Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

Cellphone While Driving Ban Goes into Effect in Idaho

Jun 30 2020 // Effective July 1 using a handheld phone while operating a moving motor vehicle in Idaho is prohibited.Idaho drivers will receive warnings until Jan. 1, 2021. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association is...

Phone Use While Driving a 1st Offence in South Dakota on July 1

Jun 30 2020 // Drivers in South Dakota who use their cellphones can be pulled over and ticketed purely for that offense starting July 1.A new state law taking effect July 1 makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to use a cellphone while driving...

Car Crashes Became Deadlier During Lockdowns Across Globe: Reuters Insight

Jun 30 2020 // LONDON – Coronavirus lockdowns led to huge reductions in traffic and fewer car crashes this spring, but as drivers sped up on quieter roads, the collisions became deadlier in several cities, a Reuters analysis...

Insurance Dept: Required Premium Relief Has Saved California Drivers $1.2B

Jun 30 2020 // California automobile insurance companies have agreed to provide $1.21 billion in savings to drivers, the state insurance department says.Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in May issued an order requiring insurers to...

Starting July 2, Michigan Drivers Will Have New Insurance Choices

Jun 29 2020 // Michigan drivers who renew or buy car insurance face a choice starting July 2: stick with unlimited medical coverage, go with less or — for seniors with Medicare — opt out entirely.The decision, a signature feature of...

Canada’s Supreme Court Allows Class Action Seeking Employee Status for Uber Drivers

Jun 26 2020 // OTTAWA— Canada’s Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a driver in a gig economy case that paves the way for a class action suit calling for Uber Technologies Inc. to recognize drivers in Canada as company...

California Wants Judge to Force Uber, Lyft to Classify Drivers as Employees

Jun 25 2020 // California plans to ask a state court judge to force Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. to classify their ride-hail drivers as employees rather than contractors, ratcheting up the tension over a new gig worker law.Shares...

Wisconsin to Insurers: Give Restaurants 10-Day Notice on Expiring Delivery Coverage

Jun 22 2020 // Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable has asked insurers that provided coverage under personal auto policies for food delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic to help restaurants by giving the businesses at...

Michigan’s No-Penalty Amnesty Period for Uninsured Drivers Starts July 2

Jun 15 2020 // Beginning July 2, uninsured drivers in Michigan can get insurance coverage without facing penalties during an 18-month amnesty period, state insurance regulators say.The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial...

Massachusetts’ Safety Insurance Extends Personal Auto Relief Credit

Jun 12 2020 // Safety Insurance has extended its Personal Auto Relief Credit through June 30 to reflect changing consumer patterns and needs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a company press release.The original credit...

California Regulator Says Uber, Lyft Drivers Are Employees

Jun 11 2020 // Drivers working for ride-hailing services such as Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc will be considered employees under California’s new gig worker law, the state’s leading industry regulator said on...

Driving Hasn’t Found Its New Normal Yet: Opinion

May 28 2020 // Memorial Day weekend, the typical start of the U.S. summer driving season, has come and gone. Data on just how much driving Americans did is trickling in, and it’s a bit noisy. Apple mobility trends show searches for...

Car Crashes into Closed Pennsylvania Convenience Store

May 19 2020 // A car slammed into a convenience store in western Pennsylvania, killing one woman and injuring two others, authorities said.The car was traveling down Dwellington Drive in Middlesex Township when it crashed into a closed...

Buckle Adds Delivery Coverage During Pandemic for Georgia Rideshare Drivers

May 18 2020 // Buckle, a technology-driven financial services company, has been granted temporary approval to add insurance coverage to its rideshare driver members’ policies for the delivery of food, household supplies, and other...

After Criticism, Georgia to Require Road Test of Teen Drivers After All

May 15 2020 // Psych!Thousands of teens in Georgia who got their driver’s licenses without having to take a road test during the coronavirus pandemic will now be required to take one after all. Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive...

Georgia Allows Teen Drivers to Bypass Road Test During Pandemic

May 11 2020 // Thousands of teens in Georgia don’t have to take a road test to get their driver’s licenses during the coronavirus pandemic, under an executive order signed by the governor.Teens between the ages of 16 and 18...

Texas Seeks Comments on Proposed Rule Prohibiting Named Driver Policies

May 8 2020 // The Texas Department of Insurance is accepting comments on a newly posted rule proposal that repeals and amends requirements for the delivery or renewal of named driver automobile policies. This rule implements HB 259,...

Progressive Q1 Results Reflect ‘Significant Impact’ from Coronavirus, Restrictions

May 7 2020 // The Progressive Corp. said its results for the first quarter were “significantly impacted” by the spread of the coronavirus and social distancing and shelter-in-place restrictions. Despite a 30% increase in...

Allstate Credits Risk Management During Q1; Eyes Second Coronavirus Driver Refund

May 6 2020 // Allstate Corp. reported that its adjusted net income rose 47% in the first quarter to $1.14 billion, a jump of 47%, thanks to higher underwriting income and lower catastrophe costs, compared with the quarter one year ago....

Some Michigan Drivers Could See Big Drop in Insurance Rates with New Law

May 5 2020 // Michigan’s new auto insurance no-fault law, passed in May 2019, does not take effect until July 2, but the state’s governor and insurance regulators say recently approved insurer rate filings already show that...