Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

South Carolina Hands-Free Driving Bill Advances in State Legislature

Feb 4 2019 // A bill banning drivers in South Carolina from holding cellphones in their hands passed its first hurdle.The proposal would fine drivers $200 for using a cellphone or other electronic device in their hands. Drivers could...

Big 3 Drive Personal Auto Insurance Recovery;

Feb 4 2019 // Signs of Rate Hike Fatigue AheadSteady improvement for U.S. personal auto insurance companies has culminated in the sector’s best underwriting performance in 10 years, according to Fitch Ratings in a report. The...

Southeast Officials Focus on Curbing Fraud, Rising Auto Rates, Flood Insurance, Distracted Driving

Jan 29 2019 // For the seventh year in a row, the Florida insurance industry, regulators, and consumer advocates will push for reforms to the state’s assignment of benefits issue that has now become an insurance crisis, according...

How Cell Phone Use While Driving Is Changing

Jan 28 2019 // Manipulating a cellphone was a contributing factor in more than 800 crash deaths on U.S. roads during 2017 amid a marked increase in the percentage of drivers observed interacting with cellphones, new research by the...

Missouri Third-Worst State for Driver Safety Laws, Report Says

Jan 24 2019 // A new report ranks Missouri near the bottom of all states for driver safety laws, at a time when distracted driving is happening at a high rate.Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a national roadway safety coalition,...

Mass. SJC Says Police Can Make Drugged Driving Arrest Based on Observations

Jan 17 2019 // The Massachusetts Supreme Court has ruled that a state police officer was justified in arresting a suspect for driving under the influence of marijuana based on the officer’s observations of the driver’s...

Big 3 Drive Personal Auto Insurance Recovery; Signs of Rate Hike Fatigue Ahead

Jan 16 2019 // Steady improvement for U.S. personal auto insurance companies has culminated in the sector’s best underwriting performance in 10 years, according to Fitch Ratings in a report.The market improvement was driven by the...

2019 Cyber Insurance Predictions: Strong Drivers for Growth Ahead

Jan 15 2019 // Cyber insurance is trending upward, the industry is growing, and the technology around it is evolving at a very quick pace. While predictions are always hard to make, here are five trends that are likely to catapult the...

Medical Marijuana Patients Admit Driving While Under Influence

Jan 9 2019 // More than half of people who take medical cannabis for chronic pain say they’ve driven under the influence of cannabis within two hours of using it, at least once in the last six months, according to a new study.One...

Safety Sharing Economy: Toyota Offers Its Driver Assistance Technology to Competitors

Jan 8 2019 // Toyota Motor Corp. — in an unusual move for the cut-throat car business — has decided to share with rivals an automated safety system that uses self-driving technology to keep cars from crashing.The system,...

Southeast Officials Focus on Curbing Fraud, Rising Auto Rates, Flood Insurance, and Distracted Driving

Jan 7 2019 // For the seventh year in a row, the Florida insurance industry, regulators, and consumer advocates will push for reforms to the state’s assignment of benefits issue that has now become an insurance crisis, according...

State Laws to Curb Drivers’ Use of Cell Phones Appear to Be Saving Lives of Motorcyclists

Jan 7 2019 // Laws to ban or curb drivers’ use of cell phones and other handheld devices have greatly reduced the rate of fatalities for motorcyclists.States with moderate to strong bans have motorcycle fatality rates that differ...

Midwest Legislative Priorities Include No-Fault Auto, Distracted Driving, Contractor Fraud, Tort Reform

Jan 7 2019 // With some of the highest auto insurance rates in the nation, Michigan’s no-fault insurance laws — much maligned by the insurance industry and business interests — are sure to be a target for legislative...

Idaho Law Requiring Drunk Drivers to Use Interlock Takes Effect

Jan 3 2019 // An Idaho law has gone into effect that requires ignition interlock devices to be installed on the vehicles of first-time convicted drunken drivers.Beginning Jan. 1, all first-time DUI offenders were required to have the...

Uber Pledges to Fight UK Court Decision that Drivers Should Be Treated as Workers

Dec 27 2018 // Uber pledged [on Dec. 19] to challenge a U.K. Court of Appeal decision that drivers should be classed as workers rather than self-employed employees, a verdict that has potentially wide-ranging implications for the rapidly...

Intoxicated Drivers Beware: Texas Troopers Are on the Lookout

Dec 21 2018 // Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers, along with other law enforcement agencies, will once again increase their patrols on the state’s roadways this holiday season, the Insurance Council of Texas...

Pennsylvania Says Uber Can Resume Self-Driving Car Testing on Public Roads

Dec 19 2018 // Uber Technologies Inc received approval from Pennsylvania to resume self-driving car testing on public roads this week, state records show, nine months after it suspended the program following a deadly accident in...

U.S. Drivers Sue Hyundai, Kia Over Car Engine Fires

Dec 17 2018 // Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. were sued by U.S. drivers over an alleged defect that could cause certain engines to catch fire, adding pressure on the South Korean automakers being probed by U.S. authorities.More...

A Cautious Uber to Try Self-Driving Vehicles on Roads Again

Dec 17 2018 // Uber Technologies Inc. is plotting the return of its self-driving cars, but the company known for its hard-charging style is taking a much more conservative approach as it tries to recover from a fatal accident that...

Attorneys for Wrong-Way Arizona Driver Blame Agency for Crash, Injuries

Dec 11 2018 // Attorneys for a wrong-way driver say an Arizona Department of Public Safety sergeant is responsible for a crash that injured the driver and the sergeant.Patricia Carvalho is facing charges of attempted homicide, aggravated...