Latest Personal Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Personal Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Liability, Safety and Infrastructure Concerns Slow Development of Self-Driving Cars
Nov 5 2020 // Tesla recently made headlines with the beta launch of its Full Self-Driving system. That system comes with a disclaimer saying, “It may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the...
Waymo Issues Self-Driving Car Incident Score Card for Phoenix Area
Oct 30 2020 // Self-driving tech company Waymo, which this month opened its driverless taxi service in the Phoenix suburbs to the public, on Friday said its autonomous vehicles there had been involved in 18 minor incidents since 2019...
NTSB Investigating Tennessee Bus Crash that Killed Child, Driver
Oct 30 2020 // Federal and state authorities on Wednesday investigated a crash between a school bus carrying 24 children and a utility vehicle that killed the bus driver and a 7-year-old girl in eastern Tennessee. Eight other children...
Florida Driving School Suspended for Providing Answers to License Test
Oct 29 2020 // A Florida driving school was suspended after investigators said it was providing correct answers to people taking a written driver license test, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced last...
GM’s Cruise on Top in Consumer Reports Safety Ratings of Driving Assistance Systems
Oct 29 2020 // General Motors Co.’s Super Cruise once again edged Tesla’s Autopilot in an evaluation of 17 vehicles equipped with active driving assistance systems (ADAS) by Consumer Reports, the testing organization said on...
Lawsuit Alleges Uber Uses ‘Biased’ Rider Ratings to Fire Drivers
Oct 27 2020 // Uber Technologies Inc. was accused in a lawsuit of violating the U.S. Civil Rights Act by firing minority drivers based on how they’re rated by customers. “Uber is aware that passengers are prone to...
Safety Regulator Vows to ‘Closely Monitor’ New Tesla Self-Driving Software
Oct 23 2020 // The U.S. auto safety regulator said on Thursday it was closely watching Tesla Inc.’s release of a software version intended to allow its cars to drive themselves, saying it stood ready to protect the public against...
Uber, Lyft Must Reclassify Drivers as Employees, Rules California Appeals Court
Oct 23 2020 // A California appeals court on Thursday unanimously ruled against ride-hailing companies Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., saying they must reclassify their drivers in the state as employees. While the ruling does not...
Self-Driving’s Latest Turn: GM’s Cruise Seeks OK for Cars Without Steering Wheel, Pedals
Oct 22 2020 // Self-driving car maker Cruise said on Wednesday it and majority shareholder General Motors Co. would seek U.S. regulatory approval in coming months to deploy a limited number of Cruise Origin vehicles without steering...
Drunk Driving Arrests in Alabama County Spike During Pandemic
Oct 21 2020 // A spike in drunk driving cases in an Alabama county has led to speculation that the stresses associated with the coronavirus pandemic may be behind the increase. Morgan County sheriff’s spokesman Mike Swafford said...
Uber Driver in Arizona Fired Gun, Injured Passenger
Oct 13 2020 // Authorities say an Uber driver has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun and injuring one of his passengers following an argument. Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials say 60-year-old Peter Caso was booked into...
Crisis Within a Crisis: How COVID-19 Is Driving the Opioid Epidemic
Oct 13 2020 // While the current national health conversation has largely centered on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. alone and more than a million worldwide according to recent World...
Kansas Man Sues Trucking Firm, Driver Over Crash That Killed Wife, 4 Children
Oct 12 2020 // A Kansas man is suing a over a crash that killed his wife, three of his children and his stepdaughter. Jeffrey Williams, of Viola, is seeking more than $75,000 in damages in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Andrew...
Georgia Begins Weeklong Crackdown on Distracted Driving
Oct 5 2020 // In an effort to get drivers to keep their eyes on the road while they’re behind the wheel, law enforcement officers in Georgia plan to participate in a statewide crackdown on distracted driving. State and local...
Uber, Lyft Seeking to Kill California Law App-Based Drivers
Oct 1 2020 // Californians are being asked decide if Uber, Lyft and other app-based drivers should remain independent contractors or be eligible for the benefits that come with being company employees. The battle between the powerhouses...
Grace Period Winding Down for Expired Michigan Driver’s Licenses
Sep 29 2020 // Time is running out for Michigan residents who have waited to renew their driver’s license or vehicle registration during the coronavirus pandemic. Anyone with an expiration date after March 1 were given a long grace...
City in Kansas Settles With Black Driver Shot by Rookie Officer
Sep 29 2020 // The city of Lawrence, Kan., has agreed to pay $80,000 to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by a Black man who was shot by a rookie police officer in 2018 during a traffic stop. Akira Lewis sued the city, two...
Congress Parks Self-Driving Car Regulation Until 2021
Sep 24 2020 // The U.S. Congress will try again in 2021 to try to approve long-stalled reforms to speed the adoption of self-driving cars, a key Democratic lawmaker said Wednesday. U.S. lawmakers have been divided for years over how to...
Uber Backup Driver Faces Homicide Charges in Fatal 2018 Arizona Crash
Sep 16 2020 // The back-up safety driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber Technologies test vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018 was charged with negligent homicide, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Rafael...
Kentucky Police Road Safety Campaign Targets Aggressive Drivers
Sep 9 2020 // Police are looking for aggressive drivers in Kentucky over the next few weeks. Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division launched the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks Campaign on Sept. 2. Officers...
