Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Test for Self-Driving Shuttles to Run in Columbus, Ohio, Neighborhood
Jan 14 2020 // Self-driving shuttles will do a circuit through a residential neighborhood in Ohio’s capital city as part of a year-long pilot program starting in late January. Three, 12-passenger, disabled-accessible electric...
California Agent Sentenced for Stealing $174K in Premiums from Truck Drivers
Jan 10 2020 // Connie Free, 34, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was sentenced this week to 22 felony counts and one misdemeanor count including grand theft and forgery after reportedly stealing at least $174,000 in insurance premiums from 11...
Oregon Woman Sues Uber for $1M, Alleging Sex Assault by Driver
Jan 10 2020 // A Hillsboro, Ore. woman is seeking more than $1 million from the ride-hailing company Uber, alleging she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers in 2018. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the woman...
Teens Still Not Driving Like Teens Used To: Viewpoint
Jan 8 2020 // The much-discussed collapse in teenage driving in the U.S. seems to have ended a few years ago. But the less-discussed recovery, which I wrote about last year, seems to be over, too. Newly released data from the Federal...
Farmers Expands Program, Now Insuring Uber Drivers in 14 States and D.C.
Jan 7 2020 // Farmers Insurance has expanded its relationship with Uber by providing commercial automobile insurance to its ridesharing drivers in 12 additional states and the District of Columbia. In addition to the District of...
Report: Impaired Driving Arrests Increased in Minnesota in 2019
Jan 7 2020 // The number of people in Minnesota arrested for driving while impaired grew by nearly 5% last year, partly due to people driving with cannabis, opioids and methamphetamine in their system, according to a state...
Homeland Security Balks at State Laws on Immigrant Drivers’ Licenses, Data Sharing
Jan 3 2020 // The acting secretary of Homeland Security is taking aim at new laws in New York, New Jersey and other states that allow immigrants to get driver’s licenses without proof they are in the U.S. legally, and restrict...
Liberty Mutual to Insure Uber Drivers and Passengers in 7 States, Puerto Rico
Jan 2 2020 // Liberty Mutual Insurance will provide coverage for Uber drivers and passengers throughout New England, South Carolina and Puerto Rico as part of the company’s 2020 auto insurance programs, which became effective on...
Michigan City Ramping Up Enforcement of Ban on Using Handheld Phone While Driving
Dec 31 2019 // Police in Battle Creek, Michigan are enforcing a local ban on the use of a handheld phone while driving. The prohibition has been on the books for months, but signs recently went up at Battle Creek’s city entry...
Ohio Governor Says Distracted Driving Should Be Primary Offense
Dec 23 2019 // Distracted driving should be reason enough to pull someone over in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said as he promised a legislative proposal soon to upgrade the offense. DeWine also said it’s time for a cultural recognition...
Personal Auto Insurance Underwriting Performance Has Likely Peaked: Fitch
Dec 17 2019 // Performance in the U.S. personal auto insurance market continues to run favorably in 2019, on par with underwriting profits achieved in 2018, according to Fitch Ratings. However segment results for the industry are likely...
Uber Gains in California Driver Classification But Case Isn’t Closed
Dec 17 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. beat back an aggressive bid to force it to treat California drivers as employees, but a judge’s ruling may allow a long-running fight over pay and benefits to gain traction in 2020. U.S....
A Passion for Learning Is Driving Force for J.M. Wilson’s Galecka
Dec 16 2019 // One the things Kristy Galecka loves about the property/casualty insurance industry is there’s always an opportunity to learn something new. Like many others, Galecka “fell into” the insurance business...
Fitch Sees Stronger Commercial Lines But Weaker Auto, Workers’ Compensation Results Coming
Dec 16 2019 // The U.S. property/casualty insurance sector should see small improvements in underwriting profits in 2019 and 2020, thanks largely to commercial lines price increases, Fitch Ratings predicts in a new report. But personal...
Driver Privacy Concerns in Auto Insurance. There’s an App for That.
Dec 13 2019 // Apps that let you book a ride to work or borrow a car for your next vacation are feeding into a revolution in auto insurance — while also raising some privacy red flags. Data on everything from how frequently a car...
Michigan House Votes to Ban Drivers Under 18 from Using Cellphones
Dec 13 2019 // Drivers younger than 18 would be prohibited from using cellphones except for emergencies under legislation approved by the Michigan House. Michigan now bars drivers with a learner’s or intermediate permit –...
Safety Groups Argue Curtailing Impaired Driving Requires Moving Beyond Fines, Jail Time
Dec 9 2019 // Efforts to curtail impaired driving and related accidents by repeat offenders on the road should address the underlying problems prompting the unsafe behavior, according to a new report from state highway officials and the...
Tesla Driver Who Hit Two Cars in Connecticut Says He Used Autopilot
Dec 9 2019 // The driver of a Tesla says the car was on autopilot when it struck a police cruiser and a disabled vehicle on Saturday in Connecticut, according to State Police. State Police said troopers responded to Interstate 95...
Fitch Sees Stronger Commercial Lines But Weaker Auto, Work Comp Results Coming
Dec 6 2019 // The U.S. property/casualty insurance sector should see small improvements in underwriting profits in 2019 and 2020, thanks largely to commercial lines price increases, Fitch Ratings predicts in a new report. But personal...
Video Shows Lyft Driver Dragging Woman from Car in California
Dec 2 2019 // Los Angeles police say they’ve cited a Lyft driver for misdemeanor battery after video showed him dragging a passenger out of a car. Alessandra Ward says she suffered a black eye, bruises and a possible concussion...
