#ToyotaInsurance

When you need car-related information quickly, a picture can be worth way more than a thousand words. That’s why we’ve put together six easily digestible infographics you can refer back to time and again, wherever you’re at in your automotive journey. PRO TIP: Save yourself time and stress down the road by downloading these infographics to your computer or phone.

You may find the idea of your teenager sitting behind the wheel of your car slightly terror-inducing, but you’ll actually increase the chances of an accident if you don’t allow them to practice. Driver’s education programs are an excellent place to start, but they may only amount to 7-10 hours of actual drive time. The experience needed to become reasonably proficient is closer to 50 hours and that can vary from state to state. Still that’s around two hours per week spread out over six months!1 You’ll be responsible for ensuring your young driver not only learns the basics of driving, but also gains enough experience to drive with confidence.

One of the joys of the holiday season is the opportunity to see family and friends that live far away. Unfortunately, this often involves more than a simple journey of “over the river and through the wood.” Crowded highways are the new normal, resulting in greater exposure to potential accidents. Many drivers will be travelling in unfamiliar areas, which could lead to distractions from checking the GPS. Winter weather can be unpredictable, making the roads themselves dangerous, and there is always the unfortunate possibility that revelers will hit the road before they’ve completely sobered up. The best defense against unforeseen misfortune is preparedness. If you take the time to prepare your vehicle and make sure your coverage is up to date, you’ll be able to hit the road with confidence!

According to the EPA, “greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 27 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor of U.S. GHG emissions.” And with almost 95% of American households owning at least one vehicle, it remains vital that American drivers—particularly those with traditional, gas-powered cars—try to adopt eco-friendly driving and car-care habits. The good news? It’s a lot easier than you might think.

There’s nothing like feeling the wind on your face, whether you’re cruising down the highway on your motorcycle or riding the waves on your boat or jet ski. The last thing anyone wants is to have a perfect day on the road or water ruined by an accident, but the situation will be made even worse if you find yourself without the proper insurance coverage to help you in the aftermath. Due to their unique natures, boats and motorcycles require special insurance coverage in addition to your existing homeowner and auto policies. Read on to learn what to look for in a policy, tips for shopping around, and more.

Strict travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders at the beginning of the pandemic led to decreased sales of Recreational Vehicles, but the mobile lifestyle has since experienced a resurgence as more jobs become remote-friendly, social distancing becomes a feature of everyday life, and people are looking to make up for lost travel time. The perks of RV living, whether it is full- or part-time, are appealing to many—it offers individuals and families easy access to travel, flexibility, and a more affordable lifestyle. But how do you protect your home-on-wheels, as well as the people and property inside? The answer is RV insurance. This coverage is a unique combination of the coverages you find in auto and homeowner insurance policies that will help with peace of mind on and off the road.

Whether you are paying a mortgage or rent, it is important to insure your home against potential disasters. But it is also vital that you understand the difference between homeowner’s and renter’s insurance—though similar, the two are tailored to fit the unique needs of your living situation. Below, you will find an overview of each type of policy before we dive more deeply into renter’s insurance and the ways it can help protect you (and your possessions) regardless of the coverage provided by your landlord.

Buying a home is a lengthy, complex process that tests the patience of even the most organized individuals. When it comes to protecting the place you call home, it is imperative that finding appropriate insurance coverage is part of the home buying process. If you are financing your home most banks and mortgage lenders require home insurance to approve your loan, but regardless of how you go about purchasing, home insurance is a practical step you can take that can help you mitigate financial hardship down the road. Like car insurance, not all policies are created equally, making it important to shop around to find the right combination of coverage and price. To help, we have put together a practical overview of all the information you will need to decide on a policy that fits your lifestyle and budget—read on and shop with confidence!

When purchasing car insurance, we all hope we’ll never have to use it. And while there are several steps you can take to avoid accidents, the reality is that more than six million car accidents occur every year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Sooner or later, most of us will experience an accident, be it a fender-bender or a more severe collision. So, what do you do in the aftermath? Committing this information to memory can help keep an incredibly stressful situation from becoming overwhelming, so let’s go through the steps you should take.

Driving has become such a normal part of our everyday lives that it’s easy to forget the risks we take when getting into a vehicle.  While some take safety to heart at an early age, it can be an eye opener for others when they become parents and begin a journey with their precious cargo. Luckily, the rules for keeping your children safe while driving are the same for safe driving in general, but car safety also extends beyond on-the-road practices. Knowing how to keep your family safe in, out, and around your vehicle will help instill good safety habits in children, ease stress and worry in parents, and reduce the number of accidents your family is involved in overall.

What does the future of driving mean for the future of insurance? As automotive technology continues to evolve, the needs of drivers, automotive makers, and insurance companies will also shift. With researchers predicting the autonomous vehicle market will be worth 400 billion U.S. dollars globally by 2025, and in advanced economies, highways will be nearly driver-free by 2050 1, it’s important to begin digging into the implications of this transformation for your own insurance needs and the future of driving as a whole.

We think open discussion and information is good for the insurance business. Otherwise, it’s easy for misconceptions to spread and become common knowledge. Misunderstanding the ins-and-outs of your insurance policy could be a costly mistake, which is why we’re taking the time to tackle some of the most common myths when it comes to auto insurance.

Shopping for insurance has changed dramatically in recent years. Smaller companies have entered the marketplace (there are now over 6,000 insurance companies and 36,000 independent agencies serving consumers across the US!), new technologies have made pricing more accurate, and comparison shopping has become a regular part of the insurance buying process. Some consumers prefer to work with an insurance agent and others are content to complete the entire process on their own online.

Thinking about buying a new sports or performance car? The cost of insurance is probably one of your top concerns. However, performance car insurance may not necessarily make your premium skyrocket. In short, be careful how you shop, choose the right agency partner, and understand what insurance carriers consider potential risk.

When it is time to shop for car insurance, the most common way to do it is through an agent. But not all insurance agents are the same. Some work directly for one insurance company, while others are independent insurance agencies that can help you find the best value for your specific insurance needs. Here’s how you can get the most out of your auto insurance by using an independent insurance agency.