Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
More Drivers ‘Under the Influence’ Testing Positive for Multiple Drugs
Jun 27 2014 // Since 1993, the profile of a drugged driver has changed substantially. More drivers are now testing positive for prescription drugs, cannabis, and multiple drugs, and they are more likely to be older than 50, according to...
Driver, Family Reach Settlement in Fatal Vermont Crash
Jun 25 2014 // The family of a Vermont woman killed in a hit-and-run crash last year has reached a settlement with the driver. Merrill Outslay of Mendon, Vt., the husband of 71-year-old Jane Outslay, sued Christopher Sullivan in Rutland...
Louisianans to Have 6-Year Span for Driver’s License Renewal
Jun 24 2014 // Louisiana will have a six-year driver’s license. Currently, drivers must renew their licenses in the state every four years. A bill by Republican Sen. Dan Claitor, of Baton Rouge, changes the renewal period to six...
Senior Drivers Open to Discussion About Limiting Driving: Survey
Jun 24 2014 // There are currently more than 23 million licensed drivers aged 70 and older and as baby boomers soon begin turning 70, the number of seniors on the road will rise steadily over the next two decades. The majority of senior...
New Mexico Immigrant Driver Licenses Plunge
Jun 20 2014 // Records show that newly issued driver’s licenses to immigrants in New Mexico have plunged by nearly a third in the past year despite no change in the state’s policy of granting driving privileges to foreign...
Tennessee City Finds More Drivers Speeding After Cameras Disabled
Jun 19 2014 // A study has found that the number of speeding motorists increased immediately following a decision to disable traffic cameras in Oak Ridge. The study by Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. was done at the city’s request...
Boston Transit Toughening Its Cellphone Policy for Drivers
Jun 18 2014 // The MBTA in Boston is toughening its cellphone policy for drivers, saying any bus or train operator would face dismissal for carrying a phone or other electronic device on the job even if it is not being used. The new...
Report Questions Jail Time ‘Anomaly’ in Tennessee’s Drunk Driving Law
Jun 18 2014 // A newspaper investigation has found that Tennessee has a loophole in its drunken driving law. The Commercial Appeal reported that its analysis found that a person could potentially spend more time in jail for driving drunk...
Delaware House Approves Higher Fine for Phone Use While Driving
Jun 16 2014 // A proposed increase in the first-time penalty for using a handheld cell phone or other electronic device while driving is making progress in the Delaware General Assembly. The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware, reports...
California Commissioner Likes Proposed Rideshare Regulations
Jun 12 2014 // California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Thursday gave a thumbs up to regulations proposed by California Public Utility Commission President Michael Peevey, which seeks broader commercial insurance coverage for...
Louisiana Drivers Sans Insurance to Face Hefty Fines
Jun 9 2014 // In the final hours of Louisiana’s legislative session, lawmakers passed a $53 million fee hike on drivers who don’t maintain car insurance as required by law. Most of the money expected to be raised is slated...
Penn. Advises Consumers to Check Insurance Before Using Rideshare Services
Jun 3 2014 // As the vacation travel season gets underway, Pennsylvania’s insurance department is reminding consumers to understand their personal auto insurance policies before participating with any of the new ridesharing...
Actuaries Grapple with Insurance Questions on Self-Driving Cars
Jun 2 2014 // The car of the future is pictured in an imagined scene in a 1950s science magazine. The illustration depicts a family sitting in a big convertible, a tail-finned monster. Mom, Dad and their kids are in a circle, playing a...
Self-Driving Car Testing Rules Adopted by California
Jun 2 2014 // California has new rules that govern the testing of self-driving cars on public roads. The rules, approved on May 19 by state attorneys, require a human to be in the driver’s seat when a computer takes control during...
New Hampshire Weighs Limited License for First-Time Drunk Drivers
May 29 2014 // New Hampshire House and Senate negotiators reached a tentative deal this week on legislation allowing a limited driver’s license for first-time drunken drivers to go to work, medical treatment, school or other...
The Insurance Implications of Google’s Self-Driving Car
May 28 2014 // Google has announced a truly “driverless” car that lacks a steering wheel, brakes or anything else that allows a driver to control its movements. This actually strikes me as a much bigger deal for the insurance...
N.J. Insurance Commissioner Alerts Consumers on Car-Sharing Services
May 28 2014 // New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Ken Kobylowski alerted consumers to the potential loss of insurance coverage in connection with popular business activities known as car-sharing or Transportation...
Self-Driving Car Testing Rules Adopted by California
May 22 2014 // California has new rules that govern the testing of self-driving cars on public roads. The rules, approved Monday by state attorneys, require a human to be in the driver’s seat when a computer takes control during...
Europe Moves Ahead with Self-Driving Cars in Reponse to Google
May 19 2014 // Cars could be driving themselves down the world’s streets far sooner than expected, thanks to a change in a global treaty backed by European countries. A little-noticed amendment to the United Nations Convention on...
Immigrants in California Study for Driver Test Months Out
May 19 2014 // There’s a lot riding on a California law to grant driver’s licenses to immigrants in the country illegally, and supporters are already preparing prospective drivers in the most populous U.S. state to pass the...
