Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

Florida Court: Proof Needed That Drivers Knew of Hit-and-Run to be Charged

Mar 2 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 last week with a lower court’s...

Kentucky Ignition Interlock Bill for Drunken Drivers Heads to Senate

Feb 27 2015 // The Kentucky House has passed a bill aimed at toughening Kentucky’s DUI laws by requiring convicted drunken drivers to install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles. The bill cleared the House on a 96-0 vote...

Bill Banning Texting and Driving Passes Oklahoma House

Feb 25 2015 // The Oklahoma House has overwhelmingly approved restrictions on texting while driving, despite concerns among the measure’s strongest supporters that they don’t go far enough. House members voted 96-2 for the...

City’s Refusal to Pay for Sinkhole Damage Upsets Ohio Driver

Feb 24 2015 // A truck owner says the city of Dayton should compensate him for sinkhole damage that left his truck inoperable. The Dayton Daily News reports that 52-year-old Mike McDonald is infuriated that the city rejected his $10,000...

Heading a National Ridesharing Outline a Political Gain for Jones?

Feb 23 2015 // A committee of regulators led by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is working on standards on ridesharing that departments of insurance in states across the U.S. can look to as an example. Whether the National...

Only 3 Days Jail Time for Kansas Man’s 10th Drunk Driving Conviction

Feb 22 2015 // A Kansas man convicted for the 10th time for drunken driving has been sentenced to jail, but only for three days. The Kansas City Star reports that Leavenworth County District Court Judge Gunnar Sunby sentenced 57-year-old...

Wal-Mart Driver Appeals in Bid to Delay Morgan Crash Suit

Feb 20 2015 // A Wal-Mart driver involved in a highway crash that killed a comic and severely injured actor-comedian Tracy Morgan has asked a judge to reconsider her decision not to delay Morgan’s lawsuit against the company. Truck...

Texas Issues Data Call on Named Driver Policies, Excluded Driver Endorsements

Feb 19 2015 // The Texas Department of Insurance has issued a special data call to obtain information from insurance companies writing private passenger automobile insurance in Texas. TDI said the information requested is in response to...

Impact of Driving Record on Auto Insurance Cost Varies Widely by State

Feb 19 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...

Louisiana’s ‘Sobriety Court’ Program Targets Drunk Drivers

Feb 18 2015 // State court officials in Lafayette are three months into a program designed to wean habitual drunken drivers off of alcohol. The Advocate reports it’s a program that demands sobriety and discipline from offenders who...

Texting-While-Driving Bill Moves Forward in Oklahoma

Feb 13 2015 // A measure aimed at curbing the dangerous trend of texting while driving easily passed out of an Oklahoma House committee, the bill’s author reports. House Bill 1965, by state Rep. Terry O’Donnell, strengthens...

Driver’s Licenses For Immigrants Spur Debate in New Mexico

Feb 12 2015 // Alejandro Altamirano from Durango, Mexico, has called New Mexico home for a dozen years, and it’s where his two U.S.-born daughters are being raised. But the 36-year-old dairy farmworker fears he will be forced into...

Connecticut Bill Would Bar Driving With Pet on Lap

Feb 11 2015 // Connecticut lawmakers are considering whether to make it illegal for pets to ride in a vehicle while sitting on the driver’s lap. Under a bill before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Transportation Committee,...

New Mexico Legislature Considers Truancy Driver’s License Bill

Feb 11 2015 // A New Mexico House panel is set to debate a measure that would take away driver’s licenses of high school students who stop attending class. The House Education Committee this week took up a bill that suspends the...

N.J. Cab Drivers Want Ridesharing Firms to Face Taxi-Like Rules

Feb 10 2015 // Dozens of cab drivers lined the street outside the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton and crammed a legislative hearing to protest ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft. Drivers and their allies called on lawmakers to...

Bill Could Lead to Electronic Drivers Licenses in New Jersey

Feb 10 2015 // Electronic driver’s licenses and proof of insurance could be a step closer to reality in New Jersey under bills moving through the Legislature. A state Senate committee approved two bills Monday that pave the way for...

Montana Lawmakers Consider Ban on Cellphones While Driving

Feb 10 2015 // Lawmakers are expected to consider a bill that would ban the use of cellphones by motorists across the state. Montana is the only state in the country that does not ban at least some drivers from texting. Several Montana...

Smartcars Pose Cyber Risk to Drivers, Senator Warns

Feb 10 2015 // Automakers are adding wireless technologies into vehicles without enough protection to keep hackers from interfering the operation of a car or stealing personal information, according to a report by U.S. Senator Edward...

A.M. Best: Drivers Behind London Market M&A Activity to Continue

Feb 10 2015 // The changing dynamics in the specialist property/casualty sector continue to encourage merger and acquisition activity in the London market. A new briefing from A.M. Best notes that the need for insurers to leverage...

Connecticut Bills Aim to Ramp Up Texting While Driving Fines

Feb 9 2015 // A Connecticut legislative committee is set to hear public testimony on several bills aimed at combating texting while driving in Connecticut. Several state lawmakers in Connecticut have submitted legislation this session...