Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Safety Agency to Investigate Complaints Over Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Brakes
Jul 12 2016 // The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it would investigate some motorcycles made by Harley-Davidson Inc. after complaints of brake failure without warning. The investigation involves 430,000...
Passengers Barely Escape as Florida Sinkhole Opens Under Car
Jul 12 2016 // A woman and her 4-year-old grandson got a big scare when their SUV was partially swallowed by a 10-foot-by-10-foot sinkhole near the drive-thru of a South Florida McDonald’s. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman...
Probe of Tesla Crash to Address Broader Safety Issues of Automation in Cars
Jul 11 2016 // For years, U.S. investigators have been calling for more automation on motor vehicles, such as sensors that slam on the brakes to prevent a crash. At the same time, the National Transportation Safety Board, in its probes...
Italy Car Insurance Tech Firm, Octo Telematics, Weighs Sale or IPO: Sources
Jul 11 2016 // Octo Telematics SpA, the Italian car insurance-technology company, is pursuing an outright sale alongside preparations for an initial public offering, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Octo, owned by...
Louisiana Drivers May Now Repay Auto Insurance Fines in Installments
Jul 11 2016 // Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a bill authorizing driver payment plans to repay the state Office of Motor Vehicles for the outstanding fines. Louisiana law requires drivers to have insurance on their vehicles....
Massachusetts Auto Insurers Hiking Rates
Jul 10 2016 // More than a million Massachusetts drivers will see their auto insurance bills increase by as much as 9 percent this year. Insurance companies and industry officials told The Boston Globe that cheaper gas and an improving...
Western National Purchases Nevada General and Affiliates
Jul 6 2016 // Western National Insurance Group of Edina, Minn. has completed the purchase all of the stock of Las Vegas, Nev.-based Nevada General Insurance Co., AIC America, and its wholly owned affiliates Auto Insurance America (New...
Indiana Man Gets 9 1/2 Years for Car Crash Fraud Scheme
Jul 6 2016 // An Evansville, Ind., man has been sentenced to more than 91/2 years in prison for paying people to stage car crashes to defraud insurance companies. U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young sentenced 57-year-old Michael W....
Guiding Massachusetts Teen Drivers Through ‘100 Deadliest Days’
Jul 6 2016 // One thing that James Butcher tells Massachusetts high school students is that he’s sure they want to enjoy a great life and come back for reunions after graduation. But that won’t happen if they “drive...
Tesla CEO Musk Defends Reporting Autopilot Fatality 9 Days After Accident
Jul 6 2016 // Tesla Motors alerted regulators to a fatality in one of its electric cars in partial self-driving Autopilot mode nine days after it crashed, the company said on Tuesday, defending its decision not to make the accident...
Transportation, Tragedy and Lessons from Tesla Autopilot Fatality
Jul 5 2016 // Every car on the roads is an accident waiting to happen. It’s about time Silicon Valley woke up to the fact. The boom in autonomous-driving technology offers the prospect of one day reducing the roughly 90 percent of...
Regulators Investigating Fatal Collision of Tesla on Autopilot
Jul 1 2016 // U.S. regulators are investigating a fatal accident involving a Tesla Motors Inc. sedan that was driving on autopilot, drawing scrutiny to a key technology the electric-vehicle maker is betting on for the future of...
Data Shows 170 Motor Vehicle Deaths in Iowa 2016, So Far
Jul 1 2016 // New data from the Iowa Department of Transportation shows 42 more people have died on Iowa roads in 2016 than at the same time last year. The Des Moines Register reports seven people were killed in traffic accidents over...
73% of U.S. Drivers Welcome Commuting with Robot Behind the Wheel: Survey
Jun 30 2016 // Almost three-quarters of U.S. drivers are eager to replace the daily commute’s drudgery with a self-driving car and 80 percent say they would pay extra to have a robot take the wheel, according to a survey that...
How U.S. and EU Differ in Handling Volkswagen Diesel Scandal
Jun 29 2016 // If you own a Volkswagen with a diesel engine in the U.S., the company will buy back your car and give you as much as $10,000. If you drive in Europe, you may only get a piece of pipe. As part of Volkswagen AG’s...
Ohio Bill Targets Abusive Practices of Tow Truck Operators
Jun 24 2016 // An Ohio insurer trade groups says a bill introduced into the General Assembly would help rein in the predatory practices of some towing business operators in the state. The primary focus of House Bill 341, introduced by...
Prime Property & Casualty Expands into Florida Commercial Auto Market
Jun 24 2016 // Prime Property and Casualty Insurance Inc. (PPCI) has expanded into the Florida commercial auto market as an admitted carrier specializing in insurance products for distressed and substandard risks. PPCI is able to insure...
New York Area Car Wash Workers Awarded Back Pay
Jun 24 2016 // Eighteen immigrant car wash employees in New York and New Jersey received more than $91,000 each as part of a federal court settlement for unpaid wages, making it the biggest per-worker recovery in the car wash industry,...
Older Drivers Favor High-Tech Auto Features
Jun 22 2016 // High-tech safety features have jumped to a high priority for older U.S. car-shoppers, who want to keep their freedom of mobility, a study released Tuesday reports. Among Americans 50 and up who plan to shop for a car in...
North Carolina Mother, Daughter Accused of Car Insurance Fraud
Jun 22 2016 // The North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) has accused a mother and daughter of insurance fraud, according to a statement from the department. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced the arrests June 15 of...
