Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Commissioner Says Insurers Overcharged Drivers During Pandemic
Mar 11 2021 // Insurers in California continued to overcharge drivers despite reduced risk of accidents during the pandemic, according to a report released today by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Lara ordered auto insurance...
Fitch Sees 2020’s Personal Auto Insurer Profits as Unsustainable
Mar 8 2021 // Highly profitable sub-90 personal auto combined ratios recorded by 10 publicly traded property/casualty insurers in 2020 don’t look anything like the 106 recorded in 2016. But they’re headed in that direction,...
Judge Permits Suit Alleging Geico Overcharged Drivers During Pandemic
Mar 7 2021 // The auto insurer Geico Corp., a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., must face a proposed class action claiming it overcharged policyholders as the coronavirus pandemic led to less driving and fewer...
Car Crashes Into Pennsylvania Gift Shop, Setting Two Buildings on Fire
Mar 3 2021 // A vehicle slammed into a Gettysburg gift shop and burst into flames, killing the driver and setting the building and a neighboring structure on fire, authorities said. Emergency dispatchers in Adams County said the vehicle...
3 Vehicles Stolen in Attack on Illinois Luxury Car Delivery Driver
Mar 1 2021 // Four men attacked a luxury car delivery driver in suburban Chicago and took off with three high-end vehicles, authorities said. The attack, which was captured on video, took place early in the morning on Feb. 25 at Jidd...
UK Court Rules Uber Drivers Should Be Classed as Workers, in Blow to Business Model
Feb 19 2021 // LONDON – A group of Uber drivers are entitled to worker rights such as the minimum wage, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday in a blow to the ride-hailing service that has ramifications for millions of others...
North Carolina Offering Altered Road Test for Teen Drivers to Receive Licenses
Feb 19 2021 // North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles has started offering road tests to teen drivers again. The Raleigh News & Observer reports that the DMV had largely stopped the tests last March to prevent the spread...
California Commissioner Wants More Group Discounts for Lower-Income Drivers
Feb 18 2021 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday released revised draft regulations to expand drivers’ access to group discounts. The revised draft regulations will extend discounts to previously...
UK Supreme Court to Rule This Week on Workers’ Rights for Uber Drivers
Feb 15 2021 // LONDON — Britain’s Supreme Court will announce a decision on Feb. 19 in a case regarding workers’ rights at taxi app Uber that could have ramifications for millions of others earning a living in the gig...
Amazon Plans Cameras with AI in Its Delivery Vans to Improve Driver Safety
Feb 5 2021 // Amazon.com has revealed plans to install AI-powered video cameras in its branded delivery vans, in a move that the world’s largest e-commerce firm says would improve safety of both drivers and the communities in...
Racetrack Operator in Georgia Faces Charges Over Driver Death
Feb 4 2021 // A southwest Georgia man faces charges after a death last year a racetrack he operated. Insurance Commissioner John F. King said Thursday that 58-year-old Dan Cobb of Cairo was arrested earlier this month following an Oct....
Las Vegas Bus Company, Driver Hit with Lawsuit in Crash
Feb 1 2021 // A lawsuit was filed against a Las Vegas-based tour bus company and one of its drivers after a crash last week that killed one person and critically injured three others. The bus with more than 40 people aboard rolled over...
New York Court: Uber Drivers Are Employees Eligible for Unemployment Insurance
Jan 25 2021 // The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department held at the end of December that Uber drivers can be considered employees eligible for benefits such as unemployment insurance. The finding upheld...
Alabama Transgender Driver’s License Policy Ruled Unconstitutional
Jan 22 2021 // Alabama’s policy requiring a transgender person to undergo full gender reassignment surgery before they can change the sex on their driver’s license is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S....
Pardon for Ex-Google Exec Who Took Self-Driving Car Secrets to Uber
Jan 22 2021 // A long-running Silicon Valley soap opera took an unexpected twist on Wednesday after outgoing President Donald Trump pardoned a former Google engineer for stealing self-driving car secrets shortly before joining...
Japan’s Automakers Adding Safety Technology for Often-Isolated Older Drivers
Jan 21 2021 // Automakers in Japan, where almost 30% of the population is 65 or older, are taking the lead on adapting cars so the nation’s legions of elderly drivers can feel more confident — and be safer — behind the...
2 W. Virginia Bus Drivers Who Attended Trump Rally Sue Over Suspension
Jan 15 2021 // Two West Virginia school bus drivers who were suspended for attending a rally for President Donald Trump in the nation’s capital have been cleared of wrongdoing following hearings, an attorney said...
Bus Driver Placed on Probation After Plea in Fatal Accident
Jan 15 2021 // A Port Authority bus driver has been placed on probation for three years after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a University of Pittsburgh student struck by the bus she was driving a year...
Some Rideshare Drivers Sue Over California Ballot Measure
Jan 14 2021 // Drivers for app-based ride-hailing and delivery services filed a lawsuit Tuesday to overturn a California ballot initiative that makes them independent contractors instead of employees eligible for benefits and job...
Driving Declined But Traffic Deaths Rose 13% After Lockdowns Ended
Jan 14 2021 // U.S. traffic deaths jumped dramatically after coronavirus lockdowns ended in 2020, rising 13.1% in the three months ending Sept. 30 to the highest rate since 2005 despite a decline in driving, auto safety regulators said...
