You can feel it in the air. You can see it in the longterm forecast. Retail shelves are already stocked full of beach towels, sand buckets, and sunscreen. Summer is on the way. And while its arrival is one to celebrate, it does come with a set of insurance and liability concerns that your household needs to be mindful of. Thankfully, FAM Insurance is coming to the rescue (Baywatch style) with some helpful advice on how you can enjoy an endless (and claim-free) summer.
5-Stepย Guideย toย Keeping Householdsย Claims-Free Through the Entire Summer Season
1. Summer-Smartย Driving on Your Road Trip
Chances are youโre hitting the road for vacation or summer long weekends. This is where you need to be diligent in keeping your household safe from harm and liability concern.ย Even if you exhibit theย characteristics of a good driver, youโre not perfect. Things happen, especially in the summer months when the roads and highways are packed with vacationers who may be new to a locale or highway system.
You will get tired on your road trip. Itโs an inevitability on those long hot days. Driving while fatigued is one of the top culprits in highway accidents. Nip this potential in the bud before hitting the road. Take a nap before a long drive. Avoid foods that bring on drowsiness. Drive when your body clock is at its best.
Distracted driving is also a leading cause of accidents. Take the necessary precautions. Avoid talking/texting, adjusting auto-tech settings, and anything else that takes your eyes off the road or both hands off of the wheel. ย View more on how to prevent common driver distractions. Of course, not all distractions are as obvious. These include conversing with passengers and thinking about daily stresses. Take a more in-depth look at unanticipated driver distractions to make sure youโre not guilty of any of them.
In addition, many households are headed out on the Florida Roads Trip this summer in a Recreational Vehicle (RV). Alternatively, you may be towing a trailer. These come with their own unique set of preparedness plans.
2. Keep Your Vacated Home Safe
Summer vacations and weekend trips leave householdsย concerned about the safety of their vacated home. But there is a lot you can do to abate this worry.
For one, avoid telling the world (burglars included) that youโre away on vacation through your social media activity. From there, follow these tips to crime-proofing your home. But there are other threats.
Almost every household has experienced coming home to a flooded bathroom, kitchen, or worse. Itโs one thing for this to happen while youโre at work. Itโs another when youโve been away on an extended summer trip or even a full day of activities. On the interior, have your water systems (tank, pipes, etc.) inspected and repair caulking around bathtubs, sinks, and toilets as needed, before the season. On the outside, clean and repair gutters/downspouts and weatherproof the trim and siding of your homeโs exterior.
3. Keepย Yourย Summer Vacation Home Safe
Some of you have summer homes. This property is also is a primary concern. Protective measures include building relationships with your temporary neighbors (who reside there all year) and keeping the property in good order by having someone maintain it to ensure that the yard, pathways, and any other injury-prone zones are clear. Otherwise, the same rules for standard homeownership apply, which includes following best practices regarding crime-proofing in addition to water and fire damage concerns discussed above.
4. Claim-Free Airbnb
If you have a home or vacation property for rent on a homestay/home-sharing service such as Airbnb, you have liability concerns. These concerns are mirrored by your own day to day concerns regarding break-ins, water, and fire damage. However, they are compounded by the fact that someone else is residing (temporarily) on your property. They wonโt exercise the same level of caution as you do. In fact, they themselves may open you up to liability claims. While thereย are service protection plans in place (through Airbnb, etc.) these plans come with a long list ofย terms & conditionsย that leave you confused about what is and isnโt protected. So be sure to referenceย these 3 key tips to protecting your homestay/home-sharing vacation rental this summer.
5. Worry-Free on the Water
If youโre one of the fortunate few to have a boat, then you know how exciting the summer can be. You also understand the liability concerns. To keep them at bay, make sure that you have yourย Pleasure Craft Operators Card (PCOC) andย consider taking a refresher courseย with a BC chapter of theย Canadian Power and Sail Squadron. Also take the time to read a copy of Canadaโsย Marine Liability Act. Avoid common acts that can cancel your boat insurance policy, which include the consumption of alcohol and reckless boating. Lastly,ย make sureย that your boatย is equipped with personal flotation devices andย manualย propelling devices (paddles or oars).
Conclusion โ One of the best things you can do before the arrival (or at the onset) of the summer, is to take this list and sit down with an independent insurance broker. You can run through everything that applies to your household, and make sure that you have adequate coverage for every person, place, and possession impacted by your summer season agenda. Contact FAM Insurance todayย to ensure that you indeed enjoy a proverbial endless summer in the months ahead.