Latest Personal Auto Headlines

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

Uber Drivers Are Not Employees Under Federal Law, Judge Rules

Apr 13 2018 // A U.S. judge in Philadelphia has ruled that limousine drivers for Uber Technologies Inc. are independent contractors and not the company’s employees under federal law, the first ruling of its kind on a crucial issue...

Tesla Insists Driver to Blame for Fatal Crash; Family Hires Lawyer

Apr 12 2018 // Tesla Inc. again placed blame for a fatal crash involving a Model X last month on the driver as the man’s family hires a firm to explore legal options.The March 23 death of Walter Huang happened on a clear day, with...

Police: GPS Failed to Warn Bus Driver Before New York Overpass Crash

Apr 11 2018 // The out-of-state driver of a charter bus full of high school students that crashed into a low-hanging overpass on a Long Island parkway was using a non-commercial GPS device that didn’t warn him about the hazard in...

State-by-State Study Shows Drivers Are Texting More Despite Bans

Apr 10 2018 // If you’re driving right now, it’s far more likely you are reading this on your phone than you would have been a year ago.Despite a harrowing surge in traffic fatalities, American drivers appear to be getting...

Rhode Island Monitoring App Could Save Drivers on Car Insurance

Apr 10 2018 // A new auto insurance company in Rhode Island is rewarding drivers with cheaper rates based off how they drive.The catch is that policyholders have to allow HiRoad Assurance Company to track them in a cellphone app. The...

Judge Dismisses State Farm Car Crash Suit Against Mississippi U.S. Senate Appointee

Apr 10 2018 // A lawsuit against U.S. Senate appointee Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi has been permanently dismissed.The Daily Leader reports Mississippi Circuit Judge David Strong dismissed the case with prejudice April 3. That means...

Staged Car Crashes in South Carolina a Growing Problem

Apr 2 2018 // Officials in South Carolina say a rising number of staged automobile crashes are becoming a problem in the state.The Post and Courier of Charleston cited authorities who said faked crashes were part of a scam that resulted...

More Relatives of Victim of Uber Driverless Car Crash Hire Lawyer

Apr 1 2018 // More family members of a woman killed by an Uber Technologies Inc. self-driving vehicle have hired legal counsel, indicating the ride services firm’s legal problems may not be over in the first fatality caused by an...

Arizona Governor Halts Uber’s Self-Driving Car Testing

Mar 27 2018 // The governor of Arizona has suspended Uber’s ability to test self-driving cars on public roads in the state following a fatal crash last week that killed a 49-year-old pedestrian.The decision to block Uber...

More than 50,000 British Drivers Initiate ‘Dieselgate’ Suit Against VW

Mar 27 2018 // Lawyers for more than 50,000 British car owners kicked off a lawsuit against Volkswagen in London’s High Court on Tuesday in a battle for compensation over a diesel emissions scandal that has engulfed Europe’s...

Georgia Close to Passing Distracted Driving Bill

Mar 27 2018 // Georgia is one step closer to joining 15 other states that have already made it illegal to hold a cellphone while driving.By a non-unanimous voice vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a bill by...

Chinese Tech Giant Baidu to Test Self-Driving Cars in Beijing

Mar 23 2018 // China’s capital city has given the green light to tech giant Baidu Inc to test self-driving cars on city streets, an important step as the country looks to bolster its position in the global race for autonomous...

Uber’s Self-Driving Cars Insured by Old Republic

Mar 22 2018 // Old Republic International Corp., the Chicago-based insurer, provides commercial liability coverage of as much as $5 million for each of Uber Technologies Inc.’s self-driving vehicles.The policy covers bodily injury,...

Driving in Snow: Difficult for Humans and Driverless Cars

Mar 22 2018 // A Canadian town known for its annual theater festival is emerging as a hub of “snowtonomous” research, as automakers face demands to produce self-driving cars that can perform in snow and sleet.But testing...

Arizona Sees No Need to Tighten Rules on Self-Driving Cars After Uber Fatality

Mar 21 2018 // Arizona officials said on Tuesday they saw no immediate need to tighten rules on the testing of self-driving cars in the state in reaction to a fatal accident involving an Uber autonomous vehicle that has focused attention...

NuTonomy Temporarily Halts Self-Driving Tests After Boston Asks

Mar 21 2018 // Self-driving startup NuTonomy halted its pilot tests on Boston’s public roads after city officials requested a pause following the death of a pedestrian struck by a self-driving Uber Technologies Inc. vehicle in...

Uber Drivers in Turkey Fear for Lives After Alleged Attacks by Traditional Cab Drivers

Mar 20 2018 // An Uber driver keeps a metal rod close at hand during his daily drives through Istanbul.Alarmed by violent attacks in recent weeks allegedly carried out by angry yellow cab drivers who want Turkey to ban the ride-hailing...

Rideshare Drivers Flocking to On-Demand Economy, Poll Shows

Mar 16 2018 // First there was the sharing economy, and then the gig economy. Now the buzz phrase to pay attention to may be “on-demand.”The on-demand economy, according to TheOnDemandEconomy.org, is defined as the economic...

Women Suing Uber Claiming Driver Sexual Misconduct Fight Arbitration

Mar 16 2018 // Women suing Uber Technologies Inc. over claims that it’s failed to protect thousands of passengers from sexual misconduct by drivers are fighting back against the ride-hailing giant’s move to force them into...

In 5 States, 20% or More of Drivers Have No Insurance; Countrywide Average Increases

Mar 15 2018 // Nearly one in eight U.S. motorists is driving around uninsured and putting insured drivers at greater risk in the event of an auto accident, according to a study.The study, directed by the Insurance Research Council (IRC)...