Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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 country....
E&O Insights: Common Auto, Homeowners Errors
Mar 7 2011 // When dissecting Errors & Omissions claims frequency, it is apparent there is real E&O exposure for agencies writing personal auto and/or homeowners coverage. The latest reports show that 25 percent to 30 percent of...
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...
Litigation, Investigation Fears Driving Up D&O Insurance Limits
Feb 22 2011 // Directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance is gaining traction as more companies are increasing their D&O liability limits and a growing number with international operations are also purchasing D&O...
New Mexico Rep Wants to Eliminate Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
Feb 15 2011 // New Mexico Rep. Andy Nunez, I-Hatch, has introduced a bill to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses. Currently, to obtain a driver’s license in the state, an applicant just needs a social...
New York Drivers Will Get Points for Talking on Cell Phones
Feb 15 2011 // Beginning tomorrow, 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. The New York Department of Motor...
In Future, Cars Might Decide if Driver is Drunk
Feb 7 2011 // An alcohol-detection prototype that uses automatic sensors to instantly gauge a driver’s fitness to be on the road has the potential to save thousands of lives, but could be as long as a decade away from everyday use...
More Than Half of Car Crashes Involve Teen Drivers
Feb 7 2011 // The impact of teen driver crashes extends beyond teen drivers’ families and friends, says a new report. In 2008, 681,000 people were involved in crashes where a teen driver was behind the wheel. More than 40,000 were...
