Your motorcycle is one of your most prized possessions.  That’s why it’s crucial that you take steps to protect it as much as possible.  While you can’t avoid accidents, however, you can make an investment in motorcycle insurance.  Deciding what type and how much coverage you need can be tricky, though.  To figure out how much you need, ask yourself these questions.

1. What would I do if I couldn’t ride my motorcycle?  For some people losing their bike would be absolutely devastating.  It would mean that they couldn’t get to work or do the things they love.  If that sounds like you, then you need to make sure to get a comprehensive policy that protects you against practically any scenario.
2. Do you still have payments on your bike?  If you have a motorcycle loan, then your loan company may require you to carry insurance that will cover any accidental or intentional damage or theft.  At the very least, you’ll want a collision policy that will get your bike repaired after an accident.
3. Can you afford to repair your bike yourself?  If you are in an accident, can you afford to make repairs on your own?  If doing so would be a big financial burden, then you might want to consider a comprehensive and/or uninsured motorist policy.  This coverage would provide funds so that you could make repairs or replace your motorcycle.

If you live in the Evergreen Park, IL area and you need to get motorcycle insurance, call the agents at Martin Insurance Team.  They have years of experience helping people find the right motorcycle policy.

Your teen driver wants nothing more than to be out on the open road of Illinois with their shiny new driver’s license. This is all well and great, but you want to keep them safe. How do you accomplish this? Here are a few tips to help.

#1: Go Over the Rules

House rules should be established, including:

• When they can drive
• Where they can drive
• Who they can have in the car

This will make it easier for them to know what they have to do and how you want to keep them safe.

#2: Restrict Night Driving

A number of accidents happen at night and much of this is because teens haven’t gotten used to driving at night. The IIHS estimates that 40 percent of teen crashes happen after sunset, so you may want to limit driving time to 8 pm.

#3: Reiterate the Basics

Sometimes you have to go over the rules again and again. Always wear a seatbelt. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t text and drive. They have heard it before, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

#4: Establish Punishments

What happens if they are found texting while driving or having more than the allowed number of friends in the car? If your teen knows that there are consequences (and you are going to follow through on them), they will be more likely to think twice before breaking the rules.

#5: Limit the Friends in the Car

Oh my God! So-and-so got her license. It’s been said many times and before you know it, your teen could have four other teens in the car, talking and singing and carrying on. Whether the teen is male or female, limit the number of friends so that concentration is always on the road.

Contact Martin Insurance Team today for quotes and to have questions answered. We look forward to helping you find the right policy in Evergreen Park, IL.

The road is full of many different types of vehicles, each with their own set of considerations for other drivers.

The Standard: Mid-sized automobiles

If you picked a random vehicle off the road, chances are high that it would be a four-wheeled metal chariot with two or four doors, weighing anywhere from three to four-thousand pounds. Because of their common distribution, the best advice for creating a safe environment for the other cars on the road is to follow all standing and posted traffic laws.

Larger Vehicles

Grant a healthy amount of respect to the force carried by the big rigs and buses. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh over 80,000 pounds – over ten times that of the typical sedan with two passengers. All of that bulk means their acceleration, top speed, and turning ability will all be lower than their smaller cousins. They can also miss seeing vehicles directly behind them due to their larger blind spots; unless you can see a mirror or the driver directly, assume they don’t know that you’re there.

The Little Ones

It may not seem like it while riding next to a pair of tractor-trailers and an SUV, but the family sedan is far from the smallest vehicle on the road. Motorcycles may be light, nimble, and incredibly fuel efficient, but they will suffer more from an accidental collision than any other vehicle type. Even if the rider is weaving in and out of traffic, try to keep an eye on motorcycles in your general vicinity. If they approach you, try to limit the moves of your vehicle to deliberate transitions several seconds after activating your turn signal.

Whether you’re operating one of the big boys, a daily driver, or a man-powered marvel, the Martin Insurance Team is ready to get you prepared to take on the road with the peace of mind that being insured offers you.

 

Proper storage of your motorcycle can help you to keep it safe. Motorcycles are at a higher risk of being stolen than other types of motor vehicles. They are valuable, though, and they can be as expensive to purchase, in some cases, as vehicles. For these reasons, you should maintain a high-quality motorcycle insurance plan on your bike in Evergreen Park, IL to make sure you are financially protected from theft. However, a few tips can help you avoid this risk by keeping your bike properly stored.

First, keep it out of sight. There is no reason to leave it outside of the garage or in open view if you can avoid doing so. While your neighbors will still know you own the bike, those would-be thieves driving by your home will not. It’s less likely your neighbor will steal it from you.

Next, ensure it is anchored into place. Specifically, you’ll want to ensure that when it is in storage, it is locked into place to a sturdy object. For example, if you are placing it in your garage, anchor it down with a chain to a fixture in the garage that cannot be moved.

You also don’t want to trust a sound-based alarm as the only option. Most people don’t pay attention to these types of alarms. Rather, use these other tips to help you to keep your bike safe. Don’t assume an alarm is a good enough solution.

And, let us help you.

At Martin Insurance Team, our goal is to help residents in Evergreen Park, IL to find the most affordable insurance policy for their needs. Talk to us today about your motorcycle insurance needs and allow us to keep your bike safe even if theft does occur.

Here are a few tips to help know if there is value in buying a particular used car.

Take the car to a qualified mechanic, who knows the model and make of the car very well. Ask the mechanic to look the car over carefully and give an opinion of its quality to determine if there is the likelihood of having serious problems.

Mechanic Inspection
The mechanic needs to check the engine and make sure all the systems are working properly. A review of the maintenance records is good to see if the vehicle had proper maintenance. Check the tires for unusual wear and see if the wheels have correct alignment.

Look Underneath
While at the mechanic’s shop, put the car up on a rack and look at the under carriage. Winter weather and driving on roads were salt was used, wreak havoc to the under carriage of a vehicle. If the road salt is left to corrode the exposed metal, there will be evidence of rust when looking underneath the vehicle.

Compare the Price
Kelly Blue Book has an online service that shows the average price of a used vehicle. Simply go to kbb.com and under the car-values tab, enter the car year, make, model, and mileage. The system then gives three prices, which are: 1) Buy from a dealer. 2) Buy a certified pre-owned vehicle from a dealer. or, 3) Buy from a private party.

Get Auto Insurance
If the vehicle is in decent condition, passes the mechanic’s inspection, and the price is good, then the final thing to do when making a purchase of a used vehicle is to get auto insurance. It is not safe to drive the vehicle, even down the block, without having auto insurance in place for adequate coverage in case of an accident.

Contact the agents of the Martin Insurance Team for help with any of your insurance needs.

Because of the lack of protection when riding a motorcycle, motorcycle deer crashes almost always result in injury. This is why it is of utmost importance for motorcyclists to do all they can to avoid deer crashes. During the fall and winter deer are most active due to this being their mating season as well as their migration season. Here are a few tips that can help you stay on watch during this time of year.

Know Deer Behavior

Deer are most active during the early morning and early evening. Dusk and dawn are their favorite times to be active because their colors blend in best with their surroundings. Although this may help them in hide from predators, it does not help motorists who are usually rushing to or from work at this time. During deer season you should make it a goal to leave a little early for work so that you will not be tempted to drive fast. Driving slower is the single best way to avoid a crash or to lessen the damage from a crash.

Brake Don’t Swerve

Despite the instinct to get out of the way of an object, it is always better to brake hard rather than attempt to swerve out of a deer’s path. Swerving on a motorcycle is especially dangerous. Impact with a deer will be less damaging than impact with an oncoming vehicle, a tree or a pole.

Wear a Helmet

Despite the fact that not all states require helmets, they are the single best way to prevent head injury in the event of an accident. The threat of head injury is the same whether you live in a state that requires helmets by law or not. Be sure the helmet you use is certified by the DOT and labeled with a DOT sticker.    

For more information on motorcycle safety and insurance contact Martin Insurance Team serving Evergreen Park, IL.