Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

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 jail...

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 officers,...

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...

South Carolina to Require Vision Tests to Renew Driver’s Licenses

Sep 9 2020 // South Carolina residents looking to renew their driver’s license will face changes in the requirements beginning in October.In a news release last week, the Department of Motor Vehicles said drivers will be required...

Trump Administration Eyes Pilot Program for 18-Year Old Interstate Truck Drivers

Sep 8 2020 // An 18-year-old can’t buy a beer in most U.S. states, but pretty soon he or she may be able to drive a commercial truck across state lines — and that has safety advocates alarmed.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety...

Uber Vows Better Disclosure of Safety Data on Self-Driving Cars

Aug 31 2020 // Uber Technologies Inc. vowed to make public more safety information regarding its self-driving cars after the National Transportation Safety Board placed partial blame for a fatal 2018 crash on the company’s...

New Jersey Driver Accused of Texting Gets Prison in Pedestrian’s Death

Aug 27 2020 // A New Jersey woman has been sentenced to five years in prison in the death of a pedestrian that prosecutors said occurred as the driver was texting – an accusation the defendant denied on the stand.Alexandra...

Pandemic Boosted Personal Auto Insurers’ Profits in the Short-Term

Aug 24 2020 // As bad as the coronavirus pandemic has been for many insurance lines, personal automobile profits have soared thanks to reduced driving, as quarantines and shelter-at-home restrictions took hold across the United States...

Pandemic Boosted Personal Auto Insurers’ Profits in the Short-Term

Aug 17 2020 // As bad as the coronavirus pandemic has been for many insurance lines, personal automobile profits have soared thanks to reduced driving, as quarantines and shelter-at-home restrictions took hold across the United States...

Uber and Lyft Lose Bid to Delay California Driver Injunction

Aug 13 2020 // A California judge on Thursday refused to give Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. more time to appeal his decision forcing them to classify drivers in that state as employees, which they have said would necessitate...