Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

Gov.: Care for Injured Drivers in Michigan Will ‘Still Be There’ After Insurance Overhaul

May 30 2019 // Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on May 28 defended a pending overhaul of the state’s auto insurance law, saying treatment for injured drivers will “still be there” if they forego what has been a...

Colorado Governor Signs Bill Increasing Immigrant Driver’s License Locations

May 30 2019 // A bill increasing the number of locations where Colorado residents who are in the country illegally can obtain driver’s licenses has become law.Gov. Jared Polis signed the legislation on Tuesday. Farming, dairy and...

Driver Involved in Washington Duck Boat Crash Gets $2M Settlement

May 28 2019 // The driver of a duck boat vehicle in the 2015 deadly crash in Seattle has accepted a $2 million settlement for his claims against the tour company.SeattlePI.com reports Eric Bishop announced the settlement Friday in...

Report Says Many New York City Uber, Lyft Drivers Fail to Respond to Recalls

May 23 2019 // One out of six Uber and Lyft drivers in the New York City and Seattle areas are driving vehicles with outstanding recalls, according to Consumer Reports.But taking a taxi or limousine isn’t necessarily a safer...

New Mexico Mayor’s Plan Would Bill Drivers for Emergency Costs

May 21 2019 // A New Mexico mayor has proposed billing drivers involved in car accidents resulting in hazardous material cleanup or victim extractions.The Albuquerque Journal reported that Mayor Tim Keller’s budget proposal for...

Michigan Governor Not in Favor of Zero Coverage Option for Drivers

May 20 2019 // Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she opposes Republicans’ proposal to let drivers fully forgo mandatory, unlimited medical benefits covered by their auto insurance premiums, saying she must “draw a...

Florida Gov Signs Bill Making Texting While Driving Primary Offense

May 20 2019 // Florida will become one of the last states to make texting while driving a primary traffic offense under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday.The new law will also ban the use of any handheld wireless...

Ohio Launches Campaign Urging Safety Belt Use by Drivers

May 17 2019 // The Ohio State Highway Patrol has begun a campaign urging Ohio motorists to wear their safety belts.The patrol says troopers will be encouraging drivers to “buckle up” to save lives. A statement released by the...

Lawsuit Says Utah Bus Driver Was Sick, Tired Before Fatal Crash

May 17 2019 // A Greyhound driver who authorities say fell asleep before the bus careened off a road in the Utah desert two years ago was tired, sick and should never have been behind the wheel, according to a new lawsuit over the crash...

Kansas Supreme Court: Bars Can’t Be Sued by Drunken Driving Victims

May 15 2019 // The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld a 34-year-old rule that prohibits victims injured by drunken drivers from suing the bars that served them.The high court’s ruling on May 10 came in the case of Jeff Kudlacik, who...

National Labor Board Memo Says Uber Drivers Are Contractors, Not Employees

May 15 2019 // Drivers for ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. are independent contractors and not employees, the general counsel of a U.S. labor agency has concluded, in an advisory memo that is likely to carry significant...

Uber May Rethink Litigation Avoidance Plan as 60,000 Drivers File Arbitration Demands

May 8 2019 // For Uber Technologies Inc., using legal arbitration to deal with driver compensation complaints — over anything from pay to overtime to mileage reimbursement — seemed like the smart play: it would preclude...

Tennessee Passes Bill Allowing Drivers with Unpaid Court Debt to Keep Licenses

May 7 2019 // Tennessee lawmakers have signed off on legislation that would prevent the state from revoking or suspending driver’s licenses over unpaid court costs.The Senate on Tuesday advanced a proposal allowing people to still...

Tennessee Approves Ban on Handheld Phones While Driving

May 3 2019 // Gov. Bill Lee will decide whether Tennessee will ban the use of handheld electronic devices, including cellphones, while driving.The Senate voted 23-7 on Tuesday to send Lee the bill. The House previously cleared it in a...

Michigan Governor Orders Study of Insurers’ Use of Non-Driving Rating Factors

May 2 2019 // Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered a review of how Michigan’s auto insurers use non-driving factors such as education and credit scores to set premiums that rank among the nation’s highest.The Democrat’s...

Florida Lawmakers Pass Text While Driving Ban, Hands-Free Requirement

May 1 2019 // The Florida House on Monday passed a compromise bill that would make texting while driving a primary offense, as well as create a hands-free area within school zones and construction zones where workers are present.The...

Council Formed with Goal of Changing Ohio’s Distracted Driving Culture

Apr 29 2019 // Gov. Mike DeWine says a newly formed council will develop a plan to change the distracted driving culture in Ohio. The Republican governor this week announced creation of the Distracted Driving Advisory Council. The...

Getting Americans to Stop Using Phones While Driving

Apr 29 2019 // The distracted driving report by Zendrive, a traffic-data startup, makes it clearer and clearer each year that millions of Americans can’t stop themselves from talking, texting and livestreaming—yes, even using...

Florida Senate Passes Texting While Driving Ban

Apr 29 2019 // Texting while driving would become a primary traffic offense along with talking on a handheld cellphone in school and construction zones under a bill passed by the Florida Senate.The Senate’s 33-5 vote on Thursday...

Arizona Becomes 48th State with Cellphone-Driving Law

Apr 25 2019 // Arizona ended a decade of resistance to restrictions on using a cellphone while driving when Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law this week outlawing holding a phone behind the wheel.It is now the 48th state to ban texting and the...