Latest Auto Headlines

All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Startup Auto Insurer Root Targets Good Drivers with Smartphones

Oct 25 2016 // Root officially debuted in the U.S. market on October 25. The fledgling auto insurer, just 18 months old, relies on telematics and a customer’s smartphone to deliver what it says will be significantly cheaper rates...

Review of 14 Studies Identifies Risk Factors for Kids’ Bicycle Injuries

Oct 25 2016 // Kids of lower socioeconomic status, those riding in rural areas, and those riding mostly on the sidewalk have higher risk of injury than others, according to a new review. Not surprisingly, injuries related to motor...

This Bud’s for Uber’s Self-Driving Truck Road Test

Oct 25 2016 // A tractor trailer full of beer drove itself down Colorado’s I-25 last week with nobody behind the wheel. Uber Technologies Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev NV teamed up on the delivery, which they said is the first time...

Midwest Study: More Lighting Would Cut Farm Vehicle Crashes by 60%

Oct 21 2016 // Traffic accidents involving farm vehicles in the Midwest would drop by more than 60 percent if state policies required more lighting and reflection on those vehicles, according to a study from the University of Iowa...

Automakers, Chipmakers Race to Equip Autonomous Vehicles

Oct 21 2016 // Tesla Motors Inc.’s decision to equip all of its vehicles with self-driving hardware has intensified competition among rival camps of technology and auto companies over what equipment will be on board cars of the...

Travelers’ Q3 Results Hurt by Auto, Flood Claims

Oct 20 2016 // Travelers Cos., the sole property/casualty insurer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, posted its fourth-straight profit decline as weather-related costs climbed and investment income slipped. The stock had the biggest...

California Rules for Self-Driving Cars Draw Objections from Google, Automakers

Oct 20 2016 // Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit and automakers objected on Wednesday to California proposals to set new, mandatory rules for testing self-driving cars in the state, which industry officials said could hobble their...

New Jersey Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Insurance Fraud

Oct 19 2016 // New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor announced that a Woodbridge, N.J., man was sentenced to three years in prison for reporting that his motorcycle had been...

Judge ‘Strongly’ Inclined to Approve Volkswagen $14.7 Billion Settlement

Oct 19 2016 // Volkswagen AG and car owners will likely secure a federal judge’s final sign-off on their $14.7 billion settlement as the automaker continues to seek regulators’ approval of a fix for 482,000 pollution-spewing...

Auto Claims Startup Snapsheet Attracts $20 Million in Funding

Oct 18 2016 // Liberty Mutual and USAA are among the backers behind of Snapsheet, a startup that is developing virtual auto claims technology and services that recently closed on $20 million in new financing. Snapsheet disclosed the...

10 Takeaways from the Future of Insurance and InsureTech Connect Conference

Oct 17 2016 // You’ve probably heard. There is tremendous investor interest right now in technology-first insurance startups, or insurtech firms. The first InsureTech Connect Conference in Las Vegas in early October attracted an...

Small Trucking Firms Fear Being Driven Out of Business by Electronic Log Rule

Oct 14 2016 // A new regulation that will force U.S. trucking companies to electronically log employee hours is designed to limit accidents by keeping tired drivers off the road. It may also drive smaller trucking firms out of...

Car Insurer Hagerty Opens its First U.S. Regional Office in Colorado

Oct 13 2016 // Hagerty has opened its first U.S. regional office in Golden, Colo. McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, said Golden was chosen because it has a diverse workforce, friendly business environment and proximity to a major...

Three Found Guilty of in Separate Insurance Fraud Cases in Washington

Oct 13 2016 // Insurance fraud cases investigated by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s special investigations unit have resulted in felony convictions against three people. David Cook, 51, pleaded guilty in Pierce...

Georgia Man Accused of Staging Car Theft in North Carolina

Oct 13 2016 // A Georgia man was arrested and charged with insurance fraud for allegedly staging a car theft in North Carolina, according to a statement from Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Jeremy Joseph Keeton, 29, of Columbus, Ga...

Arkansas Insurance Fraud Convictions Result in Fines, Restitution

Oct 12 2016 // The Arkansas Insurance Department has announced recent statewide insurance fraud convictions that stipulate fines and restitution. They are: Frederick Randle, 46 of England, pleaded guilty in Pulaski County Circuit Court...

EPIC Adds Newton to Auto Dealer Specialty Program in California

Oct 11 2016 // EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants has named Gerrad Newton a producer within its auto dealer specialty program team in Sacramento, Calif. Newton will be focused on workers’ compensation and garage liability for...

How Self-Driving Cars Will Make Motorcycles Safer

Oct 11 2016 // Self-driving technology promises to pretty much transform the auto industry as we know it. It may also change the business of selling motorcycles—but in a very different way. It all comes down to safety, according to...

Ohio Home, Auto Insurance Rates Up Slightly but Still Among Nation’s Lowest

Oct 10 2016 // The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) reports that average premiums for auto and home insurance in the state rose in 2015 but not by much. The average rate changes in 2015 for Ohio’s top 10 homeowners and private...

Allianz, Toyota & BMW Partner to Develop Autonomous Vehicle Strategies

Oct 7 2016 // Global automakers Toyota, BMW and insurer Allianz will license technology from Silicon Valley start-up Nauto, which uses cameras and artificial intelligence systems in cars to understand driver behavior, Nauto said on...