Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Virginia Bill to Ban Unauthorized GPS Tracking Advances
Feb 10 2012 // The problem encountered by Del. Joe May’s constituent seemed simple enough to solve. The citizen had taken his car in for service and was shocked when the mechanic found a GPS device attached to the undercarriage....
TomTom Sees Potential in Europe’s Auto Insurance Market; Motaquote Signs On
Feb 8 2012 // TomTom satnavs will in future help insurers tell the difference between a good driver and a bad one under a scheme designed to revive the Dutch navigation device maker’s flagging fortunes. The company, which made its...
Best Upgrades Fremont Ratings; Affirms Auto Club Group, P/C Members
Feb 7 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a” from “a-” of Michigan-based...
Fremont Insurance Co. Ratings Upgraded; Auto Club Group Affirmed
Feb 7 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a” from “a-” of Fremont Insurance Co. (Fremont) of Fremont,...
Mercury Insurance Launches Commercial Auto Product
Feb 7 2012 // Mercury Insurance has introduced a commercial auto product that offers agents a new point-of-sale system that makes it easy to rate, qualify and issue new business, as well as online service capabilities. The new product...
North Carolina Continues Auto Regulation Debate As Rates Stay Same for 2012
Feb 7 2012 // Auto insurers in North Carolina are once again divided over the prospect of changing how the state sets insurance rates with some insurers advocating for rate deregulation while others are supporting the status quo. The...
Long-time California Lobbyist Looks to 2012 Legislation Affecting Insurance
Feb 6 2012 // John Norwood is one of California’s best known legislative advocates for the insurance and financial services sectors. Norwood, principal of Norwood & Associates, has garnered recognition for his political work...
Paying for Insurance Fraud
Feb 6 2012 // There has been a lot of auto insurance fraud news in recent months, with stories of scam artists going after big payouts from insurance companies. In New York State, such fraud is raising the auto insurance cost for many...
Six Northeastern States Saw Average Auto Premium Rates Fall, NAIC Says
Feb 6 2012 // Six Northeastern states saw their annual average auto premium fall, according to the latest data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. They are: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,...
Auto Premiums Lower in Iowa, N.D. and S.D.
Feb 6 2012 // Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota have the least expensive auto insurance premiums in the United States. Iowa has the lowest average rate — $631 — and North Dakota comes in second at $650, according to data from the...
Woman Takes Honda to Small-Claims, Wins Big
Feb 3 2012 // This Jan. 3, 2012 file photo shows Heather Peters, who says her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid never achieved the 50 mpg Honda claimed in its advertising, presenting her case in small claims court in Torrrance, Calif. This unique...
North Dakota Vehicle Registrations Top 1 Million
Feb 2 2012 // For 684,000 North Dakotans, there are now 1 million vehicles. North Dakota Transportation Department director Francis Ziegler reports Tuesday the agency registered more than 1 million vehicles last year. It’s an...
Florida Investigating Cause of Multiple Car Pile-Up That Killed 10
Jan 31 2012 // Authorities in Florida are trying to determine what caused a horrific highway pileup where vehicles collided one after another on a dark highway so shrouded in haze and smoke that drivers were blinded. At least 10 were...
Top Ohio Insurance Fraud and Enforcement Cases for 2011
Jan 31 2012 // Ohio insurance regulators opened 233 insurance fraud cases last year, handled 1,678 agent misconduct cases, took administrative action against 240 individuals and entities and referred 72 individuals for prosecution, the...
Court Delays Ruling On Honda Hybrid Suit
Jan 30 2012 // An unusual small claims lawsuit by a Honda hybrid owner took another complicated turn last week with additional arguments that prompted a commissioner to delay a ruling for more consideration. Superior Court Commissioner...
A.M. Best Downgrades Peachtree Casualty Due to Florida Auto Results
Jan 30 2012 // A.M. Best has downgraded the financial ratings of Peachtree Casualty Insurance Co., citing the insurer’s poor underwriting results due in part to rising costs associated with Florida’s troubled no-fault...
Consumer Group Charges Auto Insurers with ‘Disparate Treatment’ of Low Income Families
Jan 30 2012 // A consumer group on Monday issued a study that alleges “disparate treatment” of low-to moderate-income families by auto insurers nationwide. The group is asking state insurance commissioners to consider...
California to Vote on New ‘Clean Car’ Regulations
Jan 27 2012 // California, whose greenhouse gas emissions standards lead the U.S., is poised to vote on pushing them further. The new rules, if approved, would require automakers to build cars and trucks by 2025 that emit about...
Foremost Launches Updated Auto Program in Illinois
Jan 25 2012 // Foremost Insurance Group has introduced its enhanced auto program in Illinois, featuring more competitive rates, new discounts, increased coverage options and improved online processing. “The technological...
Lawsuit Seeks Information on Michigan Auto Injury Claims
Jan 25 2012 // A coalition fighting proposed changes to Michigan’s auto insurance laws filed a lawsuit seeking claims information from an association that handles medical bills for seriously injured accident victims. The suit filed...
