Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Self-Reported Drunk Driving Incidents Fall
Oct 6 2011 // Drunken driving incidents have fallen 30 percent in the last five years, and last year were at their lowest mark in nearly two decades, according to a new federal report. The decline may be due to the down economy: Other...
Thousands of Maryland Drivers Ticketed for Cell Phone Use
Oct 3 2011 // Maryland police agencies have issued thousands of tickets to drivers for using hand-held cellphones behind the wheel in the year since a ban took effect. Records from more than 70 police agencies in the state that...
Google Secretive About ‘Super Safe’ Robot Car Crash
Oct 3 2011 // In July, an astute observer was driving in Mountain View, Calif., when he came across a multiple car fender-bender. A Toyota Prius had hit a Prius, and that Prius hit an Accord, which hit an Accord, which hit a...
Driving Deaths Continue to Decline in Arizona
Sep 19 2011 // Arizona’s transportation department says that driving-related deaths continued to decline last year. The Department of Transportation’s “2010 Crash Facts” report shows that 762 people were killed in...
Google Secretive About ‘Super Safe’ Robot Car Crash
Sep 13 2011 // Last month, an astute observer was driving in Mountain View, Calif., when he came across a multiple car fender-bender. According to later reports, a Toyota Prius had hit a Prius, and that Prius hit an Accord, which hit an...
Nebraska County Must Pay $407K in Car Crash Lawsuit
Sep 7 2011 // Furnas County, Neb., has been ordered to pay more than $407,000 to a man injured in a car accident. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp awarded nearly $679,000 to Juston Pohl. But...
Connecticut Grants Drivers Extra License Renewal Time
Sep 7 2011 // Connecticut drivers will have some extra time to renew their licenses and registrations as they cope with delays, power outages and storm damage from Tropical Storm Irene. The state Department of Motor Vehicles is...
Ark. Court: Policy Does Not Limit Insurer’s Liability in Underinsured Driver Case
Sep 5 2011 // The Arkansas Supreme Court has denied an insurer’s appeal of a lower court finding that the language of its insurance policy in a case involving an underinsured driver is ambiguous. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance...
Driving Deaths Continue to Decline in Arizona
Aug 31 2011 // Arizona’s transportation department says that driving-related deaths continued to decline last year. The Department of Transportation’s “2010 Crash Facts” report shows that 762 people were killed in...
Michigan Lets Drivers Renew Licenses Online Close to Expiration
Aug 25 2011 // A new state policy will let Michigan drivers renew their vehicle registrations online through their birthdays even if they do it close to the expiration. The Michigan Secretary of State’s office said it used to warn...
Fatal Crash Spotlights New Jersey’s Teen Driving Law
Aug 25 2011 // A New Jersey law barring drivers under 18 from having more than one passenger is in the spotlight after an SUV driven by a 17-year-old and carrying seven teenagers crashed. The driver and three passengers died in last...
Survey Says Washington Drivers Go Slow to Save
Aug 19 2011 // A recent poll from Northwest insurer PEMCO Insurance reveals that while a majority of drivers say they take steps to reduce the amount of gas they use, about eight out of 10 drivers in Washington and the greater Portland...
State Farm to Monitor Some Drivers, Adjust Rates
Aug 11 2011 // State Farm Insurance plans to give its Illinois customers a chance to lower, or raise, their rates depending on their driving habits. The Bloomington-based insurer said that in September it will start putting a monitoring...
Minnesota Police Ticket 21 for Driving 100 MPH
Aug 11 2011 // The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said it ticketed 21 motorists for driving more than 100 mph and 72 drivers for going more than 90 mph during a stepped-up speeding enforcement campaign in July. State Patrol Lt....
Americans Support National Law on Teen Driving: Survey
Aug 9 2011 // Nearly six in 10 Americans favor a federal law that would impose driving restrictions on teen drivers and institute a graduated driving license system. A recent national survey from Allstate Insurance shows that support...
Ark. High Court: Policy Does Not Limit Insurer’s Liability in Uninsured Driver Case
Aug 4 2011 // The Arkansas Supreme Court has denied an insurer’s appeal of a lower court finding that the language of its insurance policy at issue in a case involving an underinsured driver is ambiguous. Philadelphia Indemnity...
North Dakota Ban on Texting While Driving Takes Effect
Aug 2 2011 // North Dakota’s ban on texting while driving is now in effect. More than 30 states so far have approved laws against motorists sending text messages when they’re behind the wheel. Until now in North Dakota, only...
Survey: Americans Think They Are Great Drivers; Habits Show Otherwise
Aug 2 2011 // The majority of Americans consider themselves to be good drivers but their habits on the road tell a different story. American drivers believe their own driving knowledge, ability and safe driving habits are well above...
Florida Governor Suggests Making PIP Coverage Optional for Drivers
Aug 2 2011 // Florida drivers should have the option to forgo purchasing what is now mandatory auto personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, says Gov. Rick Scott. Following the failure of lawmakers this year to reform the...
Alabama Hikes Penalty for Driving Without Liability Insurance
Aug 2 2011 // Alabama drivers are facing stiffer penalties for failing to have liability insurance under a bill recently signed into law by Gov. Robert Bentley. In 2001, state lawmakers required all state drivers to carry motor vehicle...
