 Life is unpredictable. Of course, you already know this. But have you considered all the risks you currently face? Distracted drivers. People using social media to expose others' dirty laundry. Teen drivers, carpools, pets, parties, and even your occasional housekeeper are all examples of everyday risks.
Our society is also more litigious than ever, and lawsuits are commonplace. So it isn't a question of whether something unexpected will happen, it's really a question of when, and how bad it will be. Many people only carry $100,000 of liability coverage. It sounds like a lot of money, and it is! But, when you're talking about serious injury, especially if multiple people are involved, $100,000 doesn't go very far when you consider medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, emotional distress, residual pain and scarring, and more. Here's the scary question: what happens if someone gets hurt and you don't have enough insurance? That's why umbrella insurance is so important! If you're like many people, you’ve never heard of umbrella insurance. Simply put, it adds an extra $1 million, or more, of coverage above your existing policies. It gives you greater peace of mind and protects you against life's unexpected surprises. You don't have to be a millionaire to be sued like it. Umbrella coverage isn't just for high earners. It's for everyone, especially if you:
What if your home or auto insurance doesn't cover a loss? Were you aware that home and auto insurance doesn’t protect you against every type of liability? Consider these two hypothetical scenarios: You hear a juicy piece of gossip about one of your neighbors. You share it with your closest friends at a neighborhood BBQ and swear them to silence. Of course, as gossip often does, it gets back to this person. You get sued for slander, but many homeowners policies don't cover slander. Or, You've saved the money to go on a romantic vacation to Europe. Instead of taking a tour, you decide to rent a car and see all the major sights on your own timeline. Unfortunately, you forget to drive on the other side of the road and cause a collision and someone is hurt — but your auto policy doesn't cover you while you're outside the U.S. or Canada. In both these hypothetical scenarios, a Safeco umbrella policy may have provided coverage to protect you even though there was no coverage from the primary homeowners or auto insurance (subject to policy limitations and conditions, of course). It might also help with the attorney fees! The bottom line: a Safeco personal umbrella policy could help protect you from a variety of risks when the unexpected happens. Peace of mind costs less than you think. Without an umbrella policy, your assets, savings, and even your future income could be at risk if you are held legally responsible for a claim. For about the cost of a dollar a day, umbrella coverage offers an affordable way to prepare for the unpredictable.
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 “You probably don’t think your dog would ever bite someone, let alone cause a serious injury, but dog bites are more common than you might realize. 4.5 million occur every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and most victims are young children.
Keep in mind that it’s not just bites that cause injuries. Dogs can knock down pedestrians or cyclists, too, which often leads to severe medical issues as well. Those injuries also have a bigger impact on homeowners insurance than you might realize: The Insurance Information Institute says dog-related claims accounted for more than $600 million in insurance payments in 2016. With those numbers in mind, it’s understandable that insurance companies want to know if you’ve got a dog in your household. Some will even refuse to insure you if you have a specific breed with a reputation for aggressive behavior, regardless of whether your dog has ever bitten someone. Despite that, you should never hide the fact that you have a dog from your insurance company. If you do, and your dog then causes an injury, your coverage could be invalidated — leaving you on the hook for potentially tens of thousands of dollars or more. When a bite happens OK, so your insurance company knows about your dog, but do you have to tell them if the dog bites or injures somebody? That depends. If it’s a minor incident, you might consider paying out of pocket for any medical expenses in an attempt to avoid the claims process and a potential increase in your premiums. In some instances, insurance companies will not renew your policy or will exclude your dog from coverage after paying for a dog-related claim. However, this might violate your policy, which probably requires you to report changes in your circumstances. If you don’t report a bite, and the dog then bites someone else later, the insurance company might deny you liability coverage for the second incident. Ask your independent agent to outline your options. Another risk is the threat of future claims from the victim. Injuries aren’t always immediately apparent, and complications can arise later. The victim might decide down the road to sue you. And if you’ve waited too long to report the incident to your insurance company, it might be too late to make a claim and receive all the protection your policy was meant to provide — which can include help with attorney fees, medical bills, and more. A $33,000 mistake? How would your budget look if you had an unexpected $33,000 expense? The average claim payment for a dog injury in 2016 was about that amount, and that’s with an insurance company working on behalf of the insured. If you’re on your own, you could wind up paying even more. Our advice? Start with your independent agent and discuss your specific situation. Even if you decide not to file a claim — which is always an option — you’ll get guidance from a professional who can help you assess the risk. “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
That’s a quote from author Hal Borland — but another favorite saying might be even more appropriate for this time of year: “Be prepared.” After all, warmer weather brings plenty of risk to go with its beauty. If you aren’t ready, you could find yourself with more spring cleaning than you bargained for after heavy rains, hailstorms, and other hazards. Here are five things you can do to get yourself and your property all set for the season.
 Car Today, as car sharing has grown in popularity (well over a million people are members of various services in the U.S., according to the Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC)), the number of options has grown, too.
You can borrow a company-owned car (think Zipcar or Car2Go) for a few hours at a time or for a daily rate, returning it to the spot where you picked it up or a drop-off area in a designated zone. You can even rent cars from other individuals—and rent your car to them. There are benefits and drawbacks to car sharing—just as there are when driving your own car everywhere. But is sharing right for you? Here are four things you should consider before you get started.
 From building materials to furnishings, many of the things in your home likely aren’t as flame-resistant as those from yesteryear.
A fire in a modern home is a “perfect storm,” according to safety consulting and certification company UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Larger homes, more open layouts, new construction materials and other factors mean fires burn more quickly, leaving less time for occupants to escape — and for firefighters to stop the flames. How much less time? About 30 years ago, you had about 17 minutes to get out of the house once it caught fire. Today? Just three or four minutes. A lot goes into creating that “perfect storm,” experts say. Here are some key factors:
 This post is part of a series of insurance blogs on Safeco.com showcasing the expertise of local independent agents and aimed at helping you understand insurance coverage and other important issues
If you feel like you’re paying more for homeowners insurance than you used to, you might be right. Over the past 20 years, these rates have increased over 50% - and U.S. homeowners pay an average of $952 annually, according to ValuePenguin, which provides consumers with research and guidance on financial topics. You want to make sure your home is protected, but you don’t want to pay more than you have to, either. Here are eight things you can do to make sure you get the best deal on homeowners insurance:
 You can lower your risk of drowning by wearing a life jacket — but it can’t be just any life jacket. To truly be effective, a life jacket needs to be the right type and fit correctly.
You probably know you should wear a life jacket when you’re on the water, and you probably know it’s important for kids to wear one, too. (For kids, life jackets typically are required by state law; in states with no law, the U.S. Coast Guard requires anyone under the age of 13 on a moving boat to have one.) But do you know just how important it is? According to the Coast Guard, drowning causes more than 70% of boating deaths — and more than 80% of victims are found without a life jacket. Even wearing a life jacket won’t do much good if it doesn’t fit correctly, though. So how do you choose the right one? Here are some tips from experts with the Coast Guard and the U.S. Marine Corps. First, choose the right type for your activities. Gone are the days when all life jackets were just those bulky orange vests you might remember from your childhood. There are different types for all kinds of activities now — including recreational boating, paddle sports such as kayaking or canoeing, even hunting and fishing. Some life jackets have auto-inflation features, so they can be worn more comfortably but still provide protection if someone falls into the water.
Then, make sure everyone has a jacket that fits properly.According to the Coast Guard, if a life jacket is too big, it won’t keep your head above the water. And if it’s too small, it might not have the buoyancy required to keep your body afloat. Remember, a life jacket sized for an adult will not work for a child. Here’s how to get the best fit.
Don’t forget about your pets. Even dogs that are strong swimmers can struggle in open water or get fatigued. So if you’ve got a dog coming with you on the water, the American Kennel Club recommends a life jacket for them, too! Available at pet stores and online, options include vests, which make it easier to swim, and jackets, which provide more buoyancy. Remember, nobody expects to be in an accident on the water — and if you think you’ll have time to just throw a life jacket on when something bad happens, think again. In most cases of boating-related drowning, the Coast Guard says, life jackets were stowed on board but not worn by victims. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors by getting out on the water. But no matter what activity you choose, make sure you choose safety — find the right life jacket and wear it!  If you're like most people, you start up the car every morning and get ready to fight traffic on your way to work. But wouldn't it be nice to read a book on your commute instead? Or check your email? Even send a few texts?
Today, that's not possible for drivers. (Actually, it is possible, but it's dangerous. And way too many people do those things and worse behind the wheel.) Tomorrow, however, self-driving cars might give us all the ability to do those things safely. And two amazing concept cars at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas provided a glimpse of an exciting future. Each January, thousands of people from across the world attend CES to see the latest innovations in technology. Sam Affolter, senior director of research and innovation at Safeco, was there this year — and he's intrigued by where the auto industry is headed. "One of the coolest displays at CES was Toyota's Concept-i car," Affolter said. "It has a digital assistant called 'Yui,' an artificial-intelligence personality that customizes itself based on the different people in the car." With inward-facing cameras, Yui (pronounced "U-E") identifies who's in the car and where they're sitting, and will recommend switching to autonomous mode when its facial-recognition technology senses the driver is distracted or sleepy. It also learns your habits and preferences, Affolter said. "I prefer to be moving rather than stuck in traffic — and Yui will pick up on that and recommend routes that may be longer but with less congestion." Honda also made a big splash at CES with its NeuV, which stands for "New Electric Urban Vehicle." Private vehicles are not in use 95% of the time, and Honda says the NeuV (pronounced "New-V") could make good use of that extra capacity. It can function as an automated ride-sharing vehicle, picking up and dropping off customers at local destinations when the owner is not using the car. And when it's idle, the NeuV even can sell energy back to the electric grid. "It's important to note that neither of these cars is rolling off the assembly line," Affolter said. "They're just examples of the possibilities." That may be a good thing, because it's going to take time for people to get used to the idea of giving up control. Both Yui and NeuV help break this barrier by acclimating drivers to the AI system in ways that can build trust, according to Affolter. Providing accurate, helpful information and recommendations over time increases the chances you'll say "OK" when Yui or NeuV offer to take the wheel when you look tired or appear distracted. "These innovations are paving the way to a more driverless future," Affolter said. "It's going to be really interesting to see where it leads us." Many people have a limited definition of “distracted driving”: They think it only means texting behind the wheel. There’s good reason for that, because texting requires visual, manual and cognitive attention - the same attention required for safe driving. But although texting is perhaps the most dangerous distraction, there are many others that can impact how you drive, whether you realize it or not. And they can be just as deadly. How deadly? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2014 more than 400,000 people were injured in crashes caused by distracted drivers - with more than 3,000 killed. Here are just a few of the things that can distract drivers on the road:
With distractions more prevalent than ever - more than 150 billion text messages are sent in the U.S. every month, for example - how can you, and those you love, be safer behind the wheel? Here are a few tips:
 Home improvement: It’s a never-ending process for many people, and for those of us who aren’t necessarily handy, it can be a hassle, too.
But there are plenty of simple maintenance tasks and other improvements you can handle to make your home safer - whether you’re handy or not. And you won’t have to break out the power tools (or any tools at all in some instances) or worry about getting in over your head. Water Works You need running water in your home - but not water running in your home, if you know what we mean. Even minor leaks can cause major problems, from higher water bills to damage requiring costly repairs (maybe even the kind you can’t tackle yourself). Here are some easy ways to make sure your water stays where it should:
Millions of Americans - many of them older adults - are injured in falls each year. About 2.5 million were hurt in 2013 alone, according to the National Safety Council and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Look around your home. Should you make some of these fixes?
Pollution isn’t just an outside thing - the air in your home can be unhealthy, too. But helping people breathe a little easier isn’t hard when you follow these steps:
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Jason Thompson-Agent/Founder 
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