Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

U.S. Lags Europe in Driver Assist Technology Safety Testing

Mar 2 2020 // Autopilot, Super Cruise and Drive Pilot are different names given to technology that automates steering and braking in a growing number of vehicles, but none of it can safely “pilot” cars without regular human...

Agency M&As: Private Equity Still in Driver’s Seat; Digital Agencies Attract Attention

Mar 2 2020 // The private equity bandwagon continued to roll through the insurance agency and brokerage mergers and acquisitions territory in 2019. As many as two-thirds of all deals involved private equity, according to experts. Most...

Reckless Drivers Could Lose Vehicles Under New NYC Law

Feb 28 2020 // New York City drivers who get five camera-issued red light tickets or 15 camera-issued speeding tickets in a 12-month period will have to take a traffic safety course or risk losing their vehicles under a bill signed by...

Self-Driving EasyMile Shuttles Suspended After Passenger Injury in Ohio

Feb 26 2020 // U.S. vehicle safety regulators on Feb. 25 said they had ordered a suspension of passenger operations for 16 autonomous shuttles operated by France-based EasyMile after a passenger was injured in an unexplained braking...

Parents in South Dakota Plead for Tougher Texting While Driving Penalties

Feb 24 2020 // Jacob William Dahl was a 19-year-old Northern State University student when he was killed after running into the back of a soybean truck while looking at his cellphone.Dahl, a 2013 graduate of Castlewood High School, was...

Deer Sent Flying by Car Crashed into 2nd Car, Killing Driver

Feb 24 2020 // A deer sent flying when it was hit by a car in southeast Iowa crashed through the window of a second car, killing its driver, the Iowa State Patrol said. The accident occurred a little after 7 p.m. Wednesday on Iowa...

Hold the Phone: Massachusetts’ Hands-Free Driving Law to Take Effect

Feb 21 2020 // Massachusetts’ new hands-free driving law takes effect this Sunday, February 23rd.The law, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in November, is intended to reduce the number of distracted driving injuries and deaths in...

Ohio Bill Would Make Using Hand-Held Device While Driving a Primary Offense

Feb 19 2020 // A new bill introduced in Ohio would strengthen Ohio’s laws regarding the use of wireless devices, including smartphones, while driving.The Hands-Free Ohio bill, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Kunze (R-Hilliard) and Sen....

The State of Autonomous Driving: Shuttles vs. Moonshots in Big Stakes Race

Feb 19 2020 // May Mobility Inc.’s boxy white-and-green self-driving shuttle pulls up to a damp corner in downtown Detroit. Its big doors swing out revealing a safety driver and six seats that face each other. It’s more...

Five Sue Driver of Trash Truck Struck by GOP Train in 2018

Feb 13 2020 // Two years after a train carrying Republican members of Congress collided with a garbage truck, five passengers have filed lawsuits against the driver, trash company and train conductor.Dana Naylor Jr., 32, was acquitted of...

Safety Probe Finds Tesla Driver Killed in Crash Reported Prior Autopilot Problems

Feb 12 2020 // A Tesla driver killed in a March 2018 crash in California while using the Autopilot driver-assistance system had reported that on prior trips, the car had steered away from the highway, the National Transportation Safety...

House Panel to Hold Hearing to Advance Rules on Self-Driving Vehicles

Feb 10 2020 // A U.S. House panel will hold a hearing Tuesday on autonomous vehicles as lawmakers try to hammer out legislation to advance self-driving cars.An Energy and Commerce subcommittee overseeing automotive issues will hear from...

Private Equity Still Driving Agency M&As

Feb 10 2020 // Digital Buys Getting Some Attention; Buyers Getting Bigger; Prices Going Higher; Eyes on DigitalThe private equity bandwagon continued to roll through the insurance agency and brokerage mergers and acquisitions territory...

Michigan Launching Program to Educate Drivers About Auto Insurance Changes

Feb 7 2020 // Michigan’s top insurance regulator said the state is committed to helping drivers navigate a new law that will let motorists save money by foregoing unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries.The state Department...

Challenge Up Ahead: Building a Morally Ethical Self-Driving Car: Viewpoint

Feb 6 2020 // Not too long ago, tech enthusiasts were telling us that by 2020, we’d see self-driving cars hit the mainstream, with some 10 million on the roads. That turned out to be a wild overestimation. The actual number of...

Uber Wins Ruling That Drivers Are Not Employees in Brazil, Its 2d Biggest Market

Feb 6 2020 // A Brazilian higher court for labor ruled on Wednesday that there was no employment relationship between Uber and its drivers, siding with the ride-hailing company against a Sao Paulo driver.The federal judge in Brasilia...

Driver Dies, Passengers Injured in Ohio Church Bus Crash

Feb 4 2020 // A church bus and an SUV crashed on Feb. 2 in Ohio, and the bus driver died, the State Highway Patrol said.The patrol’s Lebanon post reported the crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Dixie Highway in Warren...

Waymo: Self-Driving Vehicle That Crashed in Arizona in Manual Mode, Wamo says

Feb 3 2020 // A Waymo self-driving minivan operating in manual mode was involved in a rear-end collision in a Phoenix suburb caused by a sedan’s reckless driving, the company said Friday.The collision occurred late Thursday night...

South Carolina Senate Nixes Bill to Ban Handheld Phones While Driving

Feb 3 2020 // It appears that bill in South Carolina requiring anyone using a cellphone while driving to not hold the phone in their hands will not pass this year.The Senate Transportation Committee decided Wednesday to not vote on the...

TDI to Insurers: Compliance with Temporary Vehicle Coverage Provisions Required

Jan 28 2020 // The Texas Department of Insurance has reminded carriers that provide personal auto insurance in the state about the need to comply with new temporary vehicle coverage provisions contained in House Bill 3420.HB 3420, passed...