Latest Personal Auto Headlines

All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Crisis Within a Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Driving the Opioid Epidemic

Nov 16 2020 // While the current national health conversation has largely centered on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. alone and more than a million worldwide according to recent World...

Alabama Warns of Fake Drivers License Renewal Sites

Nov 13 2020 // Alabama law enforcement officials on Tuesday cautioned people to beware of third-party websites when they renew their driver license online. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a news release that some third-party...

Vertafore Reveals Potential Breach of Texas Driver Information

Nov 13 2020 // Denver, Colo.-based insurance information technology company, Vertafore Inc., says a potential breach has occurred of data involving information about anyone who was issued a driver’s license in Texas prior to...

Reduced Driving Turns Into Fewer Injuries and Workers’ Compensation Claims

Nov 10 2020 // The COVID-19 pandemic comes with one bright spot for workers’ compensation insurers: Fewer workers are being injured in motor vehicle accidents. A research brief issued by the National Council on Compensation...

California Voters Back Ballot Measure Treating Gig Drivers as Contractors

Nov 8 2020 // Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride-hailing and delivery services spent $200 million in a winning bet to circumvent California lawmakers and the courts to preserve their business model by keeping drivers from becoming...

Liability, Safety and Infrastructure Concerns Slow Development of Self-Driving Cars

Nov 5 2020 // Tesla recently made headlines with the beta launch of its Full Self-Driving system. That system comes with a disclaimer saying, “It may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the...

Waymo Issues Self-Driving Car Incident Score Card for Phoenix Area

Oct 30 2020 // Self-driving tech company Waymo, which this month opened its driverless taxi service in the Phoenix suburbs to the public, on Friday said its autonomous vehicles there had been involved in 18 minor incidents since 2019...

NTSB Investigating Tennessee Bus Crash that Killed Child, Driver

Oct 30 2020 // Federal and state authorities on Wednesday investigated a crash between a school bus carrying 24 children and a utility vehicle that killed the bus driver and a 7-year-old girl in eastern Tennessee. Eight other children...

Florida Driving School Suspended for Providing Answers to License Test

Oct 29 2020 // A Florida driving school was suspended after investigators said it was providing correct answers to people taking a written driver license test, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced last...

GM’s Cruise on Top in Consumer Reports Safety Ratings of Driving Assistance Systems

Oct 29 2020 // General Motors Co.’s Super Cruise once again edged Tesla’s Autopilot in an evaluation of 17 vehicles equipped with active driving assistance systems (ADAS) by Consumer Reports, the testing organization said on...

Lawsuit Alleges Uber Uses ‘Biased’ Rider Ratings to Fire Drivers

Oct 27 2020 // Uber Technologies Inc. was accused in a lawsuit of violating the U.S. Civil Rights Act by firing minority drivers based on how they’re rated by customers. “Uber is aware that passengers are prone to...

Safety Regulator Vows to ‘Closely Monitor’ New Tesla Self-Driving Software

Oct 23 2020 // The U.S. auto safety regulator said on Thursday it was closely watching Tesla Inc.’s release of a software version intended to allow its cars to drive themselves, saying it stood ready to protect the public against...

Uber, Lyft Must Reclassify Drivers as Employees, Rules California Appeals Court

Oct 23 2020 // A California appeals court on Thursday unanimously ruled against ride-hailing companies Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., saying they must reclassify their drivers in the state as employees. While the ruling does not...

Self-Driving’s Latest Turn: GM’s Cruise Seeks OK for Cars Without Steering Wheel, Pedals

Oct 22 2020 // Self-driving car maker Cruise said on Wednesday it and majority shareholder General Motors Co. would seek U.S. regulatory approval in coming months to deploy a limited number of Cruise Origin vehicles without steering...

Drunk Driving Arrests in Alabama County Spike During Pandemic

Oct 21 2020 // A spike in drunk driving cases in an Alabama county has led to speculation that the stresses associated with the coronavirus pandemic may be behind the increase. Morgan County sheriff’s spokesman Mike Swafford said...

Uber Driver in Arizona Fired Gun, Injured Passenger

Oct 13 2020 // Authorities say an Uber driver has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun and injuring one of his passengers following an argument. Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials say 60-year-old Peter Caso was booked into...

Crisis Within a Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Driving the Opioid Epidemic

Oct 13 2020 // While the current national health conversation has largely centered on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. alone and more than a million worldwide according to recent World...

Kansas Man Sues Trucking Firm, Driver Over Crash That Killed Wife, 4 Children

Oct 12 2020 // A Kansas man is suing a over a crash that killed his wife, three of his children and his stepdaughter. Jeffrey Williams, of Viola, is seeking more than $75,000 in damages in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Andrew...

Georgia Begins Weeklong Crackdown on Distracted Driving

Oct 5 2020 // In an effort to get drivers to keep their eyes on the road while they’re behind the wheel, law enforcement officers in Georgia plan to participate in a statewide crackdown on distracted driving. State and local...

Uber, Lyft Seeking to Kill California Law App-Based Drivers

Oct 1 2020 // Californians are being asked decide if Uber, Lyft and other app-based drivers should remain independent contractors or be eligible for the benefits that come with being company employees. The battle between the powerhouses...