Choosing Commercial Auto Insurance

 

The rules regarding commercial auto insurance in North Carolina can be somewhat confusing to the layman but one thing is easy to understand - if your business owns a vehicle, you're required to carry commercial auto insurance.  Whether it's one vehicle or a hundred, personal auto insurance won't work if the vehicles are owned by the business.  Personal vehicles are different.  Using a personal vehicle for work purposes may be okay with personal auto insurance coverage under certain circumstances.

Personal Car or Commercial Vehicle?

For small business owners, the line between what's business and what's personal can be fuzzy.  If you drive your personal vehicle for business purposes at times and you carry personal auto insurance coverage, it's important that you understand how your insurer defines commercial use of your car or truck.  Your insurer should also be aware of the ways that you use your vehicle.

If you're driving a personal vehicle covered by a personal auto insurance policy and cause/incur any damages, your insurance company may deny a claim if they determine the vehicle was being used for business purposes.  An example of this is personal cars being used for rideshare operations such as Lyft or Uber.  If you use your vehicle for any business-related purposes, your insurer may consider it as a commercial vehicle.  It's best to check with them and let them know what your activities include.

Here are some examples of personal car use that an insurer may consider business use:

• Providing a service for which you're paid a fee
• Picking up or delivering goods of any type
• Visiting clients at their locations

Your vehicle may also be considered a commercial vehicle if: 

• The named owner on the title is a business
• The vehicle is rented to others
• The vehicle is driven on a consistent basis by you or others for both personal and business purposes

Commercial Auto Insurance Costs

A variety of factors may influence the cost of your commercial auto insurance.  These include:

• Specific coverage needs, including the minimum amount of liability coverage required by law for specific vehicle(s).
• Where your business is located plays a role in premium costs.  Larger cities will usually require higher premium costs than small towns.
• Type of business is a factor.
• Types of vehicles are important.
• Driving history of vehicle operators factor in to policy costs.
• The extent of your vehicles' travel radius affects premium costs.

Auto Insurance and Teen Driving Lessons

 

In North Carolina, teen drivers between the ages of 15-17 are required to go through a process called "graduated licensing" before being allowed to receive full driving privileges.  This process has strict requirements for teens as they gain the on-the-road experience needed to drive a vehicle with minimal restrictions and no supervision.

Eligibility requires that a teen driver: 

• Be at least 15 years old
• Has received a Driving Eligibility Certificate
• Has completed a state-approved driver education course

Driving Eligibility Certificate

Students completing their high school requirements will be issued a Driver Eligibility Certificate by their school.  They must be between the ages of 15 and 17 and currently enrolled in school and be making progress toward achieving either a high school diploma or GED.

Driver Education Courses

Teens 14-1/2 years old or older and progressing toward a high school diploma or GED may enroll in an approved driver education course.  These are provided through North Carolina high schools.  

Driver education courses consist of:

• 30 hours of classroom instruction
• An eye test
• Six hours of behind-the-wheel training on the road 

Upon completion, a Driver's Education Certificate is awarded, which is part of the requirement for obtaining a learner permit, step one in the graduated licensing process.  Click here to see descriptions of all three levels of the graduated licensing process.

Driving Lessons

Driving lessons extend throughout the North Carolina teen graduated licensing process.  They start while qualifying for step one, obtaining the Limited Learner Permit, while completing the driver education 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind-the-wheel training.

Driving lessons continue during the 12-month learner permit period and an approved adult driver is required to be in the passenger seat during all drive times.  A minimum amount of 60 hours driving time, certified by a supervising driver, is required before moving onto step two of the process, Limited Provisional License.

Teens driving their parents' vehicle during the 12-month learner permit period are automatically covered under their parents' auto insurance.  Once the Limited Provisional License is obtained, the teen driver must be added to the parents' auto insurance or a separate policy taken out.  Offspring of insured drivers may stay on the parents' auto insurance policy as long as they reside in the same home or are away at school.  This is often a less expensive option than getting their own policy.  Parents should expect premiums to rise significantly.

9 Tips for Safer Grilling

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that seven out of every ten adults living in the U.S. have a grill or a smoker (according to Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association).  The NFPA further reveals that in recent years fire departments responded to a yearly average of 8,900 fires that involved either grills, barbecues or hibachis, consisting of 3,900+ structure fires and 4,900+ outside and/or unclassified fires.

Each year, when the warmer weather hits and the BBQ grills start getting more use, the risk of home fires increases.  Here are some tips that may help to improve your grill safety.

1. Any grill, whether charcoal, wood or propane fueled will produce carbon monoxide, (or CO), when being used.  CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause serious injury and even death when breathed in for any length of time.  Prudent grill safety demands that you never use a grill indoors or anywhere you're not surrounded by fresh air.
2. Your grill should be moved at least 10 feet from any surface that can burn.  This includes the siding of your home and your garage.  Nothing should be above your grill, including a patio cover, roof overhang or tree branches.  Don't push your grill up against a deck railing.  This could become hot and start to burn.
3. Make sure your grill is placed on a flat, even, stable surface to prevent it from tipping over.
4. Check your propane grill for gas leaks before using it for the first time each grilling season.  Spray a 50/50 solution of dish soap and water on valves and hoses and look for bubbles.  Leaks may require hose tightening or replacement.
5. Never leave your grill unattended while in use.  If you must walk away, have another adult take your place watching the grill.
6. Keep a small spray bottle filled with water close at hand to extinguish any small flare-ups caused by fat dripping from the meat you're cooking.
7. A fire extinguisher should be nearby your grill and you should know how to effectively use it without having to stop to read the directions.
8. Clean your grill regularly, preferably after each use.  Don't allow fat or grease to build up as this is a major cause of fire flare-ups.
9. Never turn on the propane while your grill cover is closed.  This can cause gas to build up and, when ignited, explode into a fireball.