Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tesla Auto Caught Fire During Driving, Lawyer Alleges
Jul 2 2021 // A Tesla Inc. Model S Plaid electric vehicle burst into flames on Tuesday while the owner was driving, just three days after the $129,900, top-of-the-range car was delivered following its June launch, an attorney for the...
Uber to Pay $3.4M to Drivers in Seattle Gig Worker Leave Law Settlement
Jun 25 2021 // Uber has agreed to pay more than $3.4 million to 15,000 drivers after making mistakes related to Seattle’s pioneering paid sick leave law covering gig workers. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seattle City Council in...
Despite Less Driving During 2020 Pandemic, Traffic Deaths Were Highest In 13 Years
Jun 21 2021 // Even though Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, early estimates of crash fatalities from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal the largest...
Waymo in California Getting $2.5B to Fuel Self-Driving Ambitions
Jun 18 2021 // Waymo, the self-driving car pioneer spun off from Google, isn’t allowing a recent wave of executive departures to detour its plans to expand its robotic taxi service. The Mountain View, California, company made that...
New Louisiana Law Creates Rules for Self-Driving Delivery Devices
Jun 18 2021 // Louisiana has created a framework for self-driving delivery robots to drop off packages on the state’s streets, under a bill backed by lawmakers and Gov. John Bel Edwards. The new personal delivery device law...
Researchers Find Rideshare Use Linked to Decrease in Collisions and Impaired Driving
Jun 15 2021 // The increased use of ridesharing apps appears to be associated with a decrease in motor vehicle collisions and impaired driving convictions,. That’s according to research by The University of Texas Health Science...
Waymo, J.B. Hunt to Test Self-Driving Trucks in Texas
Jun 10 2021 // U.S. truck fleet operator J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and autonomous vehicle technology company Waymo will test human-supervised, self-driving trucks to deliver cargo between Houston and Fort Worth, Texas, expanding...
Amorous Cicada Blamed for Causing Ohio Car Crash
Jun 9 2021 // An amorous cicada was blamed for causing a car crash in Cincinnati, Ohio. The insect flew through an open window, striking the driver in the face on Monday night, Cincinnati police said. The motorist drove off Riverside...
Louisiana Bill to Ban Handheld Phone Use While Driving Fails in Senate
Jun 8 2021 // Louisiana senators put the brakes on a bill that would have required motorists to use a handsfree device or speaker mode to talk on a cellphone while driving. The proposal by Republican Rep. Mike Huval fell one vote short...
GM Offering Onstar Service to All Drivers Through App; Options Include Insurance
Jun 8 2021 // General Motors Co. plans to offer subscriptions for its Onstar Guardian security services to anyone in the United States or Canada who wants to download a smartphone app, expanding beyond owners of GM vehicles in a step to...
Despite Less Driving During 2020 Pandemic, Traffic Deaths Were Highest In 13 Years
Jun 4 2021 // Even though Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, early estimates of crash fatalities from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released Thursday reveal...
Florida Changes Driving Rule on Using Hazard Lights
Jun 4 2021 // TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —For years, Florida has been reminding motorists not to use flashing hazard lights while driving. Well starting soon, feel free to flash away _ but only on the highway. And only in heavy rain or...
Truck Driver in Accident That Killed 5 Kids Lied About Health: Safety Board
Jun 3 2021 // FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A fiery 2019 Florida interstate crash that killed five children from a Louisiana church headed to Walt Disney World was caused by a truck driver who hid his long medical history becoming...
Lawsuit Accuses Washington Pizza Chain of Underpaying Delivery Drivers
May 28 2021 // A proposed class-action lawsuit claims popular Western Washington chain restaurant Zeeks Pizza withheld wages, tips and other money owed to delivery drivers. Seattle attorney Toby Marshall filed the suit on behalf of Zeeks...
Car Crashes Through Roof of Missouri Home but No One Injured
May 27 2021 // Firefighters in suburban St. Louis said it’s astonishing no one was injured in a weekend crash that saw a car flip end-over-end down an embankment and crash through the roof of a home just feet from where two people...
Ban on Handheld Phone Use While Driving Passes Louisiana House
May 25 2021 // Louisiana drivers would have to use a handsfree device or put their cellphones on speaker mode to talk on the phone while driving or risk a fine from police, under a proposal that won House backing. Republican Rep. Mike...
Debate Over Liability Holds Up Self-Driving Car Legislation in Senate
May 24 2021 // A debate over who to blame — or sue — when a self-driven car hits someone is holding up legislation the industry says it needs to advance. “If another driver hits you, it’s clear who the driver...
Timing of Young Driver Learner’s Permit Cut in Half Under North Carolina Bill
May 19 2021 // Young drivers whose attempts to get their North Carolina provisional license were stymied by COVID-19 pandemic delays in the past year would get a timing break under legislation headed to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. The...
California Regulator Reviewing Tesla’s Self-Driving Claims
May 18 2021 // A California regulator said on Monday it is reviewing whether Tesla Inc. violated regulations by falsely promoting its advanced driver-assistance systems as being “full self-driving.” Tesla’s driver...
Labor Leader Urges U.S. to Require Human Drivers in Automated Vehicles
May 18 2021 // A senior American labor union leader will tell U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday that the government should require human operators in all self-driving passenger services to take over in the event of an emergency. Greg Regan,...
