If you are tired and have a long drive ahead of you, think twice before getting behind the wheel.  Falling asleep at the wheel is clearly dangerous, but being sleepy affects your ability to drive safely even if you don’t fall asleep.  Drowsiness can make drivers less attentive, slow their reaction time and affect their ability to make safe decisions.

Although it may be difficult to attribute a fatal accident to drowsy driving, it is implicated in more than 100,000 car accidents per year, which leave 71,000 people injured and 1,500 dead according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, although some experts feel that the number of fatal crashes each year due to drowsy driving is closer to 5,000 or 6,000 people.

New research on the need for adequate sleep in maintaining good health, coupled with the negative impacts of sleep deprivation are coming to the attention of policymakers, and investigations are ongoing into what role drowsy driving is playing in traffic accidents.  The state of New Jersey signed the nation’s first law that specifically named driving while drowsy as a criminal offense, and many other states may soon follow suit.

Some of the warning signs of drowsy driving include yawning or blinking frequently, missing your exit, drifting from your lane or hitting the rumble strip on the side of the highway.  Some safe solutions to prevent drowsy driving include changing drivers if possible, taking a break from driving every few hours, getting some sleep in a well-lit rest area, stopping to stay at a motel or hotel and getting plenty of sleep before starting any road trip.  Whatever you do, don’t try to drive all through the night.  A higher percentage of accidents occur during the night, rather than in the day.

Kevin Connors is a Certified Insurance Counselor and licensed Property/Casualty and Life Insurance Agent with The Connors Insurance Agency in Mechanicville, NY.  Mr. Connors can be reached at (518)664-7307 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

With recent attacks by computer hackers at Target and now Michael’s, Cyber Liability Insurance is becoming a hot topic.  The FBI contends that many of these cyber-attacks come from out of the country so it’s difficult to track down these hackers.  Imagine for a moment that your company has come under attack by a skilled hacker.  The hacker has accessed your customer’s names, contact information and social security numbers.  On top of that, your website is now disabled.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have an Insurance policy to cover that?

Insurance that protects you in case of a cyber-attack may seem like something only large corporations would ever need, or could afford.  But believe it or not, cyber liability insurance makes sense for small companies as well.  And here’s why:

1.) It’s more affordable than you think.  Since it’s still a fairly new concept, there’s a lot of variation among policies and some room for negotiation.  You can get coverage as high as $30 million and deductibles starting at $2,500.  Minimum premiums can vary among Insurance Companies too, at $1,500 to $2,500 annually.

2.) It covers more than you think.  These policies provide coverage for things like business interruption, the cost of notifying your customers of a breach and even the expense of hiring a public relations firm if needed.  It will also pay to cover any regulatory fines or penalties you might occur.

3.) You probably don’t have a risk management team.  Big companies often have entire departments devoted to analyzing the risks the company could face and helping to set up policies and procedures to protect them.  A small business wouldn’t, but an insurance policy can perform the same function.

4.) Even if you don’t host your data yourself, you’re still responsible.  And your existing insurance policy won’t cover you.  Typically, a general liability policy specifically excludes losses incurred because of the internet.  A good cyber liability policy will pick up where your general liability policy leaves off.

Make sure your cyber liability policy covers laptops and mobile devices as well to give yourself coverage in as many situations as you can.  Work with your Independent Insurance Agent to integrate cyber liability with your general liability and employment practice liability policies.  They’ll make sure to give you the most seamless coverage possible.

Kevin Connors is a Certified Insurance Counselor and licensed Property/Casualty and Life Insurance Agent with The Connors Insurance Agency in Mechanicville, NY.  Mr. Connors can be reached at (518)664-7307 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.