Latest Auto Headlines

All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Rideshare Drivers Take ‘Huge Risk’ with Personal Auto Coverage: GEICO

Apr 17 2017 // You are a driver for a transportation network company and then the unfortunate happens. Someone sideswipes your vehicle. In the chaotic moments after the accident, a question about your personal auto insurance coverage...

Feds Say Chemical Cloud in Kansas Caused by Human Error, Labeling

Apr 17 2017 // Human error and labeling and design problems led to the release of a large chemical cloud over a northeast Kansas city that sent more than 140 people to the hospital last year and caused others to stay indoors or evacuate...

North Carolina Regulator Calls 13.8% Auto Rate Hike Unwarranted

Apr 17 2017 // The North Carolina Rate Bureau’s request for an auto rate hike of 13.8 percent is not justified based on the data submitted, according to a statement from the North Carolina Department of Insurance.The decision, made...

Worldwide Facilities Adds Coverage Suite for Autonomous Vehicle Industry

Apr 12 2017 // Worldwide Facilities is has added commercial auto liability, physical damage, and inland marine coverages for autonomous vehicle manufacturers, research and development firms, and component parts manufacturers, including...

Heffernan Acquires National Truck Services Group in Arizona

Apr 11 2017 // Heffernan Insurance Brokers has acquired the assets of Phoenix, Ariz.-based National Truck Services Group. The NTSG leadership personnel, AJ Planeta, sales manager, and Kathy Herter commercial lines manager, will oversee...

UK Car Premiums Rise by 16% to $949 with More Pain Ahead: Willis Towers Watson, Confused.com

Apr 11 2017 // U.K. car insurance premiums rose 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2017, with motorists now paying an average of £781 ($949), which is £110 ($134), or 16 percent, higher than average premiums paid in the same period...

Price Digests Introduces Vehicle API Developed Exclusively for Insurance and Finance Industries

Apr 11 2017 // Atlanta, GA, April 11, 2017– Price Digests, the leading asset data provider to the commercial insurance and equipment finance industries, today announced a new API platform to power the next generation of vehicle...

Uber Scoffs at Google Spinoff’s Claims in Self-Driving Car Case

Apr 10 2017 // Uber is scoffing at claims that its expansion into self-driving cars hinges on trade secrets stolen from a Google spinoff, arguing that its ride-hailing service has been working on potentially superior technology.The legal...

ProPublica, Consumer Reports Hit Back, Cite ‘Errors’ in Industry Criticism of Their Auto Insurance Report

Apr 7 2017 // ProPublica and Consumer Reports have issued a response to the opinion column by Insurance Information Institute’s James Lynch criticizing their report, Minority Neighborhoods Pay Higher Car Insurance Premiums Than...

Delaware Bill to Nix Use of Age, Credit for Auto Premiums Stalls

Apr 7 2017 // Legislation to prevent insurers from using age and credit scores in setting automobile insurance rates has stalled amid opposition from industry groups.The bill, tabled in committee Wednesday, prohibits the use of age,...

Auto-Owners and Concord General Mutual Insurance Affiliation Approved

Apr 6 2017 // Auto-Owners Insurance and Concord General Mutual Insurance have announced that their affiliation has been approved, effective April 1, 2017, by policyholders and all regulatory bodies.Auto-Owners is a Lansing,...

I.I.I.: Why ProPublica Auto Insurance Report Is Inaccurate, Unfair and Irresponsible

Apr 5 2017 // It looks like ProPublica failed its first actuarial exam.The renowned investigative journalism website has, along with Consumer Reports magazine, published reports that auto insurers systematically charge unfairly high...

ProPublica Report Alleges Auto Insurers Overcharge Minorities

Apr 5 2017 // A new report published by ProPublica accuses the auto insurance industry of pricing discrimination against minorities.The report, titled Minority Neighborhoods Pay Higher Car Insurance Premiums Than White Areas with the...

Mercedes’ Parent, Daimler, Partners with Bosch to Develop ‘Robo-Taxis’

Apr 4 2017 // Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler and supplier Robert Bosch are teaming up to develop self-driving cars in an alliance aimed at accelerating the production of “robo-taxis.”The pact between the world’s largest...

Driver of Truck in Texas Bus Crash Admits Texting Behind the Wheel

Apr 3 2017 // A witness says the driver of a pickup truck that collided with a church minibus in rural Texas, killing 13 people, acknowledged he had been texting while driving — highlighting the dangers of sending messages on...

Michigan’s Auto Insurance Fee for Catastrophic Injuries Rising to $170

Apr 3 2017 // The annual auto insurance fee Michigan drivers pay toward caring for people catastrophically injured in crashes is rising to $170, a $10 increase. The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association announced the new per-car...

California Road Plan Calls for Boosting Gas Tax, Vehicle Fees

Mar 31 2017 // California Gov. Jerry Brown and fellow Democrats who control the state Legislature are proposing to raise $52.4 billion over 10 years by significantly boosting fuel taxes and vehicle fees.The money would go toward fixing a...

Personal Auto Rate Hikes Not Keeping Up with Losses: Fitch

Mar 30 2017 // U.S. personal auto underwriters increased premium rates “significantly” in 2016. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t enough.Loss trends are still outpacing rate changes. Also, the U.S. P/C industry...

Police Report on Uber Self-Driving Car Crash Tells Complex Tale

Mar 30 2017 // A recent crash involving an Uber Technologies Inc. driverless car suggests autonomous software sometimes takes the same risks as the humans it may one day replace.The accident on Friday in Tempe, Arizona, caused no major...

Self-Driving Car Crash in Arizona A Reminder about Regulation Challenges

Mar 29 2017 // A crash that caused an Uber self-driving SUV to flip onto its side in a Phoenix suburb serves as a stark reminder of the challenges surrounding autonomous vehicles in Arizona, a state that has gone all-in to entice the...