Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Federal Judge in Kansas Rules UPS’ Policy of Paying Disabled Drivers Less Is Unlawful
Aug 2 2018 // A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for District of Kansas ruled on July 27 that UPS Freight violated federal law by having a policy, contained in its current union contract with the International Brotherhood of...
Georgia Driver Blames Rear-End Crash on Sneeze Attack
Aug 2 2018 // One moment she was having a sneezing fit and the next, her SUV had rear-ended a minivan. That’s what a 43-year Mississippi woman told officers in Athens, Georgia, after the sneeze-induced crash. Citing an...
Update: Chubb Partners with Uber to Cover South African Drivers
Aug 1 2018 // Uber Technologies Inc. is partnering with insurance company Chubb Ltd. to cover its South African drivers in case of death or injury as violent attacks plague the country’s cities. The new deal will pay out a lump...
Tennessee to Appeal Federal Ruling Over Revoking Driver’s Licenses
Jul 30 2018 // Tennessee is appealing a landmark federal court ruling that says it’s unconstitutional for the state to revoke or suspend driver’s licenses over unpaid court costs. David Purkey, commissioner of the state...
Pittsburgh Sees Hands-On Restart of Uber’s Self-Driving Cars
Jul 27 2018 // Uber has taken the first step toward relaunching its self-driving cars on Pittsburgh-area streets four months after a fatal accident involving one of the cars in Arizona. A spokeswoman said the company put a handful of...
The Legal Engine Driving More Than 800 Lawsuits Against Opioid Makers
Jul 24 2018 // The place might sound familiar, even if you’ve never been there: the Appalachian foothills, down by the Ohio River, where the sirens scream addiction and death. Twenty-six overdoses in one afternoon. The highest...
Lyft Will Beef Up Background Checks Following California Driver Arrest
Jul 20 2018 // Ridesharing company Lyft said Wednesday that it’s beefing up its background checks after a driver arrested for rape was found to be in the United States illegally. The company’s “enhanced detection...
California Suspect in Serial Rapes Was a Lyft Driver
Jul 19 2018 // Ridesharing company Lyft said this week that it’s investigating how a former driver now charged in a series of rapes passed a background check even though federal immigration officials say the suspect was living in...
Oklahoma City Spending to Improve Traffic Issues, Prepping for Self-Driving Cars
Jul 17 2018 // A city in central Oklahoma is spending millions of dollars preparing for self-driving cars while working to alleviate traffic problems. Edmond Traffic Engineer Tom Minnick told The Oklahoman that the city is laying down...
How Much Americans Could Save by Choosing Ridesharing Driverless Cars Over Owning Personal Vehicles
Jul 16 2018 // Self-driving cars promise safer roads, less traffic and increased mobility. Some autonomous vehicle proponents also maintain they will save time and money. But will they really save Americans time and money? And even if...
It’s Too Soon to Regulate Self-Driving Cars, Says U.S. Safety Official
Jul 13 2018 // It’s premature to regulate the self-driving vehicles being tested by companies such as General Motors Co. and Waymo LLC, the U.S. government’s top auto safety official said. “At this point the technology...
Half of Parents Use Cell Phones While Driving with Kids in Car
Jul 13 2018 // About half of parents talk on a cell phone while driving when their children between the ages of 4 and 10 are in the car, while one in three read text messages and one in seven use social media. A new study from a team of...
Daimler Deploying Self-Driving Taxis in California Test Program
Jul 11 2018 // German automaker Daimler AG and auto supplier Bosch Corp will deploy self-driving taxis in California’s Silicon Valley region next year as part of a test program of vehicles designed for city driving, the two...
Females More Likely Than Males to Engage in Distracted Driving
Jul 10 2018 // People who text while driving are six times more likely to be involved in a car crash while those who talk on a mobile device while driving increase their crash risk more than two times. Yet many drivers are still willing...
Michigan Appeals Court Rules for Driver in Car Wash Fall
Jul 6 2018 // The Michigan appeals court is breaking new legal ground – at a self-serve car wash. In a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that a woman who fell while washing her car can seek payment for her injuries from her car insurer....
NYC Drivers for Uber, Other Apps to Get Vision Care Coverage
Jul 2 2018 // Drivers for car services and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft are usually on their own when it comes to buying health insurance, but starting Sunday in New York they will now be able to get coverage for vision care as...
Rising Homeowners Losses Hurt P/C Insurers: Fitch
Jul 2 2018 // Personal lines underwriting losses rose in 2017 for the fourth year in a row, Fitch Ratings found in a new report. There’s a twist, however. In the three years prior to 2017, personal auto insurance contributed...
Flooding in Virginia Closes Airport, Traps Several Drivers
Jun 25 2018 // Officials say flooding and severe weather in Virginia have closed the state capital’s airport and trapped some motorists. Richmond International Airport tweeted that it was closing due to flooding for several hours...
Saudi Women Finally Hit the Road as Driving Ban Ends
Jun 25 2018 // They hit the road in celebratory packs, whooping and ululating for joy. Teenagers gathered on Riyadh’s main boulevard to gawk. Men cracked jokes about how lucky they were to no longer have to chauffeur their wives...
Police Say Uber Driver Was Streaming Hulu Before Self-Driving Car Crash in Arizona
Jun 22 2018 // Police in Tempe, Arizona said evidence showed the “safety” driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber was distracted and streaming a television show on her phone right up until about the time of a fatal...
