ATD Insurance

Many two-vehicle crashes occur because one vehicle is following another too closely. Rear-end collisions can be avoided if the following car keeps a safe distance. Use the two-second rule to establish a safe distance.

Select a stationary object ahead, such as an overpass or a traffic sign. Start to count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two" as soon as the car you are following passes the object. If it takes less than two seconds, you are following two closely.

• A good way to get rid of tailgaters is to slow down and make it easy for them to pass you

• You should never follow closer than two seconds behind the vehicle in front of you.

• Long distance driving is exhausting, and may negatively affect your awareness and reaction time. It is a good idea to increase your following distance to six seconds and remember to stop and rest every two hours.

• Drivers should increase their following distance by several seconds as a general rule in adverse weather, and when you are towing a trailer or other object, to give you extra stopping time.

Summer is here and many property owners with vacation homes are opening them up or renting them out for another busy season. But before you string up the hammock, make sure all your property and "toys" are fully insured.

Once it's occupied, vacation property must be easily accessible, without potential hazards, and maintained on a regular schedule. This means clearing walkways, maintaining boat docks, and doing whatever else is needed to keep the property safe and preventing the liability risks that can crop up on any property.

While the personal property of the owner is covered, coverage for the property located anywhere other than the owner's primary residence is limited under most homeowner policies to 10 percent of the amount provided on the homeowner's policy. However, customers can buy additional coverage by increasing the amount or endorsing the coverage provided under the separate dwelling policy for the vacation home. Some insurers may write a second homeowners policy to address many of these issues.