Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
South Carolina Courts Told to Clear Backlog of Drunk Driving Cases
Apr 6 2011 // South Carolina’s top judge has ordered courts across the state to clear a backlog of thousands of drunken driving cases after state troopers complained delays were keeping them in the courtroom and off the...
Alabama House Votes to Ban Texting While Driving
Apr 4 2011 // The Alabama House is making a second attempt to ban texting while driving The House voted 86-2 last Thursday for legislation sponsored by Republican Rep. Jim McClendon of Springville. He got a similar bill passed last...
Rhode Island Ponders Forcing Insurers to Buy Driving Records
Apr 4 2011 // Budget-strapped Rhode Island is considering a new way to raise money: Force insurers to buy official driving reports from the state, at $20 a driver. The move — part of a budget amendment that would alter laws...
Teen Drivers
Apr 4 2011 // New restrictions on teen drivers-in-training took effect in Michigan on March 30. The new legislation limits how many passengers drivers with level 2 intermediate licenses can carry. They won’t be allowed to have...
Crackdown on Distracted Drivers Under Way in Connecticut
Mar 30 2011 // Police in Connecticut are bolstering patrols this week to look for distracted drivers as part of a federal pilot program. Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and police officials announced the fourth and final enforcement wave of the...
Rhode Island Ponders Forcing Insurers to Buy Driving Records
Mar 25 2011 // Budget-strapped Rhode Island is considering a new way to raise money: Force insurers to buy official driving reports from the state, at $20 a driver. The move — part of a budget amendment that would alter laws...
North Carolina Debates More Fines on Drivers Using Cell Phones
Mar 25 2011 // North Carolina lawmakers already have banned young drivers from using cell phones and everyone else from texting or emails while behind the wheel. Now they’re considering whether to go further. A commerce committee...
Michigan’s Stricter Teen Driving Rules Go Into Effect Next Week
Mar 25 2011 // Michigan is preparing to enact new restrictions on teen drivers-in-training. Law enforcement, insurance and education leaders gathered in East Lansing this week to explain the requirements that take effect March 30. The...
Injured Cyclist’s Family Sues Car Driver for $10M
Mar 24 2011 // The family of a comatose cyclist is suing for $10 million the driver of the car that struck him in Maryland. Lawyers in the lawsuit filed Monday allege that 83-year-old Jeanette Marie Walke violated traffic laws on Feb. 26...
Designated Driver Services Steering Drinkers to Safety
Mar 21 2011 // The evolution of the cab has come. Those who enjoy a night of drinking can now hire a company to give them rides home in their own car instead of in one of the yellow checkered variety. Leaders of BeMyDD, or Be My...
Oklahoma Senate Approves Ban on Texting While Driving
Mar 17 2011 // The full Senate has given its support to a bill that would make it illegal to text while driving. State Sen. Jerry Ellis is the author of Senate Bill 146 which was approved on a vote of 32 to 9. “This isn’t a...
Texas Lawmakers Want to End Driver Surcharges
Mar 9 2011 // Texas lawmakers are considering eliminating a program that requires those charged with offenses including driving while intoxicated and failure to have insurance to pay state surcharges. Nearly 60 percent of those with the...
Reducing Car Crashes One Reason to Thin Deer Herd in Indiana
Mar 8 2011 // One in 140 drivers in Indiana is likely to a hit a deer this year. That’s the statistic the State Farm insurance agency formulated last year when it studied the number of deer-vehicle collisions across the...
E&O Insights: Common Auto, Homeowners Errors
Mar 7 2011 // An Estimated 30% of All Agency E&O Claims Arise from Handling Auto and Homeowners Business When dissecting Errors & Omissions claims frequency, it is apparent there is real E&O exposure for agencies writing...
Bill Banning Texting While Driving Advances in Oklahoma
Mar 7 2011 // Under legislation approved by a House committee, beginner drivers could face hefty fines and possibly lose their driving privileges if caught texting while driving. Rep. Danny Morgan’s measure, House Bill 1316, will...
New York Drivers Will Get Points for Talking on Cell Phones
Mar 7 2011 // New York drivers who are caught talking on their cell phones without a headset will gain two points on their driving records — which means higher insurance costs. Previously, no points were assigned for talking on a cell...
REAL ID Drivers License Deadline for States Postponed Until 2013
Mar 4 2011 // The federal government has again postponed until 2013 the deadline for all states to be in compliance with the REAL ID program, which sets minimum national standards for drivers licenses and identification cards. The move...
Idaho Bill Says Driving & Texting OK, As Long As Driver Isn’t Distracted
Mar 1 2011 // An Idaho House representative has proposed a bill to allow people to text and drive — as long as they’re not distracted. House Bill 141, proposed by Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, says no person operating a...
New Mexico Rejects Bill to Ban Illegal Immigrant Drivers Licenses
Feb 28 2011 // New Mexico’s Senate has rejected Republican-backed proposals to stop the state from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Two measures failed on party-line votes, with 14 Republicans voting to end...
South Carolina Debates Fine for Texting While Driving
Feb 23 2011 // People convicted of texting and driving will have to pay a $45 in fines under legislation that is up for debate in a South Carolina Senate committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee is discussing a measure that requires a...
