designed to motivate. “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.”

Throughout the month there have been weekly themes to encourage awareness and action. It culminates in the National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30. On that date, you are being asked to do a specific action step to move you and your family closer to feeling prepared for natural disasters. And, for those who want to take it further, go large with acts to make your neighborhood, workplace and community safer.

It begins by knowing your risks. Make yourself more aware of what may happen, and don’t get complacent thinking that “it can’t happen to me.” Every family needs a preparedness plan in place, one that is practiced before it’s needed. It’s the key to winning in adversity, such as being able to make the discomfort of a disaster such as a hurricane tolerable until life returns to normal.

Check out our resource library on disaster preparations, as well as http://www.ready.gov/, Reading through the information is a good first step, but putting the tips to work is essential. Here’s a great way to start, with an emergency communication plan. A natural disaster is stressful, of course, but not being able to get in touch with family is the worst part. Set up a contact plan and designate a meeting place – in advance. It’s that simple – and that important.

courtesy of iii.org

We live in a so-called sharing economy, so why are drivers so unwilling to share the road? Ours is a state where pedaling a bike on the roadway is dangerous to one’s health.

Florida has the highest death rates in the nation for bicyclists, 10 times higher than the safest state (Vermont) and more than double the national average. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a new report on bicyclist deaths associated with motor vehicle traffic. It shows that while traveling by bike accounts for about 1 percent of trips, bicyclists die on U.S. roads at a rate that is double that of vehicle occupants. The study notes that the mortality rate for men is six times greater than that of women, as men are typically more likely to view biking as a sport and mode of transportation.

A news article on bicycle safety plans in Florida said it is a matter of enforcement, education and engineering. Roads and speed limits just aren’t that bike-friendly. Is the solution wider bike lanes, slower traffic, police ticketing reckless drivers? Bike advocates say grassroots education is the key. Drivers simply think they own the road and don’t want to share with cyclists.

The League of American Bicyclists has a Bike Friendly America program that offers tools to make bicycling safer and a real transportation option. Check out information on insuring a high-end bike and keeping safe out there.

Note to motorists: Living in today’s sharing economy includes sharing the road with bicyclists. “Driving nice” doesn’t cost you a thing! courtesy of iii.org

Flood damage is excluded under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. However, flood coverage is available in the form of a separate policy both from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurers.

Congress created the NFIP in 1968 in response to the rising cost of taxpayer-funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. The NFIP is self-supporting for the average historical loss year. This means that unless there is a widespread disaster, operating expenses and flood insurance claims are financed through premiums collected.

The NFIP provides coverage for up to $250,000 for the structure of the home and up to $100,000 for personal possessions. Private flood insurance is available for those who need additional insurance protection, known as “excess coverage,” over and above the basic policy or for people whose communities do not participate in the NFIP. Some insurers have introduced special policies for high-value properties. These policies may cover homes in noncoastal areas and/or provide enhancements to traditional flood coverage. The comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy includes coverage for flood damage.

A 2015 poll by the Insurance Information Institute found that 14 percent of American homeowners had a flood insurance policy. This percentage has been at about the same level every year since 2009. The percentage of homeowners with flood insurance was highest in the South, at 21 percent, compared with 20 percent in 2014. Eleven percent of homeowners in the Northeast had a flood insurance policy, which is unchanged from 2014. Nine percent of homeowners in the West had a flood insurance policy, compared with 8 percent in 2014, while 10 percent of homeowners in the Midwest had flood insurance, compared with 7 percent in 2014.

courtesy of iii.org