Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Vs. Uber in Legal Bout over Self-driving Cars
Dec 16 2016 // Uber is riding its self-driving cars into a legal showdown with California regulators. The ridesharing company is refusing to obey demands by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles that it immediately stop picking...
Hartford’s Execs Make Plea to End ‘Real Issue, Real Pain’ of Distracted Driving
Dec 16 2016 // Although small commercial insurance—outside of auto—is a top-line accelerator at The Hartford, auto insurance severity continues hitting the bottom line, say executives who expect a pretax $50 million prior-year...
California Orders Uber to Halt Self-Driving Operations
Dec 15 2016 // California regulators warned ride-hailing company Uber on Wednesday that it would face legal action if it did not immediately stop giving people in San Francisco rides in self-driving cars until it receives permission from...
Uber’s ‘Self-Driving’ Cars Already Roaming Streets of San Francisco
Dec 14 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. continues to dive head first into autonomous vehicles. Just don’t call them that in California. Starting today, Uber is letting customers in San Francisco hop in a self-driving car, if...
School Bus Driver in Fatal Maryland Crash was Speeding, Had Prior Wrecks
Dec 9 2016 // The driver of a Baltimore school bus that careened into a transit bus, killing him and five others, was speeding, had a history of previous crashes and had a seizure the week before, national investigators said...
Uber Drivers in Taiwan Threatened with Fines of $780,000 in Draft Rules
Dec 6 2016 // Investors and companies are getting a preview of how the Taiwan government’s plan to become “Asia’s Silicon Valley” might fare. Uber Technologies Inc., one of Silicon Valley’s most disruptive...
PCI Viewpoint: Role of Government in Automated Driving Revolution
Dec 6 2016 // The following is the viewpoint of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) submitted to a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee at a Nov. 16 hearing on “The Automated &...
Teens and Distracted Driving: Get the Message Campaigns
Dec 5 2016 // Driving my children to school each morning it’s hard not to notice the number of parents attached to their cell phone. While state law prohibits cell phone use in school zones and city law prohibits cell phone use...
How GM’s ‘Super Cruise’ Self-Driving Car Is Evolving
Dec 2 2016 // General Motors Co.’s semi-autonomous “Super Cruise” system will allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for extended periods, but will stop the vehicle automatically if drivers are not...
Self-Driving Truck Hits the Road in Ohio
Dec 1 2016 // A self-driving truck is scheduled to hit the road in central Ohio in conjunction with an announcement about new state investments to support researching that kind of transportation technology. Officials say the vehicle...
New York Officials Warn Drivers to Watch for Pedestrians
Dec 1 2016 // The city is ramping up pedestrian safety efforts during the annual influx of holiday visitors and decreased daylight hours. Mayor Bill de Blasio, police Commissioner James P. O’Neill and other officials said Tuesday...
Tennessee Bus Driver Likely to Plead Not Guilty in Fatal Crash
Nov 30 2016 // The driver in a Chattanooga, Tenn., school bus crash last week that killed six children will likely plead not guilty to related charges, according to his lawyer. Defense attorney Amanda Dunn said she anticipates...
How to Get Teens to Take Dangers of Distracted Driving Seriously
Nov 29 2016 // A program to educate teens about distracted driving—including a tour of a hospital trauma center and testimony from a trauma survivor—can increase awareness of the dangers of texting, cell phone use, and other...
Complaints About Erratic Driving Before Tennessee Bus Wreck
Nov 28 2016 // Students and administrators raised concerns about a Tennessee school bus driver’s behavior behind the wheel in the weeks before a crash that killed six children. Police have charged driver Johnthony Walker with...
Smartphone Makers Reject Obama Call for Restrictions to Curb Distracted Driving
Nov 28 2016 // U.S. highway safety officials called on smartphone makers to add features that would keep motorists from using functions linked to a surge in deaths due to distracted driving, a proposal that drew immediate opposition from...
U.S. Senator Wants Federal Investigation Into Florida’s Use of Driver Records
Nov 23 2016 // U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants a federal investigation of how Florida uses the personal information of its 15 million licensed drivers. The Florida Democrat wrote U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Friday asking her to...
How Much Attention Do Drivers Need to Pay?
Nov 22 2016 // As Americans pile into their cars for Thanksgiving travel, they may wish to pay attention to some new thinking into how much, or how little, attention they should be paying to the road. Transportation safety engineers may...
Colorado Will Test out Digital Driver Licenses in 2-Year Pilot Program
Nov 21 2016 // Colorado will test digital licenses for drivers in a two-year pilot program. The Gazette reported Gemalto Inc. was awarded $2 million in August from the U.S. Commerce Department to make a driver license mobile application...
Uber Working to Settle with California Drivers over Employee Benefits
Nov 17 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. is trying to finalize a settlement with California drivers to resolve potentially billions of dollars in claims stemming from the company’s refusal to give them the protections and benefits of...
Atlantic City Ride-Hailing Drivers Face Legal and Regulatory Hurdles
Nov 14 2016 // Joshua DeLeon earned $200 a week driving for Uber, a side job he used to buy an engagement ring for his girlfriend. Then he got a $300 ticket from Atlantic City for operating without a proper license, and he quit. “I...
