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Highlights from Keefe In Touch - Fall 2007

Massachusetts law now calls for more driver training for youthful drivers and stiffer penalties for teens who break traffic rules.

Driving experience key

Drivers who have a learner's permit must spend at least 40 hours driving under the supervision of a parent or other adult in order to get a junior operator's license. This is an increase from the 12 hours previously required.

If a teenager takes an advanced driving education course that teaches defensive driving techniques, the requirement for driving under adult supervision drops to 30 hours.

A parent or adult has to sign a form certifying that the on-road driving experience has taken place.

With the new driving rules, if a junior operator receives a speeding violation he/she will receive a 90 day suspension of license, be required to take a driver attitudinal retraining course & SCARR, pay a $500 reinstatement fee and retake the full licensing exam

Effective dates for new law: New penalties went into effect as of March 31, 2007. New training requirements began Sept. 1, 2007.

Driver education hours up

The new law, signed by the governor January 3, doubles the time that teenagers must spend behind the wheel in driver education courses. It increases from six hours to 12 hours.

Stiff speeding penalties

Drivers with learner's permits who break speeding laws will face stiff penalties. For a first offense, they could face a 90-day permit suspension and a $50 fine, plus $10 for each mile per hour over the speed limit. The old penalty was a $50 fine only.

A second offense could trigger a one-year permit suspension plus the same fine.

Protecting Young Drivers

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles offers a fact-filled brochure Your New Driver, a Message to Parents and Guardians. It includes tips on encouraging safe driving habits, exercising parental responsibilities, and rules governing Junior Operator Licenses. It also includes some alarming statistics teenage driving experience ("34% of 16-year old drivers will be in a serious crash", for example).

You can get a copy online at www.mass.gov/rmv or by calling the RMV at 617-351-4500 from the 339/617/781/857 area codes or 800-858-3926 from all other area codes. The RMV mail address: P.O. Box 5589, Boston, MA 02205-5889.

TouchPoints

• Thanks for making us #1. We'd like to thank everyone who voted for us in the Community Newspaper Company Reader Choice Awards for 2007. This is an entirely voluntary reader poll in which readers send in their nominations for their favorite businesses in many different categories. Keefe Insurance was not only first for Franklin, but was also the Gold Award Winner for our region among insurance agencies.
• "Click It or Ticket" clampdown on seatbelt use is on-going. When cars are pulled over, state and local law officials are paying extra attention to whether or not the driver and passengers are wearing their belts. A $25 fine is imposed on each person not buckled up. The fine does not affect the driver's insurance rates. Massachusetts ranks 48th in the nation for seatbelt use. The national use average is 80%; ours is 63%!
• 60% of in-home businesses are not properly insured according to a recent insurance association study. If you conduct some type of full or part-time business out of your home and your only insurance is your standard homeowner's policy, we encourage you to call us ASAP!
• Installed CO detectors? If you are planning to sell your home, you must have these alarms and smoke detectors installed and in good working order before closing. It's the law in Massachusetts.
• All your valuables properly insured? Now is a good time to take an inventory of your precious art, jewelry, silver, antique, and collectible items. Make sure you know their appraised value. Then contact us to review your coverage. Your homeowner (or renter) policy has limits on coverage for valuables. You may need low-cost "floater" insurance.
• We offer probate and guardianship bonds. Probate bonds are required in relation to the estate of deceased persons, minors and incompetent persons. Guardianship bonds are court bonds, which guarantee the loyal execution of the fiduciaries' duties and compliance with the orders of the court. Also, if you sell real estate, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that you purchase a $5,000 bond. We offer these and many other types of bonds.

Archived Newsletters

• Spring 2007

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Disclaimer: It is understood that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional service. If legal or other expert advice is required, the services of a professional should be sought. Insurance information is general in nature; for specific coverage provisions, review contractual policy provisions.