| Profax 1/11/2010 - 1/11/2010 | |
| “RULE OF 85” ARCHIVED: The North Dakota continuing education exemption known as the “rule of 85” became history on 1-1-10. Agents who met the requirement of being at least 62 years old and when adding continuous years of licensing to age equaled 85 or more were exempt from the CE requirement. Those who qualified prior to midnight on 12-31-09 are still “grandfathered” and exempt from the CE requirements BUT they must file a CE report every 24 months before their birth month like all agents will do beginning in 2010. NAME CHANGE: Northeast Mutual Insurance Company has changed its name to Family Mutual Insurance Company. The company is one of 14 county mutual companies in North Dakota, the result of mergers over the past several years of Towner County, Cavalier County, Pembina County and LaMoure-Greenfield companies. To learn more about the “new” company go to their website at www.northeastmutual.com. ENVIRONMENTALISM CAN KILL YOU! The fastest-growing environment-friendly new lighting systems are LEDs [light emitting diodes]. LEDs use about 30% less energy, last for years and are more visible when they are working. All the new TVs now have millions of LEDs in the picture tube, automobile taillights are LEDs and traffic signal lights all over the world are moving towards LEDs. So where is the danger to you? Red lights become obscured by snow in most of the world that receives snow from time to time. The LEDs do not melt the snow like conventional bulbs. Cities are savings millions of dollars in electrical energy costs and bulb replacement but are having to add maintenance and workers to physically clean the traffic lights. Last April the driver of a pickup approaching an intersection equipped with a red light intersection light did NOT see any light, any color, or any blinking because the LED was obscured by snow. The pickup driver broadsided a lady with the right of way, killing her. Police say they are willing to bet that it would not have happened if the driver who went through the light had an unobstructed view from a conventional signal. However this accident will not change the trend and phenomenon of LEDs. DISTRACTED DRIVING WILL BE AN ISSUE IN 2010: Over 200 bills to curb “distracted driving” have been proposed around the country for the coming year. In addition, four Federal bills are pending before Congress that would push states to regulate various types of cell phone usage by drivers including banning texting, requiring hands-free devices and prohibiting motorists under the age of 21 from using any devices. An interesting coalition has been formed by the wireless and auto industries plus insurance companies, doctors and safety advocates to show a powerful consensus in support of texting bans. The wireless industry wants to see a ban on texting and but not a total ban on cell phone usage while driving. They fear stronger legislation which could ban cell phone usage by ANYONE when the auto is moving. Auto makers are concerned with mandated “on-off” switches for not only cell phone usage but for navigation systems and GPS usage while driving. The debate has intensified in the past 2 years because of studies proving that texting while driving increases crash risk by 400%--even greater than that of drunk drivers! Drunk driver frequency is dropping significantly while texting while driving has skyrocketed. The issue still remains—enforcement of any law, ordinance or ban if not tied to the motion of the automobile and the cell phone. 50/50 ODDS FOR MAJOR FLOODING IN FARGO: Just one year after record flooding in Fargo and surrounding communities, the National Weather Service is predicting a 49% chance of major flooding in the area, an 80% chance of moderate flooding, and near 100% chance of minor flooding in the Red River Basin. Fall rains, current snowpack and new heavy snows upstream in SE North Dakota, NE South Dakota and Minnesota will add to flooding risk. Downstream communities including Grand Forks need to be vigilant as the probability of major flooding is currently projected at 20%. This may change with added snow and melting conditions in the entire basin. Agents and property owners MUST buy/renew/update their Flood Policies. PIAND is again co-sponsoring with the NFIP three flood seminars beginning in Minot on February 9th, Jamestown February 10th and Fargo on February 11th. Sonja Wood and other support folks will do the presentations. Insurance agents, lenders and local officials are all welcome and invited. Registration forms will be mailed this week, and are on-line at PIAND’s website. |
|
| < go back - or click here for all news and events | |
