Summer is a dangerous season if you are anywhere around cars. August routinely witnesses the most traffic-vehicle deaths in the country, followed closely by July. This fact makes sense partly because more people are traveling under the warm sun, instead of cuddled up at home as we do in January and February. 

Some of these summer drivers are getting into a car after enjoying themselves at a party, perhaps with too much to drink. And the extra heat can make any driver drowsy or less attentive to the road. Add to all that the new teenage drivers who celebrate summer freedom with drives to the beach or across town to visit friends, and you can predict there will be more accidents, injuries, and deaths on U.S. roads. 

You can prepare for the added danger, however. First, make sure you always drive safely. That means: 

- Obeying the speed limit 

- Keeping your eyes on the road instead of your phone screen or friends who may be riding with you 

- And of course, never driving when you have been drinking or feeling otherwise impaired 

Sometimes, accidents just happen. One of my clients was vacationing in New Jersey when she learned that someone had slammed a car into her garage in Danbury, damaging the attached home and pushing the Land Rover parked inside into an interior wall. Both the outside and inside walls now have car-sized holes, and the Land Rover was totaled. 

The driver was not injured, and the most unfortunate result is that her insurance would not cover the costs of repairing all the damage. Because my client’s home is part of a high-end condominium complex, all repairs must be run through the association’s architect and engineer, which adds a lot more money to the project. Somehow, we must recoup those costs, and we are working with my client, the driver’s insurance agency, and the adjusters to make sure the unfortunate victim of this accident is made whole. (That’s why Farmers is the No. 1 agency when it comes to satisfying claims.) 

When higher-than-normal expenses arising out of an accident, such as when a driver runs into a house, or someone is unfortunately injured or killed, regular car insurance may not cover all the claims. I advise my clients, especially those with teenage drivers in the house, to buy an umbrella policy for such instances. 

My staff and I also regularly check in with all our clients to ask about changes in the household, new cars that need insuring, and similar questions. If you aren’t covered for changes in your household, you aren’t insured for related damages. 

Your insurance agent should also be talking to you several times a year. If you haven’t spoken to your agent lately, call me now for a no-obligation coverage review at 203-983-5534 or email me at dperkins@farmersagent.com.  

Dennis Perkins is the owner of Farmers Insurance — Dennis Perkins Agency of Connecticut at 30 Germantown Road in Danbury.