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Research shows that fatigue is a significant factor in motor vehicle, commercial trucking and rail collisions.

• The Governors Highway Safety Association issued a report, http://www.ghsa.org/html/media/pressreleases/2016/20160808sfdrowsy.html in August 2016 concluding that the estimated annual societal cost of fatigue-related fatal and injury crashes was $109 billion. This figure does not include property damage.
• A 2014 AAA Traffic Safety Foundation study, https://www.aaafoundation.org/drowsy-driving found that 37 percent of drivers report having fallen asleep behind the wheel at some point in their lives. An estimated 21 percent of fatal crashes, 13 percent of crashes resulting in severe injury and 6 percent of all crashes, involve a drowsy driver.
• According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research, http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving+Safety/Drowsy+Driving/scope-of-the-problem, in 2014 there were 846 fatalities (2.6 percent of all fatalities) that were drowsy-driving-related.
• These reported fatalities (and drowsy-driving crashes overall) have remained largely consistent across the past decade. Between 2005 and 2009 there was an estimated average of 83,000 crashes each year related to drowsy driving. This annual average includes almost 886 fatal crashes (2.5 percent of all fatal crashes), an estimated 37,000 injury crashes, and an estimated 45,000 property damage only crashes.
• A 2013, https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L04320 by the Federal Rail Administration found that fatigue greatly increases the chances of an accident in which human factors play a role, with the risk of such an accident rising from 11 percent to 65 percent.
• Although sleepiness can affect all types of crashes during the entire day and night, drowsy-driving crashes most frequently occur between midnight and 6 a.m., or in the late-afternoon, according to NHTSA, http://www.nhtsa.gov/Driving%20Safety/Drowsy%20Driving/crashes-and-fatalities.
• The NHTSA found that many drowsy-driving crashes involve a single vehicle, with no passengers besides the driver, running off the road at a high rate of speed with no evidence of braking.

Courtesy of iii.org
Pokémon Go, a mobile app that allows users to hunt virtually for Pokémon in the real great outdoors, has taken the world by storm, amassing more users than Twitter in just a few days. However, like most cultural phenomena, Pokémon Go has also spawned unintended consequences, such as injuries and property damage resulting from distracted users—fortunately, most of these are covered by insurance, according to the Insurance information Institute (I.I.I.).

Even if you don’t know what Pokémon Go is, you’ve probably already seen it in action as there are few places immune from hordes of players scouring the neighborhood, smartphones in hand, hoping to “Catch ‘Em All.” Better still, these players are stepping outside for fresh air, exercise and to experience their world in new ways (or maybe not). Unfortunately some of them are also walking, biking, or skating into signposts, sewer grates and even each other—not to mention even more serious issues.

“We think it’s great that people are getting outside and enjoying Pokémon Go,” said Loretta Worters, vice president with the I.I.I. “But it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and be sure you’re adequately protected against risk.”

So, even if you fall hard chasing a Charizard, know that you’re covered if you have the right types of insurance, including:

Homeowners And Renters Insurance

While you’re out and about pursuing those elusive pocket monsters, rest assured that your possessions are covered if thieves break into your home. And, if someone runs off with your mobile phone, you’re in luck if you have cellphone insurance—though it might not reimburse for your lost Pokémon!

Also, if you accidentally trample somebody’s flowerbed while hot on the trail of a Bellossome (or a fellow player is injured in your home and decides to sue), most homeowners and renters policies have coverage for damage you cause to other peoples’ property and possessions as well as liability for mishaps on your property. Lastly, your Pokédex may be in good order, but you might also want to consider creating an inventory of your real possessions, which can make filing a claim easier in the event of an insurable loss.

Motor Vehicle Related Incidents

Hit while running down a Rotom? Depending on who’s at fault (and local statutes), you may be able to file a claim against the driver’s auto liability insurance policy. Almost all states require that vehicle owners and drivers carry liability insurance to cover personal injuries to third parties. Or your own uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage may pick up the tab if not.

Identity Theft And Cybercrime

Sure, the game’s called Pokémon Go but it’s really your data that’s in play. If thieves make off with your information, many insurers will cover identity theft, either as part of a homeowners or renters policy or as a stand-alone policy. Identity theft insurance reimburses victims for the cost of restoring their identity and repairing credit reports and related expenses.

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According to the National Safety Council, in 2013 about 315 million people visited an estimated 357 fixed-site amusement facilities in the United States. The council reports that there were a total of 1,221 injuries that year, or 0.9 injuries per million patron-rides. About 53 percent of the injuries occurred on family and adult rides, a decrease of 1 percent from 2012. Roller coaster injuries, which are counted separately, accounted for 40.5 percent of all injuries, down 4.1 percent from the previous year. The remaining 6 percent of injuries occurred on children’s rides, down 17 percent from a year earlier.

SNAPSHOT OF AMUSEMENT PARKS AND INJURIES, 2013 (1)

Number of facilities 357 Attendance 315.2 million Ridership 1.38 billion Ride-related injuries 1,221 Injuries per million patron-rides 0.9

(1) Facilities that operate fixed-site amusement rides only. All data are estimated by the National Safety Council.

Source: National Safety Council.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission collects data on fixed rides at amusement and theme parks, along with mobile rides at events such as carnivals, and other events. It estimates that there were 40,901 hospital-treated injuries from accidents at these sites in 2014 up 7.2 percent from 2013. In 2014, 18,807—46 percent—of these injuries were sustained by children between the ages of five and 14. The majority of those injured of all ages were treated and released, but almost 900 people were hospitalized or killed.

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A fatal car accident involving a Tesla Model S in autonomous driving mode is drawing widespread scrutiny both in the United States and overseas.

Joshua Brown was killed in May this year when a tractor trailer made a left turn in front of his Tesla and the self-driving car failed to apply the brakes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it is investigating the incident and will examine the design and performance of the automated driving systems in use at the time of the crash.

Its preliminary evaluation of the incident doesn’t indicate any conclusion about whether the Tesla vehicle was defective, the NHTSA said.

In a blog post, Tesla noted that this is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where autopilot was activated:

“Among all vehicles in the U.S., there is a fatality every 94 million miles. Worldwide, there is a fatality approximately every 60 million miles. It is important to emphasize that the NHTSA action is simply a preliminary evaluation to determine whether the system worked according to expectations.”

Tesla further noted that neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied:

“The high ride height of the trailer combined with its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer, with the bottom of the trailer impacting the windshield of the Model S.”

As companies continue to innovate and invest in self-driving technology, the crash indicates that fully automated cars are still a thing of the future.

The crash also raises important concerns over regulation.

According to this New York Times article:

“Even as companies conduct many tests on autonomous vehicles at both private facilities and on public highways, there is skepticism that the technology has progressed far enough for the government to approve cars that totally drive themselves.”

And the Wall Street Journal reports:

“Tesla now risks being the test case that could prompt new safety regulations or laws limiting the deployment of self-driving technology.”

The crash also highlights liability concerns regarding this emerging technology. Most car crashes are caused by human error, but presumably the NHTSA investigation will also evaluate potential product liability on the part of the manufacturer.

The crux of the issue is weighing up the risk of crashes versus crashes avoided via the use of self-driving technology.

As the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) notes:

“As crash avoidance technology gradually becomes standard equipment, insurers will be able to better determine the extent to which these various components reduce the frequency and cost of accidents. They will also be able to determine whether the accidents that do occur lead to a higher percentage of product liability claims, as claimants blame the manufacturer or suppliers for what went wrong rather than their own behavior.”

Liability laws might evolve to ensure autonomous vehicle technology advances are not brought to a halt, the I.I.I. adds.

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Coloring crayons are the norm at many family-friendly restaurants. Children receive them with their menus to draw, color and pass the time while waiting for their food. But have you ever wondered what happens to these crayons once you leave? Hygiene concerns often dictate that crayons placed at tables — whether used or not — are thrown away and destined for landfill. However, the life of a restaurant crayon now has a happy ending, thanks to The Crayon Initiative and CSAA Insurance Group. As a AAA Insurer, CSAA Insurance Group is one of the top property and casualty insurers in the United States and supports The Crayon Initiative’s mission of repurposing unwanted cray – ons. Discarded crayons come from restaurants, businesses and individual donations, and the donated crayons are remanufactured and donated to art therapy programs at children’s hospitals. To date, nearly two thousand CSAA Insurance Group employees have sorted more than 15,000 pounds of crayons.

Established in 2014, The Crayon Initiative is a Northern California-based nonprofit devoted to promoting the arts for children by providing them access to the resources they need. The Crayon Initiative has diverted nearly 750,000 crayons — thousands of pounds — destined for landfill The Crayon Initiative ensures crayons collected in commu – nities are remanufactured and stay in those communities to benefit local children. “The Crayon Initiative is an innovative program with many societal benefits, and we are proud to pro – vide meaningful support,” said Danielle Cagan, vice president of corporate communications and public affairs at CSAA Insurance Group. “In addition to our financial contributions, our employees demonstrate our value of caring for the community by provid – ing significant volunteer hours to support this fantastic program.”

To help The Crayon Initiative expand its reach, CSAA Insurance Group donated $40,000 to fund The Crayon Initiative’s new mobile crayon recycling trailer. The mobile trailer allows The Crayon Initiative to melt, recycle and create new crayons on-the-go. The nonprofit can now travel across the country and, ultimately, increase the number of crayons donated to children in need. “The work we do has a significant impact on our local community, but there is so much more we can do with a travelling workforce and volun – teers from other communities,” said Bryan Ware, founder of The Crayon Initiative. “The mobile crayon recycling trailer that CSAA Insurance Group funded will advance our mission to ensure that children have the tools they need to enjoy the healthful benefits of art and creativity, while also reducing waste in landfills.” to be continued…