Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Connecticut Lawmakers Consider Higher Fines for Distracted Driving
Jan 30 2017 // Some Connecticut lawmakers want to make it tougher for distracted drivers. The General Assembly’s Transportation Committee is holding a public hearing today on several bills that would increase penalties for texting...
Main Street America Expands New Personal Auto Program Into 3 Eastern States
Jan 27 2017 // The Main Street America Group has expanded Main Street Protection Auto, its new private passenger auto insurance program for the preferred/standard marketplace, into three additional states, including New York, as well as...
Freezing Rain, Sleet Closes Northern New England Schools, Challenges Drivers
Jan 25 2017 // A mix of snow, freezing rain, and sleet has closed numerous schools and made for difficult driving in northern New England. Some snow fell across the region, but the big challenge on the roads Tuesday morning was ice and...
Judge Rules Snapchat Immune from Georgia Distracted Driver Crash Claim
Jan 25 2017 // A judge has dismissed claims against Snapchat that blamed the social media company’s “speed filter” for a highway crash. The judge said the Communications Decency Act provides the social media company...
Truck Drivers’ Health and Crash Risk
Jan 23 2017 // Commercial truck drivers with three or more medical conditions double to quadruple their chance for being in a crash than healthier drivers, reports a study led by investigators at the University of Utah School of...
Investigation Concludes Tesla Not at Fault in Self-Driving Car Crash
Jan 20 2017 // The push to bring self-driving cars to American roads got a significant boost on Thursday when the nation’s chief auto safety regulator essentially cleared Tesla Motors Inc.’s Autopilot system of fault in a...
State Agency Advocates for Self-Driving Car Legislation in Maryland
Jan 19 2017 // Maryland state’s Motor Vehicle Administration is advocating legislation that would transfer regulatory power of self-driving cars to the agency and the state police, saying the change may improve safety on Maryland...
Montana Bill Would Overturn Bans on Using Cellphones While Driving
Jan 17 2017 // A Great Falls, Mont. lawmaker has introduced a bill that would prevent local governments from placing bans on talking or texting on a cellphone while driving. Republican Rep. Jeremy Trebas tells the Great Falls Tribune...
Study Links Truck Drivers’ Health to Crash Risk
Jan 17 2017 // Commercial truck drivers with three or more medical conditions double to quadruple their chance for being in a crash than healthier drivers, reports a study led by investigators at the University of Utah School of...
Pennsylvania Uber Driver Refused Ride, Beat New Jersey Man Unconscious
Jan 17 2017 // A southern New Jersey man has filed a lawsuit against ride-sharing giant Uber that alleges he was assaulted by a driver who refused to take him home from a holiday party in Philadelphia. The federal lawsuit states that...
Dashcam Footage Shows Truck Driver on Phone Before Driving off Florida Overpass
Jan 13 2017 // The Florida Highway Patrol says a man received a ticket after a dashcam in his truck showed him using a cellphone just before the semitrailer he was driving plunged off an Interstate 75 overpass near Tampa. Authorities say...
Oklahoma Lawmaker Wants More Focus on Repeat Drunk Drivers
Jan 13 2017 // An Oklahoma woman was killed in a traffic accident on New Year’s Eve caused by a drunk driver who had been cited several times previously for driving under the influence. Now, an Oklahoma state representative is...
Tennessee School Bus Driver Evacuates Students Before Bus Bursts Into Flames
Jan 11 2017 // No students were injured when a Tennessee school bus burst into flames shortly after its driver noticed smoke and unloaded 29 children on board. Alcoa City Schools Director Brian Bell says that at about 7 a.m. Monday, the...
Top 10 Personal Auto Insurers and Today’s Market: A.M. Best
Jan 9 2017 // The U.S. personal auto insurance industry saw net premiums written grow 5.1 percent in 2015 — a rate of growth that may not be repeated as rising loss ratios weaken both underwriting and operating results, according...
Uber Drivers Are Employees, Not Freelancers, Says Swiss Insurance Agency
Jan 5 2017 // An Uber driver is an employee for which the company must pay social security contributions, a Swiss insurance agency has ruled, dealing a blow to the U.S. ride-hailing platform that says drivers are independent...
Injury Crashes Involving Texting, Driving Decrease in Oklahoma
Dec 29 2016 // Oklahoma has seen a significant decrease in injury traffic accidents involving drivers distracted by an electronic device since a law banning texting and driving went into effect last year. Data from the Oklahoma Highway...
Fleet of Self-Driving Uber Cars Gets Warm Welcome from Arizona Governor
Dec 27 2016 // Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is happy about the arrival of a fleet of Uber self-driving cars delivered via a self-driving truck that transported them from California. Ducey’s office says the governor welcomed the truck...
Uber, Lyft Drivers in Maryland Won’t Have to Submit Fingerprints
Dec 27 2016 // Uber and Lyft drivers in Maryland won’t have to submit their fingerprints for background checks after the ride-hailing companies complained about the proposal. The Maryland Public Service Commission announced...
Top 10 Personal Auto Insurers and Today’s Market: A.M. Best
Dec 27 2016 // The U.S. personal auto insurance industry saw net premiums written grow 5.1 percent in 2015 — a rate of growth that may not be repeated as rising loss ratios weaken both underwriting and operating results, according to...
Uber Capitulates, Takes Self-driving Cars off Streets of San Francisco
Dec 22 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc has removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco streets after California regulators cracked down on the week-old program because the company had not obtained a permit to test the vehicles. The...
