DWI offenders convicted for a third time in North Carolina will now face more jail time and increased fines. Laura’s Law went into effect in December 2011 and it increases the minimum jail time from 14 days to 120 days, and the maximum jail time was also increased. Maximum fines were increased up to $10,000.

Laura’s Law is named for Laura Fontenberry, a seventeen year-old who was killed by a drunk driver in Gaston County, North Carolina late last year. The driver who killed Laura had three prior convictions for drunk driving.

The new law also calls for stricter supervision while repeat offenders are on probation and they are also subject to alcohol monitoring for 120 days.

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Have you had a DUI or other driving offense that required SR22 and/or are you getting car insurance for the first time? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

Encompass Behavioral Health Services is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to provide behavioral health services to residents of Northern Arizona.

Encompass has an incredible staff of therapists who are educated at the Master’s level or are board certified. Their therapists are diversely trained to provide a full range of therapies designed to restore and optimize behavioral health functioning. These therapies include:

• Depression/Stress Counseling
• Marriage/Relationship Counseling
• Substance Abuse Recovery
• Domestic Violence/Anger Management Counseling
• Parenting Issues
• DUI & Substance Abuse Education
• Crisis Services
• Child & Family Teams
• Adult & Family Teams
• Psychiatric Medication Services

HOW TO GET STARTED?
Call or come into the office to schedule an intake appointment. This appointment takes approximately 1 hour. During this appointment, Encompass staff will enroll you for services and determine what, if any, fees will be charged. Some client services are covered by AHCCCS, others by health insurance. Their fees are established based upon family income and size.

After the intake, an assessment appointment is scheduled with a counselor to review problems and strengths and to develop a short-term service plan. This appointment lasts approximately 2 hours.

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Have you had a DUI or other driving offense that required SR22 and/or are you getting car insurance for the first time? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

The Reconditioned Vehicle Program (RVP) is now available in Oklahoma. RVP is a tool that verifies the vehicle history, identifies salvaged titles, identifies lemons, checks for odometer tampering and damage by fire, water, collision or other issues.

Unitrin Specialty will validate the vehicle history report records in the following essential areas:

1. Title Check – salvaged titles, rebuilt titles, fire damage titles and flood damaged titles
2. Odometer Check – odometer rollback, broken odometer, odometer exceeding the limit, odometer suspect miles
3. Problem Check – frame damage, lemon car, salvage auction, water damage
4. Vehicle Use and Event Check – major auto accidents, auto theft, police or taxi use, fleet cars

Obtaining physical damage coverage for a salvaged vehicle used to be very difficult, if not impossible to find. Now Unitrin Specialty makes this coverage available to a marketplace that was previously under-served. If you have a salvaged vehicle, call an independent insurance agent like Serenity Insurance who writes policies with Unitrin and get your salvaged vehicle covered.

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The Unitrin family of insurance companies serves clients in markets across the United States. More than 6 million policyholders have their basic insurance and financial needs met by a nationwide network of career agents and independent agents and brokers. As one of America’s leading financial services providers, the Unitrin family specializes in property, casualty, life health and accident insurance.

Are you getting car insurance for the first time or have an insurance requirement for SR-22 filing? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer auto insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

“I called up Kevin to get insurance and he was such a great help! I appreciate the time he spent explaining to me how the process worked. I even got confused for a second and Kevin explained to me what the difference was and ended up saving even more money than I thought I was going to. I just wanted to let you know that he is a great agent and I looking forward to working with him in the future.”

Thank you,

Andrew
MO auto insurance customer

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Andrew needed a Missouri car insurance policy and was looking for a great rate. Kevin was able to get Andrew an auto insurance policy that saved him more money than he expected.

Are you getting car insurance for the first time or have an insurance requirement for SR-22 filing? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer auto insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

FL SR22 Requirements
The drunk driving laws in the State of Florida prohibits a driver to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol level (BAL) of .08 or higher. In addition, the BAL level for a commercial driver is .04 and for drivers who are under the age of 21 it is .02.

Penalties for a first time DUI offense in the State of Florida are as follows:

• 6 months maximum in jail for BAL of .08 but less than .15
• 9 months maximum in jail for BAL above .15
• A fine of from $500 to $1000 for BAL of .08 to .15
• A fine of from $1000 to $2000 for BAL above .15 or if there is a minor in car
• License suspension from 180 days to 1 year
• For a Hardship Reinstatement of the license, the driver must complete DUI School prior to applying for the hardship
• An ignition interlock device may be required
• A Community Service Fine of $10 for each hour of community service required
• Community Service of 50 hours
• A Treatment Program may be allowed in lieu of imprisonment
• Vehicle impoundment of 10 days

Florida will require the driver to have an SR22 filed with the state as proof of a liability policy in order to get the license reinstated after the license has been suspended or revoked. Once filed, the SR22 and the liability insurance must continue to be active. If the driver cancels the insurance policy, and therefore the SR22, for any reason the State of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will be notified. Drivers are required to carry the SR22 auto insurance documentation for up to 3 consecutive years.

If a driver is convicted of a DUI offense after October 1, 2007, then the driver is required to provide proof of bodily injury liability insurance as follows:

• $100.000 per person
• $300,000 per occurrence
• $50,000 property damage liability

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The information contained in the above article is intended as informational and does not constitute legal or insurance advice.  Insurance requirements in the state of Florida are subject to change.  Visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at http://www.flhsmv.gov/ for current information.

Have you had a DUI or other driving offense that required SR22 and/or are you getting car insurance for the first time? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

If you’re convicted for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) in Texas you face new, tougher laws and the penalties could be severe. A drunk driving conviction with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or more is considered a Class A misdemeanor offense punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 even for a first time offense.

In addition, another new law called the Abdallah Khader Act, which is named after a young boy who was left in a vegetative state after being involved in an accident with a drunk driver, punishes those who severely injure someone while intoxicated. The Khader Act upgrades intoxicated assault that causes a traumatic brain injury to a Second Degree Felony which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Law enforcement agencies at the local, county and state levels are increasing patrols to look for drunk drivers. Don’t become a statistic, use a designated driver or stay home when drinking.

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Have you had a DUI, DWI, or other driving offense that required form SR 22 insurance filing or are you getting car insurance for the first time? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

It is a not a rumor that women can get cheaper car insurance than their male counter-parts. Women are usually better drivers, therefore they don’t submit as many claims, and they tend to not drive as reckless as a man.

Women should shop around a while when looking for insurance. Men usually do not like to shop and will settle for the first or second insurance policy quoted. If women spend a little more time shopping, they will be rewarded with a cheaper policy. Several factors will help women obtain a less expensive insurance policy –

1. Women tend to drive less sporty vehicles, and rarely drive pickups. Compact four-door cars, small SUVs and vans are usually the choice of women drivers. These vehicles are generally less expensive to insure than sports cars and trucks. Therefore these vehicles could qualify for a Safe Vehicle Discount.
2. The driving record has a lot to do with the rate given for a car insurance policy. Since women get less tickets, and have less accidents, their motor vehicle record (MVR) will have less points on it and thus the rate they get for their coverage will be less. Having a clean MVR could qualify for a Good Driver Discount.
3. Some insurance companies give discounts for your credit score, for being a non-smoker, for your education level, etc.

Use the Internet to check for car/auto insurance brokers rather than going directly to an agent of a particular car insurance company that does not sell policies for other companies. Insurance brokers like Serenity Insurance work with multiple car insurance companies and can do the comparison shopping for you.

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Are you getting car insurance for the first time or have an insurance requirement for SR-22 filing? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer affordable auto insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

IA SR22 Requirements
In the State of Iowa it is against the law for a driver to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. There are stricter laws for drivers of commercial vehicles (.04) and also for drivers under the age of 21 (.02).

In Iowa driving under the influence is called Operating Under the Influence (OWI). All OWI convictions in the state of Iowa carry jail time, license suspension and court ordered substance abuse treatment. The list of penalties for a first time DUI in Iowa is as follows:

• Jail for 48 hours minimum, up to 1 year
• A fine from $625 to $1,250
• License suspension for 90 to 180 days
• A restricted license is possible after 30 days
• Ignition interlock device may be required if BAC is above .10
• May have to attend a Drinking Drivers Course
• Community service time is possible
• Alcohol evaluation and treatment may be ordered

The minimum required liability insurance coverage is as follows:

• $20,000 for Bodily Injury Liability per person
• $40,000 for Bodily Injury Liability for all persons per accident
• $15,000 for Property Damage coverage caused in an at-fault accident

All drivers must show proof of liability insurance to any law enforcement officer or any other sanctioned officers of the state if requested.

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The information contained in the above article is intended as informational and does not constitute legal or insurance advice.  Insurance requirements in the state of Iowa are subject to change.  Visit the Iowa Insurance Division at http://www.iid.state.ia.us/index.asp or the Iowa Department of Transportation at http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/ods/financial.htm for current information.

Have you had a DUI, DWI, or other driving offense that required form SR 22 insurance filing or are you getting car insurance for the first time? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer car insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

Thanks, Granison
PA auto insurance customer

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Granison needed a Pennsylvania car insurance policy and had been having trouble with other companies and agencies giving him a quote. Will did the shopping for him and got him a great policy at a great price.

Are you getting car insurance for the first time or have an insurance requirement for SR-22 filing? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer auto insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.

Results from the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test revealed that while 8 in 10 drivers say it is never safe to text, email or use their smart phone, an alarmingly large percentage of drivers use various features of their smart phones when operating their vehicles. Even with a number of states banning handheld cell phone use and texting while driving, nearly 50 percent of drivers admit to making phone calls while driving and about 15 percent of drivers admit to sending and reading text messages while driving. However; the youngest drivers in the nation are perhaps getting the message that distracted driving is dangerous, with almost three quarters of 16 to 17 year olds saying that they’ve completely stopped the use of mobile devices while driving. The vast majority of drivers between the ages of 60 and 65 have also completely stopped using mobile devices as well.

Youngest and Oldest Drivers are Less Distracted

• Seventy-five percent of drivers ages 16 to 17, and 72 percent of drivers ages 60 to 65, say they have completely eliminated all smart phone activities while driving.
• This may be explained by the fact that the top parental restriction on teenage drivers is not allowing the use of mobile phones while driving.

Phone Calls and Texting

• While stopped at a red light, almost two-thirds of drivers admitted to making phone calls and 8 in 10 drivers admitted to sending and checking for text messages.
• Fifty percent of drivers say they make phone calls while driving in slow traffic or while driving on the open highway.

Smart Phone Distractions

• Ten percent of drivers admitted to sending and reading emails and using their downloaded applications on their smart phones while operating their vehicles.
• About three percent of drivers use their smart phones to take pictures and some even update their Twitter and Facebook pages while on the road.

Distracted Driver Behaviors

• Less than one percent of all drivers say they received a ticket or a warning for using a mobile device or a smart phone in the past year.
• 8 in10 drivers reported never being distracted or even coming close to having an accident as a result of using their mobile device while driving.

A Trend in Decline?

• Fifty percent of drivers say they have completely eliminated all smart phone activities while driving.
• Thirty-two percent of drivers say they use their smart phones to call, text and email less than they used to.

“The National Drivers Test results, unveiling American’s Smartphone usage on the road, suggest that the 35 state-wide ban on texting while driving is having a positive influence on drivers,” said Stan Parker, VP of Marketing, GMAC Insurance. “We hope that by calling attention to distracted driving habits this dangerous activity will be practiced less and less and that drivers will continue to place their attention on the roads to stay safe.”

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GMAC Insurance Personal Lines Group is one of the largest automobile insurers in the United States. GMAC Insurance Personal Lines Group offers property and casualty products, including personal auto, RV, motorcycle, commercial auto and homeowners insurance. With a nationwide network of claims professionals, local independent agents and brokers and a 24-hour, toll-free claims hotline available 365 days a year, GMAC Insurance provides superior claims service for its customers.

Are you getting car insurance for the first time or have an insurance requirement for SR-22 filing? Serenity Insurance can help – we offer affordable auto insurance in 47 states for both preferred and high risk drivers. Call us toll free today at 1-800-774-0520 or use our car insurance quote form.