Know AAA

> AAA helps teens race safely
> Get AAA discounts on everything from hardbacks to Harleys
> AAA Discounts app for iPhone
> Trying to cut your costs? Don't do it this way!
> A new car insurance law
> Passports: do you need one?
> The Turquoise Trail
> Why use a travel agent?
> Have you signed up yet?
> AAA for the whole family
> Auto Skills winners

ADVOCACY

AAA helps teens race safely

Car racing is an exciting sport that requires training, discipline and skill-but the streets are no place for it. Illegal street racing is a social activity. People gather in a parking lot, hang out with friends and challenge someone to a race. To provide the same opportunities in a safer environment, AAA has again partnered with Colorado State Patrol, Bandimere Speedway and Ralph Schomp Honda to give Colorado teens a chance to show off their cars and race each other on a real racetrack.

All participant vehicles must pass a technical inspection by qualified Bandimere employees to verify that the vehicle is safe for racing on the track.

Since the "Take It To The Track" program began, more than 20,000 teen racers have attended the Wednesday night events. This year's season started in April and runs until early October at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison. All teen drivers are welcome—visit the teen driver page at www.AAA.com/safety or call Bandimere Speedway at 303-697-6001.

MEMBER SAVINGS

Get AAA discounts on everything from hardbacks to Harleys

Your AAA card can help you save at more than 160,000 locations. A few of this season's deals:

Barnes & Noble is doubling its AAA member discount! Now AAA members save 10% in addition to online pricing discounts of up to 40%. This offer is not available in stores, and members must access the online store through www.AAA.com/barnesandnoble to receive the discount.
EagleRider is a new partner with two Colorado locations. They rent and sell motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and accessories. AAA members save 12% on motorcycle rentals. Until the end of September, members also get $1000 off certified used Harley-Davidson, Honda and BMW motorcycles, or $300 off certified used Vespa scooters. 877-869-5023, www.eaglerider.com.
Show your card at Payless ShoeSource stores to receive 10% off regular priced shoes and accessories.
Get 10% off online purchases from Target by accessing their website through www.AAA.com/target.

Visit www.AAA.com/discounts for a complete listing of companies that offer AAA discounts, or www.AAA.com/specialoffers for this month's short-term special offers.

AAA Discounts app for iPhone

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users can now easily find AAA member discounts by downloading a new application, AAA Discounts. The free, GPS-based app displays the locations of nearby companies that offer a discount to AAA members.

The app acquires the user's location automatically, displays nearby locations that offer a discount to AAA members, and allows users to pan and zoom on a regional map. It also displays key information including the name, address, phone, distance from location and a summary of the discount details. Users can filter listings by category and have one-click access to narrative directions.

Download the AAA Discounts app by searching for "AAA Discounts" in the iPhone or iTunes App Store. (The app works on the iPod Touch when the user has access to WiFi.)

While everyone can download and use the app, only AAA members can take advantage of the savings found on it.

AAA's Show Your Card & Save program is the largest member discount program in the world, with discounts available at 110,000 retail locations in North America and more than 160,000 worldwide. The AAA Discounts application has been downloaded more than 348,325 times since its April 21 launch and has attracted numerous positive reviews online. One user wrote, "I never realized all the places that offered discounts to AAA members. List view is wonderful. Adding the roadside assistance calling was a sweet touch. Great app."

INSURANCE

Trying to cut your costs? Don't do it this way!

There are many smart ways to save money on insurance, but there are also mistakes that could result in being dangerously underinsured. Following are five big insurance mistakes that can end up costing you money—sometimes a lot of money.

1. Insuring a home for its real estate value.
When the value of real estate drops, some homeowners think about reducing their insurance coverage. Insurance, however, is designed to cover the cost of rebuilding the home if there's a disaster—which is not the same as its market value.

2. Selecting an insurance company by price alone.
Select a company that is financially sound and has a reputation for outstanding customer service. AAA only partners with companies that are financially secure and rated B+ (good) or better by A.M. Best (the leading provider of financial strength ratings for the insurance industry).

3. Cashing in a whole-life insurance policy.
People who need quick money often make the mistake of surrendering a whole-life insurance policy for its cash value. This can hurt long-term financial health for a short-term gain. And, if you have to buy another whole-life insurance policy in the future, it will be more expensive because older individuals pay higher life insurance premiums.

4. Purchasing only the legally required amount of liability protection for a car.
Accidents generally cost more than the minimum required coverage, and paying the difference out of your own pocket could wipe you out. Talk to your insurance agent about purchasing higher liability limits. Another option is purchasing an umbrella (excess liability) policy, which typically costs between $200 and $300 per year for a million dollars in coverage.

5. Neglecting to purchase renter's insurance.
If you live in a rental property, this is a very important financial safety net which only costs, on average, about $200 per year. In the event of a disaster, it will cover replacing your belongings, additional living expenses and liability protection if someone is injured on the property.

A new car insurance law

In January this year, a new car insurance law took effect in Colorado. Insurance companies are now required to add $5,000 of medical payments coverage ("med pay") to every car insurance policy, unless the customer rejects the coverage in writing.

Med pay covers medical bills for the insured driver and passengers involved in an accident, regardless of who caused it. It was previously an optional item on auto policies.

If you're wondering whether to accept or reject med pay coverage when renewing a policy, these are some useful points to consider:

Do you already have health insurance, and what does it cover? If you are injured in a car accident, med pay can help cover health insurance co-pays and deductibles.
It may be more convenient, because you can have your auto insurance company also deal with the medical bills after an accident. Talk to your insurance agent for more information about med pay coverage.

TRAVEL

Passports: do you need one?

At the beginning of June, new requirements for travel documents went into effect for entry into the United States by land or sea. It's the final stage of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which has been rolled out over the last several years. The same requirements went into effect for air travel in 2007.

At all points of entry into the United States, approved re-entry documents that can be used by U.S. citizens now include passports, passport cards, Trusted Traveler Card or an Enhanced Driver's License.

If you're planning an international trip and need a passport, AAA Colorado branch offices can supply the necessary forms, take passport photos and advise you on the application process. For official passport information from the U.S. government, visit www.GetYouHome.gov.

The Turquoise Trail

Time for a road trip? AAA Drive Trips are free, detailed itineraries for recommended drive vacations all over the country. Each trip includes a map, estimated drive times and distances, photos and detailed information about the route.

This issue's featured route is the Turquoise Trail, covering 275 miles between Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos. The Turquoise Trail received its name from the Cerrillos Hills, south of Santa Fe, where rich deposits of turquoise have been mined for many centuries. Along the way, travelers will find everything from ancient Pueblo Indian dwellings to modern art galleries and some of the most spectacular scenery in the American Southwest.

A few of the stops described in the Turquoise Trail drive trip:

The old coal-mining town of Madrid.
El Rancho de las Golondrinas living history museum.
Recommended guided tours in Santa Fe.
Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Museums including the Ernest L. Blumenschein Home, Kit Carson Home & Museum, Millicent Rogers Museum, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of New Mexico.

Find this complete trip and others at www.AAA.com/travel. Choose "AAA Drive Trips" from the left menu.

Why use a travel agent?

AAA's travel services include much more than TripTiks, TourBooks and maps. All of AAA Colorado's 11 offices have a full-service travel agency, offering expert advice and bookings for domestic and international travel.

Of course, if you know exactly what you want, tickets and packages can be bought online at www.AAA.com. But phoning or visiting a travel agent can provide many more options and ideas. AAA travel agents constantly update their knowledge of specialized aspects of travel—for example, planning a honeymoon or destination wedding, a large family reunion or luxury travel. They can provide detailed information on destinations, sort through all the options and offer recommendations to create a personalized cruise or vacation package.

When working with a travel agent, members can get good insider information from a person who really knows the destination, whether the planned travel is a local road trip or a major European vacation.

Another good reason to talk to a travel agent is that AAA works with cruise and tour companies to provide exclusive benefits for AAA members. These can include free upgrades, dollars toward activities at your destination and similar extras that other travelers won't receive.

Problem resolution is also a huge advantage. Having the backup of AAA means a quick solution can be found to any problems that arise during the trip, so you can relax and enjoy yourself.

WEBSITE

Have you signed up yet?

Did you know there's an email supplement to EnCompass with more travel articles, sent out once every two months in between the print version? How about eUpdate, a monthly e-newsletter with great deals on domestic and international travel, along with informative articles on car care and other topics?

AAA Colorado never sells or shares your email address, and we won't spam you. Visit www.AAA.com/newsletter to sign up for any of the newsletters that appeal to you. If you change your mind, all our e-newsletters allow you to unsubscribe immediately with one click.

MEMBERSHIP

AAA for the whole family

If you haven't added other family members in the household to your AAA membership yet, it's something to consider. Associate memberships are available at reduced rates for a member's spouse or one other resident adult, and children under 25 (whether living at home or away at school as a student).

Adding family members as associates gives them the same benefits AAA Colorado offers you. For example, you'll be confident in knowing that your family can call AAA for roadside assistance in any vehicle, whether they're a driver or a passenger. And they'll be able to use their AAA card to get great discounts. Call 877-244-9790 or visit www.AAA.com/membership.

AUTOMOTIVE

Auto Skills winners

Charles Duran and Dylan J. Keyes, of Doherty High School, are Colorado's state champions in the 2009 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition. At the state finals in May, Duran and Keyes were among ten teams competing to diagnose and repair identical Ford vehicles which had been pre-bugged with numerous faults. Their coach was Brad Wheaton. It's the fourth year in a row that a team from Doherty High School has won the competition. Second place winners were Ryan Iwamoto and Patrick Newell from Smoky Hill High School, coached by Scott Seperich. Third place went to Salida High School students Jennifer Burris and Tyler Prosser, coached by Kevin Thonhoff.

The state champions advanced to the national finals, held in Dearborn, Mich. in June as this issue of EnCompass went to print. For an update, visit www.autoskills.com.

Doherty High School
Smoky Hill High School
Salida High School