Know AAA

“Busytown” promotes child safety
Check out EnCompass’s new digital edition!
Save on prescriptions, get a free pedometer
Free maps for schools
Auto insurance facts
YouTube video contest
Clean out the basement
October is Car Care Month
Colorado GEM: Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Don’t be fooled by “fake AAAs”
What if you died tomorrow?
Online tool for car maintenance

SAFETY

“Busytown” promotes child safety

Characters from Richard Scarry’s Busytown have joined forces with AAA to keep kids safe when traveling by car. Public service announcements promoting child passenger safety will air during the CBS weekend morning children’s show.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. Many of these deaths could have been prevented by the correct use of seat belts and child safety seats. Here are some guidelines to help parents choose an appropriate safety seat:

Rear-facing baby seats should be used in the back seat from birth into the baby’s second year.
Forward-facing toddler seats should be used in the back seat until the child reaches the maximum weight (around 40-65 pounds) or height of the harness.
Booster seats are used in the back seat with a regular seat belt from about age 4 to at least age 8 or four feet, nine inches tall. Colorado law requires booster seats up to age 8.
Lap and shoulder seat belts are used once the seat belt fits properly (i.e., it falls across the child’s chest, not the neck).

More than three out of four child seats in the United States are installed incorrectly—a certified child passenger safety technician can help. Call 866-SEAT-CHECK to locate a technician or fitting station near you.

For more information on child passenger safety and games featuring Busytown characters, visit www.AAA.com/SafeSeats4Kids, or tune in each weekend morning to CBS. For more on Richard Scarry’s Busytown, visit www.BusytownMysteries.com.

WEBSITE

Check out EnCompass’s new digital edition!

Starting from this issue, EnCompass magazine has a new, interactive digital edition at www.encompassmag.com. Members can also sign up for AAA Colorado’s two email newsletters, eUpdate and EnCompass Extra, at the same website. If you change your mind, it’s easy to unsubscribe. We’ll be adding more online content and features in future issues, so tell us what you’d like to see—email editor@colorado.aaa.com.

MEMBER SAVINGS

Save on prescriptions, get a free pedometer

Walking has many health benefits: improving blood circulation, reducing heart disease, relieving stress, supporting weight loss and many more. According to the Surgeon General, even walking for 30 minutes a day can greatly improve your health. To help you get started, AAA Prescription Savings is offering members a free pedometer by mail when you call 866-AAA-SAVE during September 2010.

AAA members can save an average of 24% on prescription medications for the whole family (including pets) by using the AAA Prescription Savings program. Find out more at www.AAA.com/prescriptions or call 866-AAA-SAVE.

ADVOCACY

Free maps for schools

Each year, AAA Colorado updates its map inventory and donates surplus maps to interested Colorado schools. The maps come in units of 100 so every student can have their own. Educators can order up to four units for a single shipping and handling charge of $8. To see available maps and place your request by mail, please print out this form (PDF) from the print version of the magazine. Unfortunately we cannot take online or phone orders this year. Allow four to six weeks for delivery. Offer is good while supplies last.

INSURANCE

Auto insurance facts

$738: The average annual car insurance premium in Colorado.
$795: The average nationwide.
60,000: Approximate number of auto claims in Colorado from hail, wind and flood damage in 2009. Hail is the natural peril that causes the most damage to Colorado vehicles.
7: Insurance companies represented by AAA Colorado’s independent insurance agency, which is one of the largest independent personal lines agencies in Colorado.

SAFETY

YouTube video contest

AAA and Seventeen magazine are holding a contest for the best YouTube video against distracted driving. The contest is open to ages 15 and up, and the best entry wins $2,000 cash! Entry deadline is Sept. 10, 2010, and the winner will be notified on Sept. 17. For complete rules and how to submit your video, go to www.seventeen.com/twosecond.

MEMBER SAVINGS

Clean out the basement

What do you get when you combine a non-working mechanical bull, a unicorn-shaped coffee table and an old mortician’s closet? A lot of weird junk.

Emotions encircle a major home move or house-cleaning, because our junk really does define us. It tells a story about where we’ve been, who we are. It’s personal. This is why it can be tough to let go of things you really know you need to throw away.

A professional junk removal company can help with the process. AAA members save 10% year round on services from 1-800-GOT-JUNK (call that number or visit www.AAA.com/1800gotjunk). After all, you can only hold on so long to those human skulls, that freezer full of rotten seafood and those 6-foot-tall hot pink walkie talkies.

By the way, those examples are all true. You don’t have anything they haven’t seen before, so maybe it’s time for a cleanup.

AUTOMOTIVE

October is Car Care Month

During October, many AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities offer discounts or free safety checks to AAA members. It’s a great way to prepare a vehicle for the transition to winter driving conditions—have your tires checked, along with fluid levels, brakes, lights, battery, hoses, belts and windshield wipers.

Proper maintenance and regular inspections can extend the life of a car and save the cost of an expensive repair later. Find Approved Auto Repair facilities near you.

TRAVEL

Colorado GEM: Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
© Denise Chambers/Weaver Multimedia.

Antonito, in southwestern Colorado, is the departure point for the nation’s highest and longest scenic railroad. The 64-mile Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad between Antonito and Chama, N.M., is especially good at this time of year as fall colors cover the mountains.

Built in the 1880s, the line connected commercial outposts and mining camps. Today, the all-day trips on vintage, narrow gauge, coal-burning steam trains offer spectacular views of the San Juan and Sangre de Christo mountain ranges. Three classes are available: coach, tourist or parlor. The parlor car is adult-only and offers refreshments and attendant service.

Osier, an old stagecoach stop, is the transfer and lunch point. From there, guests can choose to continue by train to Chama or return to Antonito. Various combinations of train and motorcoach travel are offered; all trips include lunch. One-way trips are also available.

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad runs daily from Memorial Day weekend until mid-October. AAA offices in Colorado and New Mexico can make reservations.

Other AAA TourBook-listed attractions in the southwestern part of the state are Mesa Verde National Park, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Great Sand Dunes National Park.

AAA TourBooks are free to members. Get them at branch offices or at www.AAA.com/travel. For information on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad visit www.cumbrestoltec.com or call 888-CUMBRES.

MEMBERSHIP

Don’t be fooled by “fake AAAs”

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. AAA’s good reputation often leads to attempts by unscrupulous companies to pass themselves off as having some connection to AAA.

One recent incident occurred in Boulder, when a member in need of roadside assistance dialed 411 and asked the operator for AAA’s number. Unfortunately, the operator connected him with a towing service which was illegally using “AAA” in their name. The member was surprised to be asked for payment after being towed, and only then learned that he was not dealing with a AAA roadside assistance provider.

Problems have also occurred with locksmiths who pretend to be affiliated with AAA. The usual form of the scam is to charge for service on the spot, and falsely claim that you will be reimbursed by AAA later.

Please be aware that all genuine AAA services are requested by calling 800-AAA-HELP, or by placing an online request at www.AAA.com. The dispatcher will send an approved, affiliated locksmith or service vehicle to provide the assistance that is covered by your membership.

INSURANCE

What if you died tomorrow?

Nobody likes to think about it, but the unexpected can happen at any time—and change your family’s future in seconds.

Life insurance can be used to cover funeral expenses, repay debt, provide an education for your children or any other family expenses.

For those of us who prefer to think we’ll live forever, good news: Some life insurance policies have benefits that can be used during your lifetime. The cash value earned on a permanent life insurance policy is tax-deferred and can be borrowed for emergency expenses. (However, policy loans do reduce the policy’s cash value and death benefits.)

Life insurance coverage should be reviewed whenever a major life change takes place—for example, a marriage or divorce, a new child or a new house. Talk to your insurance agent or visit www.AAA.com/insurance.

AUTOMOTIVE

Online tool for car maintenance

AAA AutoManager is a free online tool to help you keep track of vehicle maintenance. Simply enter your vehicle details and AutoManager will send you automatic email reminders whenever the vehicle is due for an oil change or other regular service. It even keeps track of your vehicle financing and insurance, reminding you when payments are due, so you’ll never have to worry about forgetting an important bill.

AutoManager also helps vehicle owners locate an Approved Auto Repair facility based on vehicle type, repair needs or location.

For those who enjoy doing their own vehicle maintenance and repair, the tool’s Diagnostics Center allows searching by topic or from a list of symptoms to help identify a problem and what needs to be done to fix it. Guidelines on potential repair costs are also included.

AutoManager can be found at www.AAA.com/automotive, along with a range of other useful tools for vehicle maintenance.

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