With spring in full bloom and summer just on the horizon, prime boating season is upon us. And you might notice more people on the water than ever, because sales of recreational boats have been growing at a steady clip for seven consecutive years now, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

Fortunately, the number of boating accidents isn’t growing at the same pace—in fact, they are decreasing. In 2017, the most recent year for which statistics are available, accidents were down nearly 4% versus 2016; fatalities dropped by more than 6%, and injuries by over 9%.

That’s great news, but in order to make sure those numbers keep moving in the right direction, boaters need to keep making safety a priority. We’re here to help: Just in time for National Safe Boating Week May 18-24, we’ve compiled some tips for anyone who’s about to climb aboard.

Choose the right types (and sizes) of life jackets—and make sure everyone wears them.
There are different types of life jackets for various activities, such as vest-type jackets for calm, inland waters, offshore jackets with additional buoyancy designed for rougher water, and even some made for waterskiing, kayaking, etc. Think about what you’ll be doing, where you’ll be headed, and who will be with you, so you have the ones you need. (Click here for a great guide.)

Each individual on board (even pets) should have a life jacket that fits properly, and most important, they should wear it at all times—there probably won’t be time to throw one on when something bad happens unexpectedly. According to the Coast Guard, in most cases of boating-related drowning, life jackets were on board but they weren’t worn by victims.

Make sure you have other key safety equipment on board.
There are plenty of other items you should have (or consider having) on your boat to increase safety. Fire extinguishers are required on most boats, even small vessels, so make sure you have the right type and that you know how to use it. If you have an enclosed area on your boat, you should install a carbon-monoxide detector.

Cell phones don’t always work well when you’re out on the water, so a VHF radio can ensure you’re able to call for help—it might be a good idea to get an emergency position-indicating radio beacon in case you get lost, too. And finally, you should always carry an anchor and signal lights, even if you aren’t planning on being out at night.

Use common sense, both before and after you launch the boat.
Keeping your boat’s systems and equipment (including safety gear, of course) in good shape is the first step to preventing problems, so put in the time to perform inspections and maintenance tasks as needed. Then, before any trip, no matter how quick, check the weather. Look for wind and small-craft advisories in particular.

When you hit the water, the fun can begin! But keep in mind that a quiet, enjoyable day can change in just an instant, too. So don’t speed. Don’t drink or allow excessive distractions. Remember that there are other people out there too, and that when everybody does their part, boating is a lot more fun—and a lot safer—for us all.

Summer is here, which means it’s time to think about family vacations! (If you haven’t been thinking about them all year, that is.)

The family part of family vacations, however, can make things a little complicated. You want to choose a destination that is fun for everyone, including the kids. You want to ensure they’re safe on the trip, wherever you go. And you probably want to figure out how to make traveling with them easier, too.

We’ve got you covered with some great tips, so you can relax when you hit the road—or at least after you get to where you’re going.

Instead of thinking about where to go, first think about what you want to do.

Experts interviewed by the New York Times recommend starting with figuring out what you want to do on your vacation, because that will help you narrow your list of possible destinations. Want a laid-back trip with lazy days, but one that will still keep kids of all ages engaged? Maybe a beach trip is best. Looking for a few thrills? Theme parks are great for kids ages 3-12 (younger kids might not be able to go on many of the rides, and older kids might not be as enthusiastic). Think it would be best to give everyone a chance to do their own thing? Cruises have lots of family-friendly options, along with chances for kids to be more independent.

To help the kids feel good about where they’re headed, you can let them choose some of the activities for certain days, or actively involve them in designing the entire itinerary.

Think about how you’ll get there, too.

Traveling with kids—especially young ones—can be a challenge. For trips longer than a couple of hours, one old trick is to wrap up inexpensive toys or treats for children and use them as a reward for good behavior. For every hour they’re good, they get to open a present. Not only will that help keep them in line, it will keep them occupied for the hour in between.

Some vacations require a flight, of course, but car trips and train travel can be great options for families. In the car, you’ve got flexibility and control—you can meander and explore along the way, break the trip up however you like, and pull over whenever you want for rest or a fun activity. You don’t have as much control on a train, but there’s plenty of space to move around, and kids often find it fun to watch the world go by outside.

Keep safety in mind.

When you’re away from home, no matter what kind of vacation you’ve planned, make sure your kids know what to do if you get separated or there’s an emergency. Safewise.com recommends that families practice these situations—and create “information cards” for kids to carry that include phone numbers, where you’re staying, etc. Having your children wear bright, recognizable clothing, or even using GPS devices to keep track of them, are good ideas as well.

Another useful trick many parents use is taking a photo of each child every morning before embarking on the day’s adventures. Then, if someone gets lost, you have a current photo to share so people know exactly what to look for.

Don’t try to do too much.

As one travel-company professional and mother of three told the New York Times, make sure to build some downtime into your itinerary—she recommends limiting planned activities to a half-day or less. The rest of the day can still be fun, but give yourself a break with some time at the pool or a local park.

There’s no way to guarantee a great vacation, obviously. But with a little planning and consideration, you and your family will be well on your way. Safe travels this summer!

There’s perhaps no organizing task more daunting than the garage—it’s often the dumping ground for the stuff that has no other place in the house, or the things you don’t use but just can’t bring yourself to toss.

How do you know you’ve got a problem? Maybe you’ve noticed it’s getting harder and harder just to park the car. Or it takes you an hour to find that box with the Halloween decorations. Or, worse, you spend an hour out there and can’t find the Halloween decorations at all.

The solution is not to try and forget about it, because that’s what got you into this mess (literally) in the first place! Instead, follow these tips to transform your garage from a place full of random pieces into a place of peace.

Start with a plan. No, you don’t have to know what you’re going to do with everything in your garage just yet. But before you start tearing everything apart, it’s a good idea to make sure there’s a method to the madness. Organizing professionals recommend creating categories to group your things—common ones include sports gear, tools, garden equipment, automotive items, seasonal decorations, etc. Then, when you start looking through all that stuff, put each thing in the right “zone” (even if it’s just a pile at this point). And don’t forget to create temporary zones for donations and stuff to throw away. If this is a big organizing project, you’re probably going to have a lot of each.

1. Remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. Feeling overwhelmed already? There are boxes everywhere. Nothing is labeled. You don’t even know where to begin, because you’re thinking about the entire garage. Stop. Take a breath. You don’t have to tackle this in a day, a week, or even a month—unless you want to, of course.
   If it all seems like too much, pick just one box. Go through it, decide what you want to keep and what you can throw away or donate. Put each item in the right zone, because that’s going to help with the next box. (And when do you do that next box? Whenever you want. Take the whole weekend, or take the next few months. Just keep making progress, bit by bit.)
2. You do need to go through everything, though. It’s tempting to skip certain boxes or areas, especially if you think you know what’s there. But let’s be honest: You probably don’t actually know. (If you did, you wouldn’t have spent that hour looking for the Halloween decorations, right?) Every item needs to be evaluated and then placed along with the other items in that category or zone. Don’t worry—you still don’t have to know where you’re putting everything for good.
3. Now that you’ve got your items grouped as best as possible, it’s time to start thinking about permanent homes for them. Items that you use frequently should be easy to get to—for example, make sure you can get the lawnmower out without moving the car, and that you don’t have to move five other things to get to your hammer or drill. Things like seasonal décor, rarely used household items, that vase from your mother you only put out when she visits? Those can be a little more tucked away. Just make sure to label everything you keep in boxes or bins (and make sure you can see the labels when they’re put away). This is when you’ll want to consider your storage options, too. Stacking boxes or bins on the floor is not a good solution. (Inevitably, you’re going to want omething in the box on the bottom, which means moving all the other boxes. Big towers of bins can fall, too, which isn’t great if you or your car are in the way.) You can buy freestanding shelves, attach shelves to the walls, put up pegboard with hooks, even install racks that hang from the ceiling. If you like, create a diagram of your garage and figure out what would work best where.
4. When everything is done, you aren’t quite done. If you don’t stay on top of things in the future, you might find yourself facing the same old situation down the road. So be vigilant. Any time you put something new in the garage, make sure it goes to the right place. When you use something, put it back in the right place. (It wouldn’t hurt to do a little cleaning out there once in a while, too—and while you’re at it, double-check to make sure that yes, everything is in the right place.)

You probably feel pretty good after all that work, and you should. Enjoy your new space—and all the new free time you’ll have because you aren’t spending hours searching for things in the garage!

Group riding is a favorite activity among many motorcycle riders. Whether you’re part of a riding club, a social event, a charity ride, or out for a leisurely cruise with friends, group riding can be a rewarding way to spend time doing what you love.

However, group riding has its own risks. This is especially true when you have a group with a wide mix of skill levels and riding experience. This can create unpredictable, stressful, and dangerous situations for not only other riders, but all drivers on the road. So be sure to never try to ride beyond your ability.

To help you stay safe while riding in a group, see the following safety tips.

Communicate first. Get together before your ride to outline the basics of your trip such as how far you’re going, how often and where you’ll stop, who the leader will be, and other considerations. Plus, make sure everyone has tools, a first-aid kit, a full tank of gas, is wearing a helmet, and has performed a basic maintenance check on their bike.

This is also the time to determine your line order. Put the most experience rider in the lead, with the least experienced rider lined up behind the leader. The lead rider will determine the pace, which should suit everyone in the group, as well as alert those behind of brake lights, objects in the road, traffic backups, and other perils.

Hand signals. It’s worth learning a dozen or so key hand signals to help you communicate while riding. This can help keep you safer on the road, ensure your group stays together, and give you greater peace of mind.

Ride in formation. There’s a sweet spot to group riding that should always be maintained. You want to be close enough to each other to make it easy for other motorists to see you. But you want to give each other enough space in front and back so you’re not tailgating, and enough on the side so you’re not in danger of swerving into another rider if you need to quickly avoid something on the road.

The most effective formation on the highway is to stagger your bikes. That means the leader is on the left side of the lane, the next rider is behind in the right side of the lane, the third rider is on the left side, and so on until the last rider. And once you’re in formation, be sure to stay there so everyone knows where the other riders are. Bear in mind you may need to be in a single-file formation on curvy roads, or roads with rough surfaces, so staggering is not always possible. But when it is, it’s the preferred method.

Stay in formation while passing. When passing other vehicles, do so one at a time, starting with the leader, and then return to your staggered formation.

Take your time. Unless you’re going for a short ride, be sure to plan plenty of rest stops. To make the most of them, try planning your breaks around scenic viewpoints or other points of interest along your route. Taking plenty of breaks also helps you stay alert, maintain proper concentration, and enjoy a more relaxing outing.

Whether riding in a group or solo, carrying the right motorcycle insurance is always important. To learn more protecting yourself and your bike, give us a call today.

Fall is here, and there are still plenty of motorcycles on the road. And the key word here is “see.” People driving cars and trucks often fail to notice the motorcyclists around them, partly because they’re not accustomed to looking for them.

It’s obvious yet bears repeating: motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than car and truck drivers and passengers. Not only are there many more cars and trucks on the road, but there’s no such thing as a “fender bender” for a motorcyclist. Even a low-speed collision can seriously injure a rider, not to mention total the bike, so it’s important to always give motorcycles extra space and an extra look.

Below are six tips to help you safely share the road with motorcyclists.

Objects in mirror. The object in your mirror may be closer than it appears — especially if it’s a motorcycle. Due to its size, it can be harder to determine how close a motorcycle is and how fast it’s moving. When turning into traffic, always estimate a bike to be closer than it appears to avoid forcing a rider to quickly hit the brakes — or worse.

Watch those left turns. One of the most common motorcycle accidents involves a car making a left turn directly in front of a bike at an intersection. Give yourself an extra moment to look specifically for motorcycles coming toward you when turning into traffic.

Double-check your blind spot. Carefully checking your blind spot before changing lanes is always a good idea. When it comes to motorcycles, it’s critical. A bike can be easily obscured in the blind spot, hidden behind your car’s roof pillars, or blend in with cars in other lanes, so make a habit of checking carefully before changing lanes. Plus, always use your turn signal.

Don’t tailgate. This is another general rule for all drivers, but it’s especially important when following a motorcycle. Be aware that many riders decrease speed by downshifting or easing off the throttle, so you won’t see any brake lights even though they are slowing down. Following at least three seconds behind the bike should give you enough time and space to safely slow down or stop when necessary.

Stay in your lane. Motorcycles of course don’t take up an entire lane the way cars or trucks do. But that doesn’t mean you can cozy up and share a lane with a bike. Just because the rider may be hugging one side of the lane doesn’t mean you can move into that space. Riders are likely doing this to avoid debris, oil on the road, or a pothole, so a bit of mild swerving within the lane can be expected. Do not crowd into the lane with a bike.

Think about motorcycles. Making a habit of always checking for bikes when you drive will make the above tips second nature, and make you a better driver. To personalize it, think about your friends and family members who ride bikes and then drive as if they are on the road with you. Motorcyclists — and everyone else — will thank you.

To learn more about protecting yourself and your bike, give us a call!