Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Drunk Driver Ignition Locks Offer ‘Significant’ Benefits, Savings: Study
Mar 20 2015 // Putting technology that prevents drunk drivers from starting a vehicle into every car and truck in the U.S. could save 59,000 lives and $343 million over 15 years, according to a University of Michigan study. U-M’s...
Might Human Drivers Be Outlawed?
Mar 19 2015 // Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO Elon Musk thinks that human-driven cars could eventually be outlawed as computers show they can do a more efficient and safer job of driving. “In the distant future, [legislators] may...
Parents Awarded $1.5M in Oklahoma Teen Drunk Driving Case
Mar 16 2015 // Parents of a 17-year-old Oklahoman who was killed in a traffic accident in 2012 have been awarded $1.5 million in a civil case settlement. The Oklahoman reports that Donna and Duane Kerns have settled with Woodshed Liquor...
90% of Parents Waive Teen Driving Restriction in Iowa
Mar 16 2015 // An effort to improve some teen drivers’ road safety by limiting their number of passengers is having little impact in Iowa, because the majority of parents are signing waivers to opt their kids out of the...
California Suit: Lyft Cheated New Drivers Out of $1K Bonuses
Mar 16 2015 // The Lyft ridesharing company took new drivers for a ride by cheating them out of promised $1,000 bonuses, according to a federal lawsuit . Hundreds of drivers lost a total of at least $5 million worth of bonuses that were...
Driving-Related Fatalities in Rhode Island Decreased 20% in 2014
Mar 13 2015 // Rhode Island’s attorney general says the number of driving-related fatalities in Rhode Island decreased 20 percent in 2014, to the lowest number in a decade. Attorney General Peter Kilmartin says there were 65...
Transportation Network Company Insurance Bill Passes Oklahoma Senate
Mar 12 2015 // A bill addressing the insurance requirements of transportation network companies (TNCs), or rideshare organizations, and their drivers has passed the Oklahoma Senate by an overwhelming majority vote of 40-3. SB 436, the...
Anti-Texting-While-Driving Measure Clears Oklahoma Senate
Mar 12 2015 // A measure making it illegal to text and drive is now one step closer to becoming law in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 821, authored by the Senate Public Safety Committee, would make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while...
Eagan Insurance Agency President Named a ‘Driving Force’ in New Orleans Area
Mar 12 2015 // Marc F. Eagan, president of Louisiana-based Eagan Insurance Agency, has been named a “Driving Force,” a special honor given to community leaders who have made significant contributions to the New Orleans area,...
North Carolina Legislators Approve Tougher Drunken-Driving Bills
Mar 12 2015 // North Carolina lawmakers want a tougher no-alcohol policy imposed upon more motorists permitted to drive again following an impaired-driving conviction. The House voted this week for a measure saying drivers who get their...
Juries to Decide If Uber, Lyft Drivers Are Independent Contractors
Mar 12 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. lost an early round of a fight with drivers in lawsuits that could upend the companies’ nationwide business models. The on-demand car services will need to make the case to juries...
Mississippi Senate Passes Texting-While-Driving Bill, Governor Expected to Sign
Mar 11 2015 // Mississippi is one step closer to becoming the 45th state to ban texting while driving, after the state Senate overwhelming passed such a bill Monday. The governor, for his part, is expected to sign the measure into law if...
Illinois Lawmaker Wants Prison Time for Distracted Drivers in Fatal Crashes
Mar 10 2015 // Fatal crashes caused by illegal cellphone use should carry penalties similar to those imposed on drunk drivers who kill, a suburban lawmaker says. The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that Rep. Robert Marwick wants...
Texas Lawmaker Files Insurance Department Transparency Bill
Mar 9 2015 // A bill filed by state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, would require the Texas Department of Insurance to post on its website information regarding insurance rates of every residential property and personal auto insurer...
Florida Court: Proof Needed That Drivers Knew of Hit-and-Run
Mar 9 2015 // Drivers in Florida can’t be prosecuted for leaving the scene of an accident unless there is proof they knew they were in a crash. The Florida Supreme Court unanimously agreed with a lower court’s decision to...
What’s Driving Nonstandard Auto – Technology, Consolidation, Population Changes, Fuel Specialty, Opportunity
Mar 9 2015 // The nonstandard auto market is characterized by substandard operating performance. Since 2007, carriers writing nonstandard auto policies have reported deteriorating operating performance and many are struggling to...
Impact of Driving Record on Auto Insurance Cost Varies by State
Mar 9 2015 // While motorists who commit moving violations typically pay higher auto insurance costs, how much more they pay varies significantly by state, according to a report by an online insurance seller. For example, drivers who...
Trucking Safety Chief Defends Driver Rest Regulations
Mar 4 2015 // The trucking industry’s overseer is giving little ground to critics who asked Congress to loosen U.S. regulations and revise a rating system designed to root out unsafe carriers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety...
Nearly 200 Distracted Drivers Ticketed in Nevada
Mar 2 2015 // Nearly 200 people in the Reno-Sparks, Nev. area were cited for distracted driving during a special enforcement effort earlier this month. The Nevada Highway Patrol and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office joined Reno and...
Uber: Hackers May Have Stolen Data on 50,000 Drivers
Mar 2 2015 // Uber Technologies Inc. said its database was access by an unauthorized third party last year, resulting in the possible theft of information on 50,000 drivers. The drivers, who are part of Uber’s mobile car-booking...
