According to GM Canada, an airbag propels out of a dashboard at up to 320 kilometres per hour – faster than the blink of an eye. Though they are designed to absorb the impact of a crash for adult motor vehicle passengers and drivers, children can suffer major injuries from an air bag.

Air Bag Safety Recomendations

To keep children injury-free while riding in your car, consider these safety recommendations:

• Place small infants in rear-facing child safety seats in the backseat.
• Place toddlers over 1 year old and at least 9 kilograms in forward-facing convertible safety seats in the backseat of the vehicle. Since these car seats would situate the child several centimetres closer to the dashboard, they pose a risk for air bag injuries if they are placed in the front seat. Therefore, they must be placed in the backseat only.
• Place children who have outgrown convertible safety seats but do not fit correctly with a lap/shoulder seat belt in a car booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle.
• Children under age 12 should ride in the backseat of the vehicle with a seat belt securely fastened.

Soon the roads will be slicker than a skating rink and we want you and your families to stay safe, and avoid unnecessary car insurance claims.

Your neighbour drives a BMV M Roadster, while you get around in a sporty 2000 Honda Civic SiR. You both have clean driving records and travel the same distance to work. The BMV is worth more than the Civic, and then the shock comes—you’re paying more for auto insurance. Consumers are left asking why—well, the answer is clear.

Every vehicle make, model and year available in Canada is rated according to the Canadian Loss Experience Automobile Rating (CLEAR) system. This rating system assesses each type of vehicle based on expected claims frequency and cost, and the likelihood the vehicle will be stolen. This assists in calculating insurance rates—the lower the claims risk, the lower the rates, and the higher the claims risk, the higher the rates.

When your child moves away from home for college or university, there are important changes and responsibilities to consider. Along with the emotional stress of having your young graduate leave home, you also need to consider what the move means for your finances and insurance policies. Being informed about your Edmonton insurance coverage is crucial for your child’s protection and wellbeing. While many policies extend parents’ coverage to kids in university, other policies encourage college students to purchase their own insurance.

“Parents need to know whether their insurance extends to their children when they are buying a car or moving into an apartment or residence,” says Wayne Ross, insurance expert at Aviva Canada. “You could find yourself facing a financially-stressful situation that could easily have been avoided.”

Road trips are par for the course in the summer, so stone chips and glass repair are part of life as a vehicle and carinsurance owner. Windshields get chipped and cracked all the time. While stone chips often occur at the most inopportune times, they cannot be neglected and should be attended to in short order.

With car insurance rates potentially on the rise one consideration when purchasing a car is whether it may be a target for theft. Vehicles targeted for theft are more expensive to insure. High end vehicles are often targeted by criminal organizations who then sell them for parts. To help avoid buying a stolen car consumers can buy from reputable dealers, and reputable repair shops. Get a car history report to lessen the chances of becoming a victim of auto theft.

All over the news and radio are reports of a hike in Auto Insurance rates in Alberta of 10-13%.

Armour Insurance and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, want to remind you that when someone cheats, everyone pays.

When you get an insurance quote and buy insurance for your home, car or business, you put your money into a pool with many others, to help the ppeople every year who suffer financial hardship because of tragic insurance claims, such as fire or a car crash. But what happens when criminals or cheaters take more than their share? Or even fake the whole event? We’re all forced to pay more and every dollar makes a difference. It's a reality that many of us don't know or think about.

Spring is here in Alberta and even though the roads are no longer icy, the hit still keep on coming. One of the most common questions we get is: What should I do after having a car accident?

Is your family prepared for an emergency? May 6 - 12, 2012 is Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada; the perfect time to make sure that you have everything you need in a pinch.