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Insurance Travel Information

Status Report cover art

Antilock brakes on motorcycles reduce both crash frequencies and deaths

2008 motorcycles with antilocks

Text messaging bans now cover all drivers in 7 states and the District of Columbia

Child safety seat use in crashes has increased during the past decade

Souped-up golf carts will remain subject to limitations on weight and speed, the federal government decides

New Institute video explores what happens to the human body in a car crash

Special issue: booster seats

Licensing teenagers later reduces their crashes

Comparison of licensing ages

Hybrid cars and SUVs have higher costs under insurance collision coverage than their counterparts powered by gasoline only

Pregnant women should buckle up to help protect their fetuses

Distracted driving is widespread among owners of cellphones, insurer's survey finds

Alaska becomes 6th state to ban text messaging by all drivers

Effective September 1, Alaska joined 5 other US states (Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington) in banning text messaging by all drivers. For details on texting bans in all states, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx

IIHS asks NHTSA to retain windshield intrusion standard

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) submitted a comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) objecting to its proposal to rescind the federal standard on windshield zone intrusion because of its success and redundancy with other standards. The comment refutes the agency's conclusions and emphasizes the necessity of retaining the standard to ensure occupant protection in future vehicles sold in the United States.

North Carolina strengthens law against riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks

North Carolina recently amended its laws prohibiting children from riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks. The law previously provided that children under the age of 12 were not to be transported in the cargo area. The amendment law now covers children under the age of 16. The law contains several exceptions, including permitting children of all ages to ride in the cargo area if supervised by an adult.

For more information on state laws prohibiting children from riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/cargoAreas.aspx

2009 GMC Acadia earns Top Safety Pick award

The GMC Acadia, a large SUV, also is sold as the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and Saturn Outlook. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the Acadia.

"Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results," says Institute president Adrian Lund.

The Top Safety Pick designation applies to 2008-09 Acadia, Enclave, and Outlook models built after March, 2008, and the new for 2009 Traverse.

New Institute ratings for the GMC Acadia | Buick Enclave | Chevrolet Traverse | Saturn Outlook

Low-speed vehicles legal in most states on roads with low speed limits

Federal standards covering low-speed vehicles apply to those used for "short trips for shopping, social, and recreational purposes primarily within retirement or other planned communities with golf courses." To qualify, a vehicle must have 4 wheels and a top speed of at least 20 mph but not more than 25. States, not NHTSA, are responsible for regulating the operation of motor vehicles on public roads and for handling low-speed vehicle titling and registration.

For information on the roads in each state where low-speed vehicles are legal,