Life is a Highway for Many Canadians - TD Insurance Survey S

Friday, Jun 19,2009, 7:29:16 AM Click:

Extended coverage and road safety tips from TD Insurance help Canadians

safely arrive at their destinations

TORONTO, June 18 /CNW/ - For many Canadians, summer is not complete without a road trip vacation. This year is no different as a TD Insurance poll found that seven out of 10 (71%) Canadians will be hitting the road this summer, with most (38%) embarking on a road trip within their own province.

"Road trips are a huge part of summer for many Canadians, but accidents never take a vacation," says Henry Blumenthal, Vice President, TD Insurance. "Proper insurance can help smooth a bumpy road and get you to your destination safely and without delay."

Additional auto insurance helps to ensure that the trip doesn't end abruptly due to any loss or damage to your vehicle. If something does happen, the Grand Touring Advantage product from TD Insurance Home and Auto can get you back on the road. This additional coverage takes care of transportation replacement costs within North America and other expenses like towing and providing coverage so you can quickly continue your summer vacation at no additional cost. Furthermore, this convenient solution will protect Canadians against accidents causing damages to non-owned vehicles such as your rental RV or your friend's brand new mini-van. These benefits may not be part of your standard automobile insurance policy.

Other poll findings include:

-79% of Canadians taking road trips will be driving their own

vehicles, with 10% per cent renting a vehicle or driving a

recreational vehicle;

-18% of Canadians taking a road trip will be visiting a province other

than their own and 15% will be visiting the United States; and

-39% of Albertans taking a road trip will be visiting a province other

than their own, more than double the national average.

"Long distance driving is not the same as a drive to the grocery store," added Blumenthal. "Brushing up on your road safety knowledge prior to a lengthy drive can keep the motor running and the road trip adventure rolling."

To help Canadians improve their skills on the road, TD Insurance recently launched a new online resource dedicated to road safety at RoadSafetyFirst.com.

Here are just a few tips to consider before hitting the road for a long drive:

-Prepare yourself. Get a good night's sleep and eat a nutritious,

light meal before you set off.

-Take care of your car. You may be ready for the journey, but is your

vehicle? Make sure it's in road-worthy condition and all systems are

working smoothly.

-Know where you're going. Map your trip ahead of time so you know your

route and where the exits are located.

-Know the signs of fatigue. Sleep has a way of creeping up on you when

you're behind the wheel. And that can result in the dreaded

micro-nap - drifting off for a few seconds while you're driving.

-Be prepared. Carry the essentials: a map, a cell phone, bottles of

water, nutritious snacks, a flashlight and an emergency kit just in

case.

For more information on automobile insurance products including the Grand Touring Advantage product, please visit www.tdinsurance.com or call 1-800-338-0218.

About the Poll

From June 11 to June 12, 2009 Angus Reid Strategies conducted an online survey among 1,007 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error-which measures sampling variability-is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About TD Insurance

The TD Insurance brand is a part of TD Bank Financial Group. The wide range of TD Insurance products help protect clients from the 'accidents of life' including credit protection, life, health, travel, home and auto insurance. With more than three million clients, TD Insurance products and services are available through a network of more than 1,000 TD Canada Trust branches, the Internet and telephone. The TD Insurance brand, through its TD Insurance Credit Protection and TD Insurance Life and Health brands, is the number one provider of critical illness insurance and direct life and health premium origination in Canada. And through its TD Insurance Meloche Monnex and TD Insurance Home and Auto brands, is the largest direct-response insurance group in the country. For more information, visit www.tdinsurance.com. TD Insurance Home and Auto products are offered in Ontario by TD General Insurance Company and across Canada by Primmum Insurance Company and TD Home and Auto Insurance Company.