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Category Archives: insurance
NHTSA – 31 Second Consumer Alert on Vehicle Theft
“Each year, vehicle theft costs Americans more than $8 billion. Victims are left handling the aftermath, such as higher insurance premiums and vehicle depreciation if they’re lucky enough to get their vehicle back. More than 1 million vehicles were stolen in 2023, a 25% increase in vehicle thefts over the previous few years,” NHTSA said. Continue reading
Kia and Hyundai Models Have Highest Theft Rates in 2023
Kia and Hyundai vehicles experienced the highest theft rates in 2023, breaking the years-long trend of full-size pickups topping the list, according to a new report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Social media posts explaining how to steal these vehicles likely played a factor in the latest data.
“These rankings highlight the persistent threat of vehicle theft across the country,” said NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe. “NICB works with law enforcement agencies and industry partners to deploy advanced technologies and strategies to combat vehicle theft from organized criminal networks and individuals. Even as we work to deter crime, it is crucial for owners to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect their vehicles.” Continue reading
Posted in aftermarket, auto news, fools 'n frauds, insurance, news analysis, people
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, David J. Glawe, Ken Zino, National Insurance Crime Bureau, nicb, popular stolen vehicles, social media on how to steal vehicles, stolen vehicle trends
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IIHS Toughens Front Crash Prevention Testing
“This is a vital update to one of our most successful test programs,” IIHS President David Harkey claimed. “The vast majority of new vehicles now come with automatic emergency braking, and our research shows the technology prevents as many as half of all front-to-rear crashes. This new, tougher evaluation targets some of the most dangerous front-to-rear crashes that are still happening.” Continue reading
Almost All New US Light Vehicles have Automatic Braking
All 20 participating automakers have fulfilled a voluntary pledge to equip nearly all the light vehicles they produce for the U.S. market with automatic emergency braking (AEB), according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Five new manufacturers installed AEB on more than 95% of the light vehicles they produced between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, to meet the deadline set in a previous agreement.* General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Maserati and Porsche all dramatically increased the proportion of their vehicles equipped with the technology to meet the target. Kia, which was already close last year, also crossed the finish line.
Audi, BMW, Ford/Lincoln, Honda/Acura, Hyundai/Genesis, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan/Infiniti, Stellantis, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota/Lexus, Volkswagen and Volvo fulfilled the voluntary commitment in previous years. Continue reading
Posted in customer satisfaction, insurance, safety, transportation
Tagged aeb, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automatic emergency braking, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, consumer reports, David Harkey, insurance institute for highway safety, Ken Zino, nhtsa, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, William Wallace
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Chrysler Pacifica Gets Top Safety Pick Award from IIHS
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety* said today that the 2023-24 Chrysler Pacifica minivan is rated as a Top Safety Pick. The Pacifica had a good rating in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front and original moderate overlap front tests, as well as an acceptable or good rating in the updated side test. Continue reading
New Circus Ringmaster at Cruise Autonomous Vehicles
Well, it seems that the discovery that Cruise altered released accident footage to eliminate one of its accident vehicles dragging a pedestrian with it as it continued to run (drive away?) has moved the normally buttoned-down GM safety culture and it people to the verge of, well, annoyance. So send in the lawyers to monitor the California clowns starting with Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt. Continue reading
Posted in autonomous vehicles, customer satisfaction, electronics, engineering, insurance, litigation, mobility company, news analysis, people, recalls, transportation
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, AV technology, Craig Glidden, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt, Ken Zino
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Large Pickups Good in Side Impacts. Back Seat Safety Lacking
The Ram 1500 crew cab, Ford F-150 crew cab and Toyota Tundra crew cab, all 2023 models, earn good ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s updated side crash test, while the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab is rated acceptable, IIHS said today. However, in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, which now emphasizes back seat safety, only the Tundra manages a marginal rating. The F-150, Ram 1500 and Silverado are rated poor. Continue reading
Posted in engineering, insurance, news analysis, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab, crash testing, David Harkey. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford F-150 crew cab, iihs, Ken Zino, Ram 1500 crew cab, side impacts, Toyota Tundra crew cab
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NHTSA Proposes Rule Expanding Seat Belt Use Warnings
In 2019, NHTSA published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on a variety of issues related to potential rear seat belt warning requirements. The feedback from the 45 comments received years ago was incorporated [Finally? Slowly?] into the development of the newly issued NPRM. Continue reading
Toyota Auto Insurance Now in Colorado, Georgia, Oregon
“We’re excited to continue our rollout of Toyota Auto Insurance, expanding our reach to even more customers,” said Rob Spencer, Toyota Insurance President. “We look forward to offering our customers in Colorado, Georgia and Oregon exceptional value and top-tier service to enhance their Toyota ownership experience.” Continue reading
IIHS – Small Crew Cab Pickups Flunk Crash Tests
Most small pickups fall short when it comes to protecting passengers seated in the rear, according to the latest crash test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released today. None of the five small crew cab pickups IIHS evaluated has a good rating. The Nissan Frontier is rated acceptable. The Ford Ranger earns a marginal rating, and the Chevrolet Colorado, Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma are all rated poor. The ratings only apply to the crew cab versions. Continue reading
Friends, Families Can Change Distracted Driving Behaviors
“It may come as a surprise, but many drivers still don’t realize how dangerous it is to check a text message or glance at their Instagram feed while they’re zipping along the road,” said IIHS Research Associate Aimee Cox, the lead author of the study. Continue reading
Seattle Streets Safer Because of Lower Speeds
“When we talk about the Safe System approach, we always stress that nobody should have to die because of a mistake,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “These results illustrate the value of rethinking speed limits. Crashes still happened after Seattle’s changes, but they weren’t as dangerous.” Continue reading
IIHS Questions the Safety of Electric Vehicles on Others
“Assuming the new generation of heavy EVs is designed to perform well in our crash tests, there is no reason they can’t provide good protection to their occupants. In fact, their extra weight will afford them greater protection in a multivehicle crash. Unfortunately, given the way these vehicles are currently designed, this increased protection comes at the expense of people in other vehicles,” Arbelaez said. Continue reading
EU Car Sales Weak Again in November
During November 2024, new EU car registrations fell by 1.9%. France led with a sharp 12.7% decline, followed by Italy (-10.8%), while the German market (0.5%). stagnated slightly [read AutoInformed on November Western European Car Sales Up]* Among the four most significant EU markets, only Spain recorded positive growth (6.4%), according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, aka ACEA derived from its French name.**
“Eleven months into 2024, new car registrations remained stable (+0.4%), reaching 9.7 million units. While the market in Spain performed positively (+5.1%), declines were witnessed in France (-3.7%), Germany (-0.4%), and Italy (-0.2%),” ACEA said in its monthly sales release. Continue reading →