Acting Gov. Paul Cellucci has signed legislation prescribing a graduated drivers license program for drivers under 18.
Key provisions of the law require that young drivers get professional instruction, drive with more parental supervision, avoid carrying passengers during the first six months of being licensed and avoid driving late at night. National statistics showed that 60% of teenage traffic deaths in 1995 occurred between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Experience in other states has shown an immediate reduction in teenage traffic deaths after enactment of similar legislation. Twelve states have adopted the legislation.
New York, Pennsylvania
USI Insurance Services Corp. announces acquisition/partnership
USI has acquired one of the largest independently owned health and dental care administrators on the East Coast, J.J. Newman and Company, Inc., of Garden City, New York, and has announced a partnership with Colburn Insurance Service, Inc., of Media Pennsylvania, a provider of life and disability programs, professional liability and medical insurance to associations, chambers of commerce and employer groups.
With annual revenues exceeding $250 million, USI is the nation's seventh largest distributor of insurance and financial services brokerage. USI operates in 21 states.
Pennsylvania
Personal lines revisions approved
MSO (The Mutual Service Office, Inc.) has received approval for a major revision to its homeowners, mobilehomeowners and personal inland marine programs in Pennsylvania.
Several areas have been revised.
* Automatic building code or law coverage
* On-premises computer equipment is covered up to the full contents limit; off-premises equipment and media/software each have a $3,000 limit. A new option is virus coverage.
* "Collapse" is now more clearly defined and has been moved from a peril in the coverage forms to a supplemental coverage in the main common provisions form.
* Extended replacement cost now includes a cap of 125% of the Coverage A limit. It is now also available under the Combination Dwelling program.
* Coverage includes cassette tapes, compact disks and other media "temporarily powered by an aircraft, motorized land vehicle or watercraft." Coverage includes cassette tapes, compact disks and other media used with the equipment.
More information about MSO programs and services is available by calling Sue Quimby, CPCU, at (800) 935-6900.
New York
Art Moll of Yonkers begins term as PIA president
Arthur L. Moll, CPCU, CLU, CIC, president of Compaudit Services in Yonkers, began his term as president of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents on October 1. Moll, who specializes in workers compensation, has been a member of the board of directors of PIA of New York since 1979. He served as first vice president of the PIANY in 1985-86 and as president of the state association in 1986-87.
PIANY announces CIC scholarships
Seven scholarships for the Certified Insurance Counselor program were awarded by the PIA of New York.
The national CIC designation signifies the attainment of a high level of professional insurance training and a commitment to continuing education.
Dyar "Pat" Haddad memorial scholarships, which were established in memory of former PIANY Director and CIC Trustee Pat Haddad, were awarded to Rui F. Jin, Marcia A. Black, Jeffrey D. Ryan, Patricia Fell and Thomas Mott. Gretchen Endres was awarded the Preferred Mutual scholarship and Janice Goody received the New York CIC Trustees scholarship.
New Jersey
PIANJ calls for more consumer protections
The Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) has proposed new regulations aimed at bringing insurance rules into compliance with a 1997 law that changed the rules for the nonrenewal of private passenger auto business.
PIANJ worked to enact the law, which protects insurance consumers and producers against excessive nonrenewal activity under the 2 percent and 2-for-1 law.
Agents are protected from losing large chunks of business as the law prohibits insurers from nonrenewing more than 20% of any one producer's book of business in a calendar year if that producer has earned $10,000 or more from the insurer in the prior calendar year.
The 1997 law prohibits carriers from nonrenewing a policy unless the insured or operator under the policy has at least two at-fault accidents or moving violations within the last five years. However, the DOBI has expanded this to all carriers to nonrenew a policy if a driver or any other operator has "individually or collectively" had at least two of the violations within the past five years."*
©COPYRIGHT: The Rough Notes Magazine, 1998