Latest Auto Headlines

Auto Insurance Provider Confie Seguros Acquires Cost-U-Less

Oct 5 2010 // Confie Seguros, a provider of auto insurance with an emphasis on serving Hispanic consumers, has acquired Cost-U-Less Insurance, a California provider of non-standard auto insurance with offices located primarily in the...

Home Insurance Customer Satisfaction Declines But ‘Bundlers’ Happy

Oct 5 2010 // Overall customer satisfaction with homeowners insurance companies has declined to the lowest level in five years, primarily due to decreases in satisfaction with policy offerings and customer service, according to the J.D....

Advertising, Claims Handling Drive Reputations of Auto Insurers

Oct 4 2010 // Consumers have been highly satisfied with their auto insurance companies over the past year, and they view Allstate, State Farm and Geico as the most reputable auto insurance providers, according to a new survey. The...

A New Way To Reach Consumers

Oct 4 2010 // Fiesta Auto Insurance Combines Insurance and Tax Preparation Services Under One Roof Modeling an insurance agency business after a sandwich shop might sound like an unusual goal, but that’s what John Rost, founder,...

UK Auto Market ‘Saturated’ as Claims Rise Says Towers Watson Study

Sep 30 2010 // “The cost of injury claims in the UK car insurance market has grown recently by nearly 30 percent per annum concludes a study, based on industry data, compiled by Towers Watson (TW). TW also noted that the findings...

Safety Begins Refunds for Massachusetts Motorcyclists

Sep 29 2010 // Safety Insurance has begun refunding a total $7.2 million to roughly 21,000 Massachusetts policyholders who were overcharged for motorcycle insurance, according to the state’s attorney general. The refunds are part...

Schwarzenegger Extends Calif. Low Cost Auto Insurance Program

Sep 28 2010 // Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation – AB 1597 authored by Assemblyman Dave Jones to maintain California’s innovative auto insurance program for low-income Californians with good driving...

Murder Case Tries ‘Caffeine Insanity’ Defense That Worked in Car Accident

Sep 21 2010 // A Kentucky man accused of strangling his wife is poised to claim excessive caffeine from sodas, energy drinks and diet pills left him so mentally unstable he couldn’t have knowingly killed her, his lawyer has...

ISO Equips Own Fleet with Devices to Monitor Driving Behavior

Sep 21 2010 // ISO has announced that it will equip more than 600 ISO company vehicles with telematics devices to monitor and record data about driving behavior. Information will include Global Positioning System (GPS) and On-Board...

Pennsylvania Ponders Increased Auto Liability Limits

Sep 20 2010 // A new bill introduced to the Pennsylvania senate would double the minimum liability amounts of auto insurance policies in the state. Current laws set minimum liability limits for bodily injury at $15,000 per person and...

Sep 20 2010 // Highway Deaths Lowest Since 1950 Highway deaths fell to 33,808 in the United States for the year 2009, the lowest number since 1950. The decline in traffic fatalities occurred even while estimated vehicle miles traveled in...

3 Win Progressive Insurance X-Prize for Fuel Efficient Vehicles

Sep 17 2010 // An ultralight, gas-powered car that can get 102 miles per gallon is among the winners of the $10 million Automotive X Prize, a contest to develop highly efficient, production-ready vehicles. While it’s not likely to...

Cincinnati Police Caution Car Owners About Thefts

Sep 14 2010 // Cincinnati police are placing notes on cars parked around the city, cautioning owners not to leave laptop computers, GPS devices or other equipment in their vehicles where it can be seen by would-be thieves. Police say the...

Highway Deaths Lowest Since 1950

Sep 10 2010 // Highway deaths fell to 33,808 in the U.S. for the year 2009, the lowest number since 1950. The decline in traffic fatalities occurred even while estimated vehicle miles traveled in 2009 increased by 0.2 percent over 2008...

Car Booster Seats Make Gains in Insurance Testing

Sep 9 2010 // Car booster seats have made strides in ensuring a proper fit for children in the back seat, according to a review by the insurance industry. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its top marks to 21 of 72 booster...

Aon Benfield Appoints Van Slooten to Head International Research Team

Sep 9 2010 // Aon Benfield has appointed Mike Van Slooten as head of the International Research team, which monitors and analyzes reinsurers and market trends. He will be responsible for “organizing market security and research...

Two Massachusetts Agents Appointed to CAR Governing Committee

Sep 9 2010 // Commonwealth Automobile Reinsurers, which oversees Massachusetts’ residual market for auto insurance, has appointed two members to its governing committee. The new committee members are Joseph P. Leahy Jr., a...

Chartis Introduces Alternative Fuel Deductible Option on Commercial Auto

Sep 7 2010 // Chartis has introduced an Auto Physical Damage Alternative Fuel Incentive Deductible designed to assist business customers in their efforts to be environmentally responsible. The enhancement allows customers to be...

New York to License Self-Storers, Open Up Car Rental Coverage Options

Sep 6 2010 // Self-storage company operators in New York will be allowed to obtain insurance licenses to sell contents coverage to their clients, under a law signed recently by Gov. David Paterson. The law allows the state’s...

Road Tech

Sep 6 2010 // Technology — especially cell phones and texting technologies — gets a bad rap when it comes to safety while driving. Of course, it’s not the technology that’s unsafe — it’s people and their need to...