In another article, we looked at the decision of the Wisconsin state government to double the minimum liability insurance requirement. It had been $25,000 per individual injured and $50,000 for multiple claimants in a single traffic accident. This doubled to $50,000 and $100,000 respectively. There was a general feeling this would push an increasing number of the poor into driving without insurance. And, as was predicted at the time, one of the results of this change in the law has been an increase in the premiums. In some ZIP code areas, the rates have gone up by as much as 40%. This has put a lot more pressure on family budgets around the state.

At the same time this law was going through the state legislature, a second bill was produced which increases the pressure on law enforcement to check whether drivers are carrying valid insurance. This is a logical development. There is little point in making it mandatory to carry liability coverage if there is no effective enforcement. So, as from June 1st, all drivers in Wisconsin must carry proof of a valid insurance policy in their vehicles.

No distractions, please. I’m driving!

There are many ways in which you can describe some of Big Government’s departments and their campaigns. Feeling polite and well-balanced, you can say some are worth every cent. Then you get others where you cannot help feeling a little insulted. Like this site: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hey, come on, guys. We are all drivers here and we know how to drive safely. Except, perhaps, we “kinda” forget some basic rules when we get behind the wheel and back out of the driveway. So just how bad is it?

Well, the police are supposed to report the circumstances of all the traffic accidents they attend. This does not always produce a reliable record but, in 2008, the police recorded driver distraction as the main cause in almost 6,000 deaths (that’s about 15% of all the fatal accidents in the US) and more than 500,000 injuries. So just what is distraction for these purposes. The list is what you would expect:

There’s much debate around the healthcare system reform proposed by President Barack Obama. And while there are many people who protest against it, and those who support it, it is important to know what it is all about in the first place. Here is a short overview of the reform, which is comprised of three essential parts:

1. Assure all American citizens with access to comprehensive and affordable health coverage

The main features of this part are:

• New Public National Health Plan, which will be very close to the current health coverage provided to federal employees. The main difference is that the new plans will be available to all US citizens for a reasonable price no matter of their financial situation. Deductibles and co-payments will be reduced to minimum, while low-income persons will have the possibility to use additional subsidies.
• National Health Insurance Exchange, which will allow US citizens to look for private health plans. It will set regulations on private insurance providers in order to make sure that private plans are not too different form public ones.
• New business mandate requiring national enterprises to pay for the Public National Health Plan.
• Individual mandate aimed specifically at children.
• More support provided to existing programs like Medicaid and SCHIP.

The time we spend asleep should all be restful. For the sake of those with whom we share our beds, we should lie still and make as little noise as possible. For our own sakes, we should be able to wake feeling refreshed. Unfortunately, the allocated time for sleeping can be filled with movement, noise and disturbed sleep. The main classification of sleep disorders involving movement and behavior is called parasomnia. It comes into play as partial awakening as you slip into and out of REM sleep, or just as you are falling asleep or slowly waking up. As to movement, some sleepers regularly move their arms and legs around. In most cases, this will be determined, but relatively gentle. In a few cases, the movements can be quite violent. Then there is sleepwalking. This affects children as they approach their teens and about 5% of adults at various times during their life. In most cases, people simply move around the home and then return to bed. But a few go through household routines involving eating or, in rare cases, driving. Obviously, at such times, the sleepers may be a danger to themselves in picking entirely unsuitable things to eat, or in attempting to control a vehicle while semiconscious.

Having a fast and powerful sports car is something that many people dream of, loving the aggressive sound of the engine and the speed potential such vehicles can deliver. There are many speed lovers out there, wishing they had a car to satisfy their thirst for speed in a street or track race, pushing the gas pedal into the floor and having the head blown back by the power of their car. And taking into account that sports cars are sometimes quite inexpensive compared to other types of vehicles, many drivers choose to follow their passion and buy a roaring beast on wheels.

But after they do purchase the beast of their dreams and start burning gas and tires, the question of insurance coverage comes into mind that’s where the thrill starts to fade away. Because with most sports cars no matter how inexpensive they may be compared to other vehicles, your insurance rates will be considerably higher, making the car quite expensive in overall when you add up the overheads of owning such a car. And that’s when sports car owners start looking for cheaper policies for their monster wheels.