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Tragic Girl’s Life Could Have Been Saved By One Simple Device

Sunday, September 30, 2018 | By Rachel Manfield Seattle, Washington

Six years ago. It was a perfect day. A sunny 72° with a light breeze. Paul Davidson and his daughter Christine were at the mall, shopping for a dress for the Snowflake Dance. The last dance of middle school.
“I’d accidentally left my wallet in the car,” Davidson, then 46, said. “I asked Christine to get it for me.”
That was the last time Paul Davidson saw his daughter.
Police say it may have started as a robbery. There were signs of a struggle. Davidson’s car door was left open, and his keys were laying on the ground. Davidson’s wallet was gone. But there was some blood on the top of the car. An analysis of the blood showed that it was Christine’s.
There were passersby just 100 feet from where Christine was abducted, but no one saw or heard a thing. Christine Davidson’s whereabouts are still unknown.
But Paul Davidson has focused his life on making sure that his nightmare doesn’t become anyone else’s reality, by creating the Safe Personal Alarm.
Davidson began work on the device a few years after his daughter went missing.
“The number-one reason that leads to successful kidnappings is the victim isn’t or cannot make noise,” Davidson, now 52, says. “The kidnapper tries to keep the victim’s mouth shut.”
So Davidson had two main focuses when developing Safe Personal Alarm: To make it as accessible as possible and as loud as possible.
“The ability to easily make noise is crucial in a kidnapping situation,” police say.
The device easily attaches to purses, keys, and backpacks. It’s also small enough to fit in your pocket. But it packs a wallop.
A single device is capable of creating a 125db to attract attention and scare away potential assailants. To compare, it’s the same volume as a military jet during takeoff.
It’s also simple to use. Rather than having a button that could easily be pressed by accident, the Safety device has a pin. Once pulled, the device emits an ear-piercing sound for up to 30 continuous minutes, or until the pin is re-inserted. It can be reused over and over.
Davidson is hoping for more than just a kidnapping deterrent. He wants to help stop all kinds of crimes.
“It can be used for so many different things,” Davidson says. “Parents can give it to their kids as an extra layer of protection. Teenagers can use it so they can feel safe walking home. Women can know it’s there when they have to use the parking garage at night. I’ve given it to all the women in my life, including my 78 year old mother. I like knowing that she can use it to sound for help if she falls or feels threatened. I just wish I had come up with this years ago.”
His voice trails off. It’s clear that his daughter remains heavy on his mind.
Then he wipes his eyes, offers a firm handshake, and is off. Paul Davidson has a Women’s Against Violence meeting to attend. He’s the guest of honor.
People have come from around the country to see him. Every single one of them was helped by the Safety device in one way or another.
"It saved my daughter’s life," one grateful mother says. "I don’t know what would have happened if she didn’t have it with her."
Paul Davidson knows that what happened to Christine was not for nothing. He can see it in the face of everyone he’s helped.
Police note that violent crime has risen in 2018, particularly in the last month.
But it’s not all bad news. Police are also noticing a trend when the Safe Personal Alarm is used.
“The loud noise disorients the criminal,” police say. “It throws a wrench in their plans, and they retreat.”
They’re noticing that the victims are usually unharmed.

How To Order The Safe Personal Alarm

*Update: Wednesday, October 10, 2018* - To help protect residents, the Safe Personal Alarm currently has a special discount offering 50% off to Washington residents. But hurry, due to extremely high demand, the Safe Personal Alarm has sold over 1.5 million units and is almost out of stock. Click the green button to see if they are still avaialble in stock.

Check Availability >>

Car Insurance Rates Explained - What Factors May Affect Your Car Insurance Premium?

Some factors that may affect your auto insurance premiums are your car, your driving habits, demographic factors and the coverages, limits and deductibles you choose. These factors may include things such as your age, anti-theft features in your car and your driving record.

While it may be tempting to reduce or eliminate coverages to help lower your car insurance premium, it's important to know that there are other factors that may also affect the price you pay.
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), your premium may depend on:

YOUR CAR
Certain types of cars cost more to insure. However, if you drive a vehicle with built-in security features, such as anti-lock brakes or anti-theft devices, you may qualify for discounts on your car insurance premium.

YOUR DRIVING HABITS

Your Driving Record
If you've been in multiple accidents, your cost for car insurance is likely to be higher than someone with a clean driving record. If you're a new driver and have not had insurance before, chances are you'll pay more for car insurance.

How Much You Drive
Insurers typically look at how much you use your car. Someone who has a long commute to work may pay more for insurance than someone who only uses their vehicle to run errands on weekends — since more miles behind the wheel mean more exposure to risk.
DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
Where You Live and Park Your Car
Where you live and where you park your car overnight may affect your car insurance premium. Urban neighborhoods typically have higher rates of accidents, theft and vandalism than more rural areas, which means premiums may be higher.

Your Age and Gender
Your age and gender may also impact your car insurance premium. Younger, less experienced drivers often pay more for car insurance than older drivers.

THE COVERAGES, LIMITS AND DEDUCTIBLES YOU CHOOSE
The Type of Coverage
The coverages you choose may affect the cost of your car insurance premium. Most states have some auto insurance requirements, typically involving liability coverage. Coverages that are also typically included in a car insurance policy are comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and medical payments or personal injury protection, depending on the state.

There are also optional protections you may want to consider such as towing and labor costs, rental reimbursement and sound system coverage.

Your Limits and Deductibles
A limit is the maximum amount your policy will pay toward a covered loss. Typically, each coverage in a policy has its own limit, and you may be able to adjust it based on your needs. You'll likely find that the more coverage you purchase, the higher your premium may be. Your deductible — the amount you agree to pay before your insurance kicks in to help pay for a covered loss — also plays a role in the amount of your premium. Generally, you may find that setting a higher deductible means you'll pay less for your policy.

A local agent can help you decide which limits, deductibles and coverages are right for you. They can also help identify any discounts for which you may qualify.

Do I Need Extra Insurance On My New Car?

There's nothing quite like getting a brand new car — from that new car smell to the way it drives. It's hard to imagine your new car getting dinged, let alone having it totaled. But what would you do if your new car needed to be replaced?

You may be able to purchase three key insurance coverages that help protect your new car if it's accidentally damaged beyond repair. These coverages are: new car replacement coverage, repair provision coverage and loan or lease gap protection coverage. Some insurers roll these coverages into one package, called new car expanded protection. Read on to learn when you might want to consider this type of package and what each coverage helps protect.

DEFINING 'NEW' CAR
The definition of a "new" car varies among insurers. If you're interested in purchasing additional coverage for a new car, you'll likely need to be the original owner of the vehicle. Additionally, some policies may specify that the car not be older than two or three model years.

You should also know that new car coverage typically expires when the vehicle is no longer eligible. Additionally, the coverage typically only applies to the new car for which you have purchased the coverage, not every vehicle on your policy.
ISN'T STANDARD CAR INSURANCE ENOUGH?
Certain coverages, like collision or comprehensive, may help cover the cost of repairs, minus the deductible and up to your policy's limits. If the car is deemed a total loss, however, your insurance company will likely pay only what the car is worth at the time of loss (called the "actual cash value").

This can be problematic when you own a new car. The Insurance Information Institute (III) notes that new vehicles can depreciate in value as much as 20 percent within their first year, and standard auto policies typically cover the actual cash value, which will likely be less than the purchase price.

This means that if your new car is totaled in a covered loss, the insurance reimbursement check may not be enough for you to purchase another new car. If you also have an auto loan, you would still be responsible for paying off the remaining balance, regardless of whether you can still use the car.

KEY COVERAGES FOR A NEW CAR
The following coverages may help protect you financially and get you on the road again should your new car be totaled or need major repair.

New car replacement coverage.
This coverage may help pay to replace a new car that's totaled. With this coverage, your policy may allow you to replace the totaled vehicle with a new one of the same make, model and equipment, or it may specify whether a similar model or certain dollar amount would be available.

Repair provision coverage.
Some policies may also cover the cost of repairs should there be only a partial loss to your new vehicle, regardless of its actual cash value. Repair provision coverage may help pay for repairs to a damaged vehicle on a replacement cost basis without deducting the depreciation in its value. Remember, however, that coverage limits still apply.

Loan or lease GAP coverage.
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Guaranteed Asset Protection, or GAP coverage, may help pay the difference between the amount owed on an auto loan or lease and the totaled car's actual cash value. Even if your car can no longer be used, you're still responsible for any remaining loan or lease payments. So if the reimbursement check from the insurance company is not enough to cover what you owe, GAP coverage may help pay for the remaining amount on a loan or lease — so you won't be stuck paying for a car that is now in the scrap yard.

Driving a brand new car can be a lot of fun, but having to replace one might come with some unexpected expenses — especially since the average cost of a new vehicle is more than $32,000. If you have a new car, you may want to consider new car replacement coverage, repair provision coverage and GAP coverage, or a package that includes these coverages.

If you'd like to learn more about coverages to help protect your new car, talk to an agent near you.

Thank you Alstate

How Accidents Affect Car Prices

You’re driving down the road, paying attention to your surroundings, and out of nowhere a car clips your right rear fender. Somehow, you maintain control of the vehicle and manage to make your way off to the side of the road to assess the situation.
Fortunately, everyone is okay, but the other driver inflicted enough damage that your bumper, a taillight and a panel will need to be replaced. That’s thousands of dollars in damages the insurance company will cover, but what may be not be covered is the diminished value of your car.

Car Values and Auto Insurance
Welcome to the world of car values and auto insurance where drivers are often rudely awakened following an accident, including one not of their own doing. Auto insurance is supposed to make you whole after an accident, but it often falls far short, something you may not discover until years later when it comes time to sell your car.

That’s because a record of your accident becomes part of your CARFAX Vehicle History Report, which is information that is available to any buyer. Indeed, such reports can work against you even if your car has been made whole.

For instance, a dealer may knock hundreds or even thousands of dollars off your trade based on a previous accident. Simply put, your car is worth less than a similar model that has not been in a wreck.

About Diminished Value Claims
Fortunately, consumers may have recourse if they file a diminished value claim with an insurance company. That claim should be submitted to the other driver’s insurer, particularly if he was the one at fault.

A diminished value claim allows car owners to recover the deficiency between the vehicle’s value before the accident and what it is worth following the accident after the repairs have been completed.

Your repaired vehicle may look like new, but if you were to sell it the Carfax Report would show the accident. Automatically, many dealers discount the car’s price even if the car is in excellent shape.

Understand State Insurance Laws
Each state oversees consumer insurance and most will allow you to file a claim against the other party’s insurance company if they were at fault. If the person who hit your car was uninsured, you may still have recourse through your own company, provided you have sufficient uninsured motorist property damage coverage.

But before you file a claim, you should get your car professionally appraised. The book value of your vehicle may have been $22,500 before the accident, but after all repairs have been made, it may be appraised for $18,000.

That represents a $4,500 deficiency that you’ll want to recoup. And given that more than two-thirds of all cars are eventually traded in to dealers who always seem to use vehicle history reports, you can count on your car’s value being adjusted downward accordingly.

File a Diminished Value Claim
Now that you know that a diminished value claim is possible, let’s examine how to file one. Here, you need to contact the at-fault party’s insurance company and request compensation for diminished value.

Don’t expect the insurer to eagerly write out a check — you may need to be persistent and back up your request with hard data, including a copy of the appraisal. You will also need to demonstrate your car’s value, based on information available on an online car value site.

If the auto insurer agrees to compensate, you may not receive the full deficiency. They may use an industry formula offering different numbers. You guessed it — those numbers may be lower than your own. Try to negotiate a better deal, but if you don’t obtain one, at least you should recover most of the deficiency. And that’s better than receiving nothing at all.

You may discover that the auto insurer is not willing to compensate you. If they resist, you can take them to small claims court. You might also hire an attorney, especially if your car is expensive or new. But keep in mind that legal fees will be covered by you, effectively coming out of your settlement.

Review Your Auto Insurance Policy
Car accidents can take physical and emotional tolls as well as cause a financial setback. It is important to regularly review your auto insurance policy and discuss with your agent your coverage options. Familiarizing yourself with your state’s insurance law is important too. Wherever possible, find ways to lower your risk and close whatever loopholes may cost you significant financial loss.




Thank you CARFAX