http://www.neighborhoodinsuranceservice.com/blog/View Neighborhood Insurance Services's Website Blogen-uspostmaster@www.neighborhoodinsuranceservice.comInsurance Website Builder - www.insurancewebsitebuilder.comurn:uuid:040e81d6-dec5-4415-ba9f-e6bed849c2a7urn:uuid:db522e96-cc37-4fd8-ba32-ac915b49f1b7 by Dayton Business Journal - Oct 09,2009 As the federal government looks to ban texting while driving, a new survey finds that isn’t the most dangerous distraction for drivers: Kids and road rage are. The survey of more than 3,000 drivers also found...Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:17:22 -0500<div class="insurance_news" id="article_body" style="text-align: left;" valign="top"> <h5>by <a href="http://www.insuranceheadlines.com/author/Dayton-Business-Journal.html"><span style="color: #0066cc;">Dayton Business Journal</span></a> - Oct 09,2009</h5> <p>As the federal government looks to ban texting while driving, a new survey finds that isn’t the most dangerous distraction for drivers: Kids and road rage are.</p> <p sizcache="35" sizset="5">The survey of more than 3,000 drivers also found a distinct difference between men and women when it comes to distractions on the road, according to <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/gen/LeaseTrader.com_E88014E015EA4A0486E749B6459020F1.html" class="story_clink" jquery1255071889421="2"><strong>LeaseTrader.com</strong></a>, which conducted the poll.</p> <p>For 18.3 percent of men, road rage frustration was the most dangerous distraction, followed by eating/drinking (14.7 percent), checking out other drivers (10.9 percent) and kids in the car (9.8 percent).</p> <p>For women, kids in the car were the No. 1 distraction (26.3 percent) followed by putting on makeup (16.6 percent), messing with the radio (10.4 percent) and navigation (9.5 percent). Women did not cite road rage as a distraction.</p> <p>Just 7.6 percent of men and 4.2 percent of women cited texting while driving as a dangerous distraction.</p> <p sizcache="35" sizset="6"><a href="http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/09/28/daily66.html" target="_blank" jquery1255071889421="3"><strong>Last week,</strong></a> the Obama administration said it was cracking down on texting while driving. The president signed an executive order directing federal employees not to text-message while driving government-owned vehicles, when using electronic equipment while driving, or while driving their own vehicles while conducting government business.</p> <p sizcache="35" sizset="6"><em>© American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.</em> </p> </div> urn:uuid:6b6b808d-d95c-4203-81fe-f8e67132fc71<img src='http://blog.insweb.com/assets_c/2009/09/hand-washing-thumb-250x231-365.jpg' align='left' />Worried about swine flu? You're not alone. Americans are all a bit paranoid about catching H1N1 swine flu, and for good reason. The swine flu is a potentially deadly virus. Hundreds of people in Mexico have died after contracting the virus, and now i...Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:38:10 -0500<p>Worried about swine flu? You're not alone. Americans are all a bit paranoid about catching H1N1 swine flu, and for good reason. The swine flu is a potentially deadly virus. Hundreds of people in Mexico have died after contracting the virus, and now it's sweeping across the U.S. like wildfire. In fact, a report from the White House estimates that swine flu may affect as many as 40% of Americans in the coming year. But don't panic just yet. Swine flu can be avoided if you follow a few precautionary steps.</p> <div class="entry-more" id="more"> <p><a href="http://blog.insweb.com/assets_c/2009/09/hand-washing-365.html" onclick="window.open('http://blog.insweb.com/assets_c/2009/09/hand-washing-365.html','popup','width=319,height=295,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img width="250" height="231" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px;" alt="hand-washing.JPG" src="http://blog.insweb.com/assets_c/2009/09/hand-washing-thumb-250x231-365.jpg" /></a></p> <li> <p><strong>Get the swine flu vaccine </strong>- if you're a pregnant mother, a health care worker or provide care to children younger than 6 months, you are strongly encouraged to get a swine flu vaccine. The vaccine is due out in October. </p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Wash your hands frequently</strong> - scrub vigorously for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap. If you can't find a sink, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a good substitute. </p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Give your immune system a shot in the arm</strong> - proper nutrition (you know, fruits and vegetables?) is the best way to boost your body's natural defenses. Load up on vitamins and minerals and keep swine flu at bay. </p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Avoid people who are sick</strong> - if someone is sick, steer clear. Don't use a water fountain after them, don't let them borrow your pen and definitely don't get stuck in an elevator with them. </p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Keep your workspace clean</strong> - with dozens of co-workers shuffling about, your workspace could be filled with millions of harmful germs, so make an effort to disinfect your cubicle as often as possible. Bring a can of Lysol to work and spray like there's no tomorrow.</p> <p>If you do come down with swine flu, do the world a favor and stay home (it's a darn good excuse to get a day off). Just because CNN's Sanjay Gupta survived it doesn't mean we'll all be so lucky. Your community will thank you.</p> </li> </div> urn:uuid:dfc1909e-7406-4786-8541-3667887bd861By Ken Thomas October 1, 2009  Opening a government meeting on auto safety, the Obama administration reported Wednesday that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a s...Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:01:00 -0500<h1><span style="font-size: 13px;">By </span><a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/feedback/?f=8&amp;a=104221&amp;author=474&amp;code=author&amp;url=/news/national/2009/10/01/104221.htm" title="Contact this author" onclick="openWin( 'http://www.insurancejournal.com/feedback/?f=8&amp;a=104221&amp;author=474&amp;code=author&amp;url=/news/national/2009/10/01/104221.htm','feedback','width=320,height=385,menubar=0,toolbar=0,status=0,location=0,resizable=yes,scrollbars=auto');return false;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Ken Thomas</span></a><br /> <span style="font-size: 13px;">October 1, 2009</span>  </h1> <p>Opening a government meeting on auto safety, the Obama administration reported Wednesday that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a striking indication of the dangers of using mobile devices behind the wheel. </p> <p>The Transportation Department was bringing together experts over two days for what it's calling a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ncozgx">"distracted driving summit''</a> to take a hard look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting from behind the wheel. </p> <p>Secretary Ray LaHood was expected to offer recommendations today that could lead to new restrictions on using the devices while driving. </p> <p>LaHood said the administration would "work with Congress'' to develop ways of curbing distracted driving. The meeting would solicit ideas to address the problem "similar to what went on with seat belts and (blood-alcohol limits of) 0.08 where you really <a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/07/22/102409.htm">educate the public</a>, where you tell people that they have to take personal responsibility for these things.'' </p> <p>Ultimately, LaHood said, he wanted the meeting to set "the stage for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving.'' </p> <p>"You see people texting and driving and using cell phones and driving everywhere you go, even in places where it's outlawed, like Washington, D.C. We feel a very strong obligation to point to incidents where people have been killed or where serious injury has occurred,'' LaHood said. </p> <p>Hours before the start of the meeting, Transportation officials said in a research report that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes where at least one form of driver distraction was reported. Driver distraction was involved in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008. </p> <p>The panel of government officials, safety advocates, researchers and lawmakers hoped to develop a consensus on the roadway hazards and hear warnings from young adults who caused car accidents because they were texting while driving. </p> <p>The new data underscored the major problem of distractions involving <a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/01/25/76288.htm">young drivers</a>. The greatest proportion of distracted drivers were those age 20 and under. Sixteen percent of all under-20 drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving, the government said. </p> <p>Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have <a href="http://tinyurl.com/5k5bwy">passed laws</a> making texting while driving illegal and seven states and the district have banned driving while talking on a handheld cell phone, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Many safety groups have urged a nationwide ban on texting and on using handheld mobile devices while behind the wheel. </p> <p>In July, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater. Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about six times in cars and trucks. </p> <p>The Virginia Tech researchers found the risks of texting generally applied to all drivers, not just truckers. A separate report by Car and Driver magazine found that texting and driving is more dangerous than drunken driving. </p> <p>Congress is watching closely. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who will address the gathering, and other Democrats <a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/07/30/102621.htm">introduced legislation</a> in July that would require states to ban texting or e-mailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 percent of their annual federal highway funding. The Obama administration has not taken a position on the bill. </p> <p>Some groups want tough laws on the distractions. The National Safety Council wants a total ban on cell phone use while driving. The Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety has petitioned the government to consider federal rules that restrict talking and texting by drivers of tractor trailers, motor coaches and large vans. </p> <p>"What we're saying is, 'Let's be proactive on this.' Let's get in there now and start evaluating these technologies and figure out which ones pose safety risks,'' said Jacqueline Gillan, vice president for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. </p> <p>Other groups have focused on texting, which has grown from nearly 10 billion messages a month in December 2005 to more than 110 billion in December 2008, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, the cellular phone industry's trade group. </p> <p>The Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety officials, recently reversed course and said it would support new laws banning texting behind the wheel. The Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, which <a href="http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2009/09/23/104006.htm">represents 11 automakers</a>, including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, said it supports a ban on texting and phone calls using handheld devices. </p> <p>CTIA also supports a ban on texting while driving but has argued that education and enforcement are critical to changing driver behavior. CTIA and the National Safety Council announced plans for public service announcements warning teen drivers of the dangers of distracted driving.</p> <div class="ap_notice">Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</div> urn:uuid:fbf14e86-5c6a-40e5-88fc-e70e665f8e78 How healthy is living in Mississippi? Mississippi climbed out of last place in the United Health Foundation's annual ranking of the healthiest states. In 2007, the state was ranked #49. The state is definitely not "out of the woods," though, with so...Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:04:36 -0500<h1> <h3>How healthy is living in Mississippi?</h3> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">Mississippi climbed out of last place in the United Health Foundation's annual ranking of the healthiest states. In 2007, the state was ranked #49. The state is definitely not "out of the woods," though, with some of the worst ratings in 15 of 22 categories of measurement, including the <i>worst rating </i>in three of those categories.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">The good news:</span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Mississippi earned a #4 ranking in the category measuring the prevalence of binge drinking. Just 10.3 percent of the state's population reported having drunken excessively in a designated 30-day period, compared to the national average of 15.6 percent. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">The prevalence of smoking declined by 5 percent and the incidence of infectious disease decreased by 17 percent in the past year. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Since 1990, the state's infant mortality rate has fallen by 22 percent. </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">The bad news:</span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">The state was ranked dead last for its high incidence of cardiovascular death and for its prevalence of obesity. The prevalence of obesity has increased by 117 percent since 1990. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">For the second straight year, Mississippi had the lowest ranking of 50 states when it came to the percentage of children under age 18 living in poverty. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">The percentage of Mississippi students graduating from high school after four years continued to fall in 2008 – marking the third year of decline in that category. </span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: 13px;">The state's best and worst category rankings:</span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Prevalence of binge drinking – 4th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Poor physical health days – 44th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Prevalence of smoking – 44th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Occupational fatalities – 46th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Lack of health insurance – 46th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Cancer deaths – 46th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">High school graduation – 47th (63.3 percent of ninth graders eventually graduate) </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Preventable hospitalizations – 47th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Number of primary care physicians – 48th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Infectious disease – 48th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Poor mental health days – 49th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Premature death – 49th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Infant mortality – 49th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Cardiovascular deaths – 50th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Prevalence of obesity – 50th </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 13px;">Children (under 18) in poverty – 50th </span></li> </ul> </h1>