Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Survey: 4th of Nevada Drivers Use Hand-Held Phones
Oct 24 2012 // A statewide survey shows 27 percent of Nevadans still use hand-held telephones while driving, despite a state law banning the practice that took effect Jan. 1. University of Nevada, Reno, researchers say the third annual...
Allstate: Overweight Drivers, Passengers Hurt Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
Oct 22 2012 // It’s not just the gas-guzzling SUVs that are hurting the driving fuel efficiency. The growing average weight of Americans is responsible for millions of gallons of additional gasoline used in the country every year,...
Hamster Corralled After Oregon Driver Arrested For DUI
Oct 19 2012 // Three police officers in the Portland, Ore. suburb of Beaverton went the extra mile for a hamster found riding in the lap of a driver who was arrested for investigation of DUI. Officer Mike Rowe says 27-year-old Nicole...
Allstate: Overweight Drivers, Passengers Hurt Vehicle Fuel Efficiency
Oct 9 2012 // It’s not just the gas-guzzling SUVs that are hurting the driving fuel efficiency. The growing average weight of Americans is responsible for millions of gallons of additional gasoline used in the country every year,...
Drivers May Be Unaware of Texting Habit: Study
Oct 8 2012 // Texting while driving is considered a serious public safety concern, but a new University of Michigan study suggests that drivers might not be aware of their actions. U-M researchers found that texting while driving is...
Alabama Senior Driver Credits
Oct 8 2012 // Alabama senior citizens will have easier access to courses that can qualify them for automobile insurance premium credits under a new state law that allows them to take the courses online. The courses test older...
New Jersey Tells Drivers: No Smiles Allowed in License Photos
Oct 8 2012 // New Jersey motorists have another reason to frown about their driver’s license photos. The state has banned motorists from making big smiles because such expressions don’t work with facial recognition software....
ABI Calls for New Restrictions on Younger Drivers
Oct 4 2012 // The Association of British Insurers is urging a review of the regulations for younger (17 to 24 year-old) drivers, including some new strictures that would require “a minimum one year learning period, restrictions on...
For Elderly Drivers, Families Can Help Decide When to Give Up the Keys
Oct 3 2012 // Ruth Lape of Somerset, Pennsylvania, decided to stop driving in 1999, but it wasn’t because of any limitations that she felt she had. “It was when we moved to Somerset (from Ohio),” she said. “I...
States Ranked Highest, Lowest for Teen Driver Deaths
Oct 1 2012 // Wyoming, Montana, Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas and Alabama have the highest death rates when teens are driving, while the District of Columbia, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Jersey have the lowest...
Few Drivers in Alabama Ticketed Under New Texting Ban
Sep 28 2012 // Law officers in some eastern Alabama jurisdictions have yet to issue any citations under the state’s new law banning texting and driving. The law went into effect on Aug. 1. The Anniston Star reported that the...
Mississippi Offers Smartphone App for Driver’s Test
Sep 28 2012 // The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has partnered with Mississippi Interactive LLC to offer a driver’s practice test application for residents with the proper phones or other hand-held computing devices. The...
Drivers May Be Unaware of Texting Habit: Study
Sep 27 2012 // Texting while driving is considered a serious public safety concern, but a new University of Michigan study suggests that drivers might not be aware of their actions. U-M researchers found that texting while driving is...
New Jersey Tells Drivers: No Smiles Allowed in License Photos
Sep 24 2012 // New Jersey motorists have another reason to frown about their driver’s license photos. The state has banned motorists from making big smiles because such expressions don’t work with facial recognition...
Alabama Eases Senior Driver Discount Rules
Sep 21 2012 // Alabama senior citizens will have easier access to courses that can qualify them for automobile insurance premium credits under a new state law that allows them to take the courses online. Approved by state lawmakers...
Vermont Sheriff Gets Education Grant for Young Drivers
Sep 20 2012 // The Caledonia County Sheriff’s Department and St. Johnsbury Police Department are going to teach young Vermont drivers about the dangers of distracted driving. The departments have been awarded an educational grant...
Top 10 Car Technologies For Mature Drivers
Sep 18 2012 // Smart headlights, emergency response systems and reverse monitoring features rank highest in car technologies that benefit mature drivers, according to researchers at The Hartford and the AgeLab at the Massachusetts...
Young Illegal Immigrants May Get Driver’s Licenses
Sep 16 2012 // When 17-year-old Alondra Esquivel needs to get from her rural central California home to classes at Fresno State University 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, she must rely on rides from her relatives or her boyfriend. Most...
N.H. Road Fatalities Up in 2012; Authorities Urge Drivers to Slow Down
Sep 13 2012 // Traffic fatalities have spiked in New Hampshire, prompting authorities to urge drivers to slow down and avoid dangerous activities such as texting and talking on cell phones. Safety Commissioner John Barthelmes says there...
