Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Those Dashed Lines on Roads Are Longer Than Drivers Think
Feb 4 2009 // Take a guess — how long are the dashed lines that are painted down the middle of a road? If you’re like most people, you answered, “Two feet.” The real answer is 10 feet. That’s the federal...
Michigan Governor Granholm Wants Freeze on Auto Insurance Rates
Feb 4 2009 // In her seventh State of the State address, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm called for a freeze on auto insurance rates. She said the freeze would last for a year, “while the Legislature works to enact...
2008 Insurance Fraud Hall of Shame
Feb 3 2009 // A serial home arsonist, an elected judge who made phony auto injury claims, and dentists who did worthless root canals on children were among the nine swindlers elected to the Insurance Hall of Shame. The Coalition Against...
Maryland to Join National System to Prevent Auto Fraud
Feb 3 2009 // The U.S. Department of Justice says Maryland must soon implement a national computer system that warns buyers if a vehicle was stolen or previously damaged. Officials say the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System...
North Carolina Arrests Seventh Suspect in Alleged Car Insurance Scam
Jan 29 2009 // North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin reported the arrest this week of another Eastern North Carolina resident for his part in what Department of Insurance of investigators are calling an auto insurance fraud...
North Dakota Moves to Double Auto Insurance Minimum Limits
Jan 29 2009 // North Dakota drivers’ minimum required insurance coverage for accidents hasn’t changed in 24 years and should be raised, the state House narrowly decided after debating whether motorists could afford the...
National Auto Fraud, Theft Prevention System Set to Go Live
Jan 29 2009 // The nation will soon have a new online computer system to help protect states and consumers from automobile fraud and to provide law enforcement with new tools to investigate fraud, theft, and other crimes involving...
Wisconsin Court Sides with Insurer on Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Jan 28 2009 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the insurance company in a closely-watched case involving a farmer’s business auto policy and whether its underinsured motorists endorsement applies to a family...
GEICO Lowers Georgia Auto Rates
Jan 23 2009 // GEICO reports that it is reducing auto insurance rates in Georgia by 2.3 percent on average. The rating plan is already in effect for new policies and will be effective Feb. 8 for renewal policies. GEICO is currently the...
New York: Insurers Did Not Steer Customers to Certain Body Shops
Jan 22 2009 // An investigation by the New York Insurance Department has found that auto insurers in the state did not engage in a widespread effort to steer consumers to certain auto body shops – a violation of state law. However,...
Two Dead after Snowy, 40-Vehicle Highway Crash in Maryland
Jan 21 2009 // A pileup of 35 cars and five tractor-trailers on a snowy Maryland highway killed two people Monday and seriously injured at least a dozen, state police said. Seventy-one people, including infants and the elderly, were...
Liberty Mutual Increases Nevada Auto Insurance Rates
Jan 21 2009 // The Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. received approval for a 6.9 percent rate increase, Liberty Insurance Corp. received approval for a 7 percent rate increase and First Liberty Insurance Corp. received approval for a 7.6...
Auto Thefts Down in Tulsa
Jan 20 2009 // Police in Tulsa, Okla., say that a 30 percent drop in auto thefts last year is largely due to officers targeting thieves who snatch cars to make quick cash from scrap metal. Roughly 2,500 vehicles were reported stolen in...
Hawaii Auto Insurance Fraud Convictions Increase 61%
Jan 14 2009 // The Insurance Fraud Investigation Unit of the Hawaii State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs experienced a 61 percent increase in criminal convictions for motor vehicle insurance fraud in 2008 over the previous...
Toyota to Introduce Driver Assist Service Competing with GM’s Onstar
Jan 12 2009 // Toyota said last week that it plans to roll out new safety and driver-assist programs on certain Toyota and Lexus models beginning late this summer. That marks the first major competition for Detroit-based General...
Fatalities on New Hampshire Roadways Increased in 2008
Jan 11 2009 // Fatal motor vehicle crashes are on the rise for the second year in a row according to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. The numbers released include all fatalities from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22, 2008. A fatality includes...
AAA Michigan: 2 Million Residents Traveled During Holidays
Jan 11 2009 // An estimated 2 million Michigan residents – almost the same number as last year traveled 50 miles or more from home during the Christmas holiday and New Year’s period, according to AAA’s latest travel...
Driven to Desperation, More Insureds Illegally Dumping Cars
Jan 11 2009 // The economic downturn is spurring anxious drivers to fraudulently dump unwanted vehicles for insurance money, according to research by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Officials in nearly a dozen state and local...
North Carolina Auto Rate Hike In Escrow Until Court Rules
Jan 11 2009 // Auto insurers may increase premiums on North Carolina drivers by up to 9.4 percent starting Jan. 1, but a court ruling will determine whether they can keep the extra money. The North Carolina Rate Bureau, which represents...
Actual Cash Value Versus Replacement Cost Value
Jan 11 2009 // Navigating the Valuation Quagmire As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. And insurance agents would be wise to explain the differences between actual cash value (ACV) and replacement cost value (RCV) to...
