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Auto Insurance Issues
Pay Only As You Drive Auto Insurance Coming in 2009
2009 will bring pay-only-as-you-drive (PAYD) auto insurance policies to the marketplace. It is reported that 14 insurers are already committed to launching such products in the coming year. Many more will, no doubt, jump on board quickly to prevent losing policyholders to competing companies. Not everyone agrees this insurance is worthwhile for consumers. In this article, we'll recap the pros and cons of PAYD products.
Dec 12, 2008 - 1:36:02 PM
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Auto Manufacturing and Safety
Energy Management
Minor Impacts to Toyota Prius Cause Expensive Repair Bills
A recent series of low-speed crash tests were performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on twenty small cars. The tests shockingly revealed that it cost almost as much to repair a Toyota Prius as it does to repair a luxury car after a minor bump. IIHS senior vice president, Joe Nolen condemned carmaker's efforts to merge repairability with stylish designs by saying, "bumpers on most cars aren't worthy of the term...Small cars are supposed to be economical, but there's nothing economical about three or four thousand dollars in repairs after a low-speed collision." IIHS believes impacts such as these, which are typical of minor parking lot bumps, should not cause damage to cars. IIHS then worked with Tech-Cor, the research arm for Allstate Insurance to prove costs could be reduced without sacrificing style and minimal effort from auto manufacturers.
Sep 6, 2008 - 4:14:32 PM
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Auto Sales and Consumer Issues
VIN Histories
Experian Uncovers Branded Titles Being Laundered
In the first half of 2008 alone, there were nearly 1.3 million cars and trucks totaled as a result of accidents and weather related catastrophes. While these vehicles received branded titles to reflect their totaled status, Experian Automotive recently found that the brand has since been dropped on more than 15 percent or about 185,000 vehicle tiles it has tracked...The problem for consumers is that title-washed cars are often among the most shoddily and carelessly repaired. Often, unsuspecting consumers think they are getting a great deal on a used car or truck, only to find sometime later they have purchased a vehicle that isn't safe to be on the road. Learn more about title laundering (also known as title washing) in this article.
Aug 26, 2008 - 9:11:28 PM
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Auto Manufacturing and Safety
Energy Management
Increased Roof Strength Aids SUV Occupants During Rollovers
Every passenger vehicle meets federal requirements for roof strength, measured in a test, and some manufacturers see to it that cars and trucks in their product lines exceed the requirements by substantial amounts. The question has been whether stronger roofs actually reduce injury risk in real-world rollover crashes. Some studies have concluded that the strength of a vehicle's roof has little or no effect on the likelihood of injury, but a new Institute study indicates that roof strength definitely influences injury risk. Learn more about roof strength in rollover crashes in this article.
Aug 26, 2008 - 8:03:49 AM
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Auto Manufacturing and Safety
Energy Management
Sacrificing Vehicle Safety to Gain Fuel Economy Not Good
Great strides have been made with regard to keeping vehicle occupants safe in accidents. This past year nearly every vehicle tested by NHTSA earned a top rating for frontal crashworthiness, and automakers are seeing tremendous gains in their quest for high ratings for side impact protection as well. As Congress looks to toughen federal fuel economy standards. it would be wise to first consider their effect on vehicle crashworthiness so we don't lose the benefits of safer vehicles newer technologies have allowed us to enjoy.
Jan 7, 2008 - 4:47:41 PM
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