Page 43 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – May 2019

Ask the Expert: Ed Conley
For more information, call your AAA insurance agent or insurance customer service at 1-800-288-4467, or visit your local branch.
Each issue, we’ll break down
an insurance topic – and what
it means for you – with answers from Ed Conley, CPIA and Director of Insurance Sales and Financial Services at AAA. Have a question for Ed? Drop us a line at AAA.com/AskEd.
What is so special about “specialty insurance?”
Specialty insurance is coverage for items that your typical auto or home policy won’t cover – things like a flood; classic car;
motorcycle; RV and boat insurance. You’ve worked hard to be in a position where you can have a little fun, make sure your insurance coverage is ready to keep up. Having a claim on your motorcycle or camper is a bummer. Having that claim only to find out that your aftermarket saddlebags or satellite TV isn’t covered – well that’ll ruin your summer. Talk to your insurance agent about your options and feel free to brag a little about your toys. It will help us determine exactly what you need covered.
What are the different types of specialty insurance?
• Motorcycle insurance provided through AAA
offers replacement cost coverage and travel loss reimbursement, and also might include coverage for permanently attached accessories, as well as safety apparel and helmets.
• Collector vehicle insurance covers antiques, street rods, classics, collector motorcycles, muscle cars, vintage race cars, kit cars, military vehicles, new exotics, tractors, custom cars and fire engines. Restorations in the process, harder- to-place autos (such as Ford Shelby Cobras) and collector trucks also might be eligible.
• Watercraft insurance policies provided through AAA cover various types of watercraft: powerboat, sport-fisher, sailboat, mid-performance boat, high-performance boat, bass boat, pontoon boat, ski boat, hovercraft, trawler, houseboat, airboat and personal watercraft. Discounts on watercraft insurance policies also might be offered based on watercraft ownership experience.
Maximize Motorcycle Safety
Springlike temperatures draw motorcyclists to Ohio’s roadways. Historically, this also means an increase in motor- cycle crashes. During the past five years, more than 18,000 motorcycle crashes occurred on Ohio’s roads, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. As a result of these crashes, 804 motorcyclists died and more than 15,500 were injured. Crashes spike in the spring when the weather warms. This year, AAA
is encouraging motorists and motorcyclists to take steps to prevent crashes and costly out-of-pocket expenses.
“Everyone can do their part to safely share the road, especially between May and September, when motorcyclists are more likely to take advantage of good weather and go for a drive,” said Ed Conley, director of Insurance Sales and Financial Services for AAA Ohio Auto Club. “Before you take off on a warm day, it’s also a good idea to give your insurance agent a call and make sure your bike is properly insured.”
For motorcyclists:
• Before you ride, check tire pressure and tread depth. Make sure brakes, headlights and signal indicators are in working order.
• Always ride with a helmet that meets the U.S. Department
of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. Helmets greatly reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash. During the past five years 71 percent of the motorcyclists killed in crashes on Ohio’s roads were not wearing a helmet, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
• Wear other protective gear, such as motorcycle gloves, jacket and pants.
• Keep your lights on, wear bright colors and use reflective tape, even during the daytime. Position yourself in the lane where drivers can see you.
• Follow traffic laws, always use turn signals and combine hand signals with turn signals when you can to make your intentions even more clear.
• Never ride impaired – 26 percent of fatally injured riders in 2016 were driving under the influence of alcohol, according to IIHS.
• Cover your assets. If you’ve done any work to your bike over
the winter, or added any accessories, make sure you have enough insurance coverage for those items, as well as your helmet and leather, in case they’re damaged or stolen.
For drivers:
• Check mirrors and blind spots for motorcyclists before entering or leaving lanes of traffic and at intersections.
• Signal before changing lanes or merging with traffic. Even when signaling, allow enough time to determine a motorcyclist’s intention before you proceed.
• Increase following distance behind motorcycles and provide enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.
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