6 Need-to-Know Tips for Safe Boating
The weather is hot, and I’m ready to hit the water. I have many clients and friends with boats. Boating is great fun, but also very dangerous, so you need to be properly protected. I’m always sad when I hear about an accident on one of our beautiful lakes. My first thought after “Are they ok?” is always, “I hope they had enough liability coverage.” You can easily keep yourself and your loved ones safe while boating by following these important tips.
Tip #1
My first piece of advice is to take a boater safety course. I’ve taken these courses, and they are filled with excellent knowledge and tips. No one should be on the water without knowing the rules for inland boating. It is critical for the boater. One important rule I see violated again and again is safe speed. As a boat operator you are required to maintain a safe speed. According to the Coast Guard, safe speed means you can “take proper and effective action to avoid a collision and be stopped within an appropriate distance to the prevailing conditions and circumstances.” Safe speed is not predetermined. Boaters must constantly evaluate the current conditions and make a determination of what safe speed is for the situation.
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Being an insurance agent reminds me of coaching basketball. Yesterday I wrote auto and homeowners insurance for one of my former basketball players. I coached her 20 years ago at Roane State Community College; what a player she was! She scored 40 points in the state championship game in 1989 (yes, a long time ago) which seeded the team #1 in the regional tournament. Her performance on the basketball court was one of the best I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a LOT of basketball). On that special night, her teammates realized she was on fire. I think she could have shot the ball with her eyes closed, and she would have made the basket. Every teammate wanted to pass the ball to her to get an assist. They were in it with her and excited for her success. Her individual success made it easier for the team to win that night. On a side note, we qualified for the National Tournament and finished 8th in the nation that year.
Lately social media has me pondering General Liability and Workers Compensation insurance education. This week on the Facebook group, “I Know a Place in Knoxville” someone asked a great question about hiring contractors who are not insured. She wanted to know the risks associated with hiring a house painter without liability insurance. Contractors, repair people, and anyone who works in your home or on your property should have General Liability and Workers Compensation coverage. Several people (with no insurance experience) offered great comments. Because I am an insurance professional and I’ve witnessed many bad outcomes from this same scenario, I weighed in. I also gave her my personal phone number. Today she called. She had hired this painter previously, and he did a great job. Because his painting skills and work ethic were top notch, she generously thought she might pay half of a General Liability policy for him. She now knows that she should never hire a contractor who doesn’t have proper insurance coverage.
Wow, I’ve been in the insurance business for 20 years! I can still remember how I felt 20 years ago as a young, inexperienced insurance agent, when a client would call to add a youthful driver to their auto insurance. After making the change to their auto policy, I would apologize for the difference in auto premium because it seemed extremely high. The difference in premium when adding a young driver to your policy is always more than the client expects; usually twice as much. After 20 years and many youthful drivers later, I no longer apologize for the increase in auto premiums. As a matter of fact, I am unapologetic.
In my agency we are extremely thorough when discussing coverages and deductibles. I have many discussions with my clients about deductibles for auto and 
Traffic accidents can happen to anyone. According to Statistica.com, 6.3 million auto accidents occur annually. Auto accidents even happen to insurance agents. A couple of weeks ago as I was driving back to my office from an afternoon meeting, an older gentleman merged into my lane and hit my car. The passenger side of my SUV was damaged by his front fender, but thankfully I wasn’t hurt. We quickly pulled to the side of the road. As he exited his vehicle, the other driver appeared slightly confused. I made sure he was ok, and then we called the police. During the wait for the police officer, he continued to tell me it was his fault and that he didn’t see me. When the officer arrived, the other driver took responsibility and reported that the accident was his fault. He continued to seem somewhat confused about the process. Since we had moved the cars for safety, I gave the officer the details of where and how the accident occurred. It was evident from the car damage that the other driver had merged into me. The other driver and I exchanged personal info, and I left the scene with the accident report number in hand. Getting the accident number was routine for me as I know what to expect.
I can hardly believe it, but this year marks my 20th year in the insurance industry. When I entered the insurance industry from the education field, I was always surprised at customer reaction. Every time I introduced myself as an insurance professional, I immediately felt the client’s mistrust and skepticism. That level of mistrust is a sad comment on the insurance industry, but I have made it my mission for over twenty years to change and improve that perception.
