Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
‘Look, Ma, No Steering Wheel’ in Google’s Autonomous Car
May 28 2014 // Google Inc. is building cars that don’t have steering wheels, accelerator pedals or brake pedals, in an ambitious expansion of the Internet company’s efforts to develop self-driving cars. The small electric...
Arrests in California Fraud Ring Targeting Auto Dealers and Insurers
May 23 2014 // A four-year investigation into an organized fraud ring has uncovered a million-dollar scheme targeting high-end vehicles through auto loan and insurance fraud has led to several arrests, according to the California...
OSHA Reviewing Alabama Car Parts Plant Use of Chemical
May 23 2014 // Federal regulators are investigating complaints about safety problems at an automotive parts plant in Selma. The Selma Times-Journal reported the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reviewing operations at...
Self-Driving Car Testing Rules Adopted by California
May 22 2014 // California has new rules that govern the testing of self-driving cars on public roads. The rules, approved Monday by state attorneys, require a human to be in the driver’s seat when a computer takes control during...
Court: Records of Michigan Car Insurance Claims Fund Not Public
May 22 2014 // The Michigan appeals court says the public has no right to see the records of an insurance fund that puts a fee on cars to pay for catastrophic injuries. The court said that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association is...
Bill Lets Military Members Keep Car Insurance When Moving to New State
May 19 2014 // Members of the military and their families would be able keep their current auto insurance policies when moving from one state to another state under a bill introduced in Congress. U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), a senior...
Making the Economics of Telematics Work for Insurers
May 19 2014 // The crossroads of auto insurance these days is telematics, the use of an electronic device to monitor how an automobile is being driven. The device monitors where a car is and how it is being driven, and, in theory, should...
Europe Moves Ahead with Self-Driving Cars in Reponse to Google
May 19 2014 // Cars could be driving themselves down the world’s streets far sooner than expected, thanks to a change in a global treaty backed by European countries. A little-noticed amendment to the United Nations Convention on...
Actuaries Grapple with Insurance Questions on Self-Driving Cars
May 16 2014 // The car of the future is pictured in an imagined scene in a 1950s science magazine. The illustration depicts a family sitting in a big convertible, a tail-finned monster. Mom, Dad, and their kids are in a circle, playing a...
Carmakers, Regulators Looking Into Flaws in Air Bag Technology
May 16 2014 // When Ford Motor Co. recalled 600,000 sport-utility vehicles last week, it became the fourth carmaker this year to acknowledge an issue with malfunctioning air bags. So far in 2014, automakers in the U.S. have recalled...
R.I. Issues Bulletin on Implementing Auto Insurance Verification System
May 15 2014 // Rhode Island regulators recently issued a bulletin notifying the state’s auto insurers of their filing requirements and deadlines for the Rhode Island Insurance Verification System (RIIVS) to track uninsured...
Has Online Shopping for Auto Insurance Peaked?
May 13 2014 // Shopping over the internet for auto insurance is down for the second year in a row, says a survey by a company that tracks the behavior of consumers with credit history. The latest TransUnion Auto Insurance Shopping Index...
Pennsylvania Schools Stress Prom Night Safety
May 9 2014 // Ryan Axe flashes a few pictures of his family on the big screen in front of his students. “Now, all of you have seen my family more than my brother ever did, and my brother was my best friend,” he...
Trusted Choice Consumer Portal Funding Now Tops $50M
May 9 2014 // Project CAP, the organization formed to help local independent agents compete in the digital economy under the Trusted Choice brand, has raised $10 million from two additional carrier investors. The capital from the two...
Fiery Crash Causes $700K in Damage at Houston Car Dealership
May 8 2014 // A vehicle involved in a traffic accident careened into a Houston-area Cadillac dealership and struck a row of Escalades, triggering a fire that destroyed six of the pricey SUVs. The general manager of the dealership,...
N.Y. Senate OKs Bill Mandating Alcohol Tests After Bad Car Crashes
May 7 2014 // New York State senators have voted to require blood-alcohol tests of all drivers following serious accidents. The Senate passed the legislation on Monday. It would mandate that police test the alcohol levels of all drivers...
Allstate Q1 Profit Drops on Weather Losses
May 7 2014 // Allstate Corp. reported that higher losses from catastrophes due to severe winter weather cut into profits in the first quarter while higher premiums helped offset the effect. The company reported net income of $587...
Terre Haute, Indiana Sees Rise in Mo-Ped Thefts
May 6 2014 // With gas prices close to $4 per gallon, Terre Haute resident Russell Moffatt had been happy to park his gas-guzzling pickup truck in favor of a fuel efficient mo-ped that he could ride to work. That is, until someone stole...
Maryland Warns of Potential Insurance Coverage Gaps for Ridesharing Services
May 6 2014 // Maryland’s top insurance regulator recently issued a notice alerting consumers about potential coverage gaps affecting drivers for ridesharing services. The Maryland Insurance Administration said technology based...
Commercial Auto Insurers Still Struggle to Profit: Fitch
May 6 2014 // Commercial automobile insurers reported a third consecutive year of underwriting losses in 2013. According to an analysis by Fitch Ratings, the combined ratio came in at 106 for 2013 compared with 107 for 2012. In a...
