Jump to navigation

Insurance News

from Watertown Insurance Services

News filed in Safety

Back to all news

RSS

Tips for Towing a Boat Trailer to Reduce Accidents and Insurance Claims

Mar 5 2024 Owning a boat can make weekends and vacations fun and memorable. Follow these tips to help ensure that when you’re towing your boat you’re being as safe as possible to lower the risk of accidents and unwanted insurance claims. Make Sure Your Vehicle Is... more

Preparing Your Teen Driver for Different Road Conditions and Situations

Dec 4 2023 If you have a young driver in your home, you may be fearful about them driving on their own, especially in bad weather or road construction. Here are some tips to share with them to improve safety by adapting their driving to current conditions. Rain, Snow... more

Save Money With These Smart Home Devices That Make Your Home Safer

Oct 2 2023 Homeowners today have never had more ways to save money through technology. Here are five smart home devices that will help you cut down on your bills and improve your home’s safety. Better safety can mean fewer insurance claims and less hassle for you. Smart... more

Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation

Mar 3 2023 Whether you’re just getting away for a long weekend or spending a few weeks out of the house, it’s important to ensure your home is safe while you’re gone. Follow these tips to help prevent break-ins, fires, and water damage. Pause Your Mail and Paper... more

Family Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Jan 6 2023 It seems like every day on the news that we hear stories about a hurricane, flood, or wildfire creating massive damage in the U.S. and putting people out of their homes. Have you thought about how your family would handle this kind of emergency? Here are a... more

Should I Notify My Insurance Company About a New Puppy?

Nov 4 2022 Having a new puppy join your household can change your life. The snuggles and kisses make getting up in the middle of the night for potty breaks worth it, but in the whirlwind of change, it’s easy to forget some practicalities. For example, should you inform... more

How to Choose the Right Smart Security Camera

Oct 7 2022 A security camera can help protect your property against intruders or provide evidence in the event of a break-in. But with all the technology available today, it can be tough to figure out which smart security camera is right for you. Here are four points to... more

Grill Safely With These Outdoor Cooking Tips

Aug 5 2022 Grilling food is a fun pastime, and it’s ideal on those summer days when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen. But every year, there are accidents and home fires because people don’t grill safely. Follow these tips to make sure you and your household don’t... more

Avoiding Water Issues in Your Home

May 6 2022 Water damage is one of the worst problems that homeowners can run into. Not only can it be incredibly expensive to repair, depending on the extent of the damage, but it can also create the potential for mold and mildew to form. This can pose a serious health... more

Upgrading Your Windows - How to Choose What's Best for Your House

Mar 4 2022 You may not give the windows on your home much thought, but they can actually make a big difference not just in your comfort level, but also in the value of your home. You'll have a wide range of options to choose from, so it is important to evaluate your... more

How to Choose Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Dec 3 2021 Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential for any home, so you should ensure that your house is equipped with them. You should have detectors in the main living areas on each floor, including in every bedroom and the kitchen. This way, you'll be able... more

How to Make a Fire Safety Plan

Nov 5 2021 No one likes to think about the possibility of a fire in their home, but this is one situation where it definitely pays to be prepared. This is especially true if you have children or pets in your home. Read on to learn how to develop a fire safety plan to... more

Benefits of Using a Dash Cam

Aug 6 2021 More and more people these days are choosing to add dash cams to their vehicles, and for good reason. These small cameras can be highly useful to you, especially in the event that you get a traffic ticket or are involved in a crash or other incident on the... more

Swimming Safety: 10 Tips for Summer

Jul 2 2021 Summer is here and people are flocking to the water — whether it’s the beach, a lake, a river or a backyard pool. But, wherever there’s water, there’s also danger. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 people drown every... more

Porch Safety: Should You Leave the Lights On?

Jan 8 2021 It seems like a no-brainer to leave the lights on outside your home to deter burglars while you’re away (or even while you’re asleep). But does that really work? Or is it just a waste of electricity — particularly this time of year, when the days are short?... more

10 Things to do to Prepare Your Home for Fall

Nov 6 2020 Fall is a wonderful time - if your home is ready for it. So enjoy the last few weeks of warmer weather, but do a little preventative maintenance while you’re at it. You’ll fix small problems before they become big, and big ones before they become catastrophes.... more

Tips for Power Tool Safety

Sep 4 2020 What would you do without power tools? Well, you’d probably take on fewer home-improvement projects — and probably have a lot more calluses on your hands. Thankfully, you don’t have to do without. But you do have to use tools safely, if you want to do good... more

Keep Your Pets Safe in a Disaster

May 1 2020 A safe home, a regular routine, a soft bed – the things that bring you comfort bring your pet comfort, too. It’s so important to give some advance thought to how you’d handle your pet responsibilities during and after a disastrous storm or other event. Your... more

5 Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips

Feb 7 2020 Every year, unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning (not linked to fires) sends 20,000 people to the emergency room and causes more than 4,000 hospitalizations. And, you might consider them the fortunate ones. CO also is responsible for more than 400... more

When Roadside Assistance Isn’t Enough

Jan 3 2020 If you’ve ever been stuck on the side of the highway with an RV issue, you know what a life saver roadside assistance can be. Whether you need a battery charged, a tire changed, or a tow you’re often back on the road in no time — and maybe with an amusing... more

What Car Drivers Need to Know about Motorcycles

Oct 4 2019 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... more

How to Ride Your Motorcycle Safely in a Group

Sep 6 2019 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,... more

How to Make Your Family Vacation a Great One

Jul 12 2019 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... more

Boating Season is Here – Are You Up to Speed on Safety?

Jun 7 2019 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,... more

Spring Cleaning Tips

Apr 5 2019 Spring is a time for new beginnings, and cleaning and organization around the house are very popular this time of year. If you’re ready to tackle the monumental spring cleaning chore, read on for some helpful information. (And if you’re so tidy and organized... more

Home Security Technology: Keeping you ahead of the burglars

Mar 1 2019 Back in the early days of home security “systems,” around the end of World War I, it was common for homeowners to hire “door shakers”-night watchmen who would literally walk around and check doors to make sure they were locked. The most advanced product at... more

Keep Pets Happy and Safe on Vacation

Dec 7 2018 You’re not just imagining it—a lot of people are traveling with their pets these days. According to a TripAdvisor survey of more than 1,000 travelers, 53% of those responding said they take their pets on vacation, and 52% stay only at places that welcome pets.... more

Five Common (and Potentially Costly) Homeowner Mistakes

Nov 2 2018 Owning a home is usually a great experience. But it can also be a hassle, especially when unexpected issues pop up-whether you have a minor breakdown or a major catastrophe, it’s almost certainly going to require time and money to fix. In many instances,... more

Five Ways to Protect Your Personal Electronic Data

Oct 5 2018 Online data breaches are just an unfortunate fact of life now-as the New York Times put it, you might as well assume that your personal information has been taken, because cyberattacks happen all the time. That’s why we recommend identity-recovery coverage,... more

Let's Keep Our Lawns and Ourselves Safe

Sep 7 2018 For many of our neighbors, summer means more than sunshine and vacations. It also means working in the yard – often with tools that can be dangerous if not used properly. Each year about 400,000 people are treated for injuries from lawn and garden tools,... more

6 Tips for Getting to Work on Two Wheels

Aug 3 2018 Did you know that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States commute to work by bicycle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau? That’s a lot of cars off the road each day, a lot of gasoline saved and a ton of calories burned. Maybe you’re a bicycle... more

Essential Safety Tips for Nighttime Boating

Jul 6 2018 If you own a boat (or better yet, as the joke goes, you know someone with a boat), you’ve probably thought about spending some evenings on the water - especially in the summertime. It’s a great thought, of course. But, when you’re boating after dark, you need... more

Summer Driving Tips

Jun 1 2018 Summer’s almost here. The sun will come out of hiding, and people will, too. As crowds swell at the beach, in parks, and even on roadways, it all makes for some challenging driving conditions. More people are out and about, whether on foot, bike, or... more

Do I Need to Tell My Insurance Company If My Dog Bites Someone?

Apr 6 2018 You probably don’t think your dog would ever bite someone, let alone cause a serious injury. But dog bites are more common than you might realize-4.5 million occur every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And most... more

Protect yourself from Carbon Monoxide at Home and at Work

Mar 2 2018 Every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hundreds of people in the U.S. die from carbon-monoxide (CO) poisoning-and the invisible, odorless gas sickens thousands more. The numbers seem even more tragic when you consider that... more

Tips for Buying a Safe Car

Jan 5 2018 You’ve heard all the talk about driverless cars - but unfortunately, we’re still years away from living in a world where you just tell your car where to go, kick back and relax with a book (or, more likely, your phone). But even though our driverless future... more

Why Today’s Homes Burn Faster

Dec 1 2017 From building materials to furnishings, many of the things in your home likely aren’t as flame-resistant as those from yesteryear. A fire in a modern home is a “perfect storm,” according to safety consulting and certification company UL (Underwriters... more

Three Ways a Pool May Affect Your Homeowners Insurance

Sep 8 2017 That oh-so-covetable experience of taking a dip in your very own pool? Millions of American households enjoy it, at least when the weather’s nice. With the summer heat ratcheting up, you may be coming down with a serious case of pool envy, obsessed with... more

Easy to Forget Cleaning Projects

Aug 4 2017 As a busy homeowner, it's easy to fall into the trap of pushing off tasks that maintain the long-term value of your home in favor of more pressing problems. That’s OK, to a point, as certain house-cleaning projects should be in the “long-term maintenance”... more

Heavy Rain? Be on the Lookout for Heavy Damage

Jul 7 2017 Your home protects you from the elements, but heavy rains can weaken that protection. With a little maintenance and a lot of vigilance, it’s not hard to stay safe and dry. Spring rainstorms are a fact of life in many areas of the country, and they help keep... more

Want a Safer Home? Consider these Inexpensive Fixes

Jun 2 2017 Home improvement: It’s a never-ending process for many people, and for those of us who aren’t necessarily handy, it can be a hassle, too. But there are plenty of simple maintenance tasks and other improvements you can handle to make your home safer – whether... more

Love Bites – Get Umbrella Coverage

Apr 7 2017 In today’s economy, everyone is pinching pennies. So why worry about umbrella coverage? Shouldn’t a home and auto policy leave you adequately covered? Unfortunately, we live in a world of lawsuits. Large damages can be awarded, be extremely expensive and have... more

Burglary Prevention: Should You Leave the Lights On?

Dec 14 2016 It seems like a no-brainer to leave the lights on outside your home to deter burglars while you’re away (or even while you’re asleep). But does that really work? Or is it just a waste of electricity — particularly this time of year, when the days keep getting... more



Bookmark our mobile site visit m.watertownins.com

Information you need, when and where you need it most. More »

Watertown Insurance Services

Our location

91 Public Square
Watertown, New York 13601
    Jump to navigation
    315-785-0000
    Mon-Fri 8:30AM-4:30PM
    Click her for our Customer Portal

    © 2024 Watertown Insurance Services