Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Bill Would Strengthen Penalties Against Unlicensed Drivers
Feb 24 2009 // Oklahoma Senate Bill 1170, by State Sen. Debbe Leftwich, which increases the penalty for a person who causes the injury or death of a person while driving with a license that has been suspended, revoked, canceled or...
Utah Considers Cell Phone Ban on Texting, E-Mail While Driving
Feb 22 2009 // The Utah Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit a person from using a wireless communication device for texting messages or e-mailing while operating a motor vehicle, among other acts. Additionally, HB 281,...
Kansas Debates Penalties, Costs in Ridding Roads of Drunk Drivers
Feb 18 2009 // Kansas lawmakers heard testimony on a bill this week that was inspired by the deaths of a woman and her 4-year-old daughter in an accident police believe involved a driver with multiple drunk driving convictions. Kansas...
Arkansas Lawmakers Back Seat Belt, Teen Driver, Credit Report Laws
Feb 18 2009 // New restrictions on teen drivers and legislation allowing police to pull over motorists for not wearing their seat belts advanced in the Arkansas Legislature. Meanwhile, senators gave final approval to a bill that requires...
Iowa Could Fine Drivers Caught Using Cell Phones
Feb 16 2009 // Some Iowa legislators have a message for cell phone users: stop talking or texting while driving. A measure being considered in the Legislature would fine drivers $30 if they used their phones while behind the...
Texas Bill Would Double Fines for Driving With Handheld Devices
Feb 12 2009 // Texas State Rep. Vicki Truitt of Keller has filed HB 1158 which would double fines for drivers guilty of traffic violations while using handheld wireless devices, the Texas House of Representatives...
Jury Clears Volkswagen in Car Crash That Paralyzed Vermont Man
Feb 12 2009 // A jury says Volkswagen isn’t to blame for the injuries suffered by a Vermont man in a 2002 wreck that paralyzed him. The suit stemmed from a Christmas Eve accident in Hanover, New Hampshire, in which a 1999 Jetta...
North Carolina House Weighs Ban on Text Messaging by Drivers
Feb 11 2009 // The North Carolina General Assembly already has passed a law barring teenagers from talking on a cell phone while driving. Now some legislators want to stop all drivers from text messaging. Some House members scheduled a...
Utah Considers Cell Phone Ban on Texting, E-Mail While Driving
Feb 11 2009 // The Utah Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit a person from using a wireless communication device for texting messages or e-mailing while operating a motor vehicle, among other acts. Additionally, HB 281,...
South Carolina Gets Tougher with Drunk Drivers Starting Today
Feb 10 2009 // Drunken drivers in South Carolina will start facing different penalties depending on whether they’re tipsy or trashed. The new law that takes effect today ties tougher sentences to the amount of alcohol in...
Panel: Kansas Drunken Driving Laws ‘Dysfunctional,’ Need Overhaul
Feb 10 2009 // A state board appointed to examine drunken driving laws in Kansas has concluded that the whole system needs a major overhaul. The Kansas Substance Abuse Policy Board says the state’s system for punishing drunken...
Utah Bill Would Get Rid of Immigrant Driving Cards
Feb 9 2009 // A Utah lawmaker wants to get rid of driving privilege cards for undocumented residents. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, says the measure, House Bill 137, isn’t meant to punish immigrants, but rather to protect Utahns...
Auto Deaths Decline in 40 States; Less Driving, More Seat Belt Use Cited
Feb 6 2009 // Automobile fatalities declined in 40 states in 2008, according to a survey of state highway safety agencies, an early sign that traffic deaths could dip to their lowest levels in four decades. The Governors Highway Safety...
Indiana House Panel Advances Ban on Drivers’ Cell Phone Use
Feb 5 2009 // Drivers in Indiana could not use handheld cell phones or texting devices under legislation endorsed by a state House committee. The House Public Policy Committee approved the bill by Democratic Rep. Vanessa Summers of...
Those Dashed Lines on Roads Are Longer Than Drivers Think
Feb 4 2009 // Take a guess — how long are the dashed lines that are painted down the middle of a road? If you’re like most people, you answered, “Two feet.” The real answer is 10 feet. That’s the federal...
Tougher Laws Credited with Drop in Teen Driving Deaths in Illinois
Feb 2 2009 // Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is crediting Illinois’ tougher teen driving laws for a drop in the number of teens who died in car wrecks. According to White, the number teen driving fatalities totaled 92...
Survey: 10 Percent of Delaware Drivers are Uninsured
Jan 29 2009 // A new study shows about 10 percent of drivers in Delaware are uninsured, and that number could be headed higher. The survey by the Insurance Research Council suggests the reason is the economic downturn. It predicts the...
Arkansas Bills Restricting Drivers’ Cell Phone Use Advance
Jan 28 2009 // An Arkansas House of Representatives committee has advanced a pair of bills restricting cell phone use by drivers. The House Public Transportation Committee endorsed a bill by Rep. Ray Kidd, D-Jonesboro, that would ban...
Maryland Governor Pushes Hike in Age for Teen Drivers
Jan 28 2009 // Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will push state legislators to raise the minimum age for teen drivers and strengthen penalties for those who repeatedly drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he announced...
Teen Cell Phone Use While Driving Targeted by Texas Bill
Jan 27 2009 // Texas State Rep. Solomon Ortiz, Jr. has filed legislation to keep teen drivers safe by limiting their use of cell phones and other portable devices while driving. “This legislation will help limit distractions and...
