Police will likely ask you to provide these details about your stolen car for their report:

* Year, make, model, and color of the car
* Your best time estimate for when the car was stolen
* Descriptions of anyone you might’ve been seen around your car around the time it was stolen
* Names of any witnesses

 In what is sure to be seen by some as government interference and general misunderstanding of technology, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has released a proposal that would require drivers to be present in self-driving vehicles in the state.

That limits any possibility for parents to send their kids off alone, any delivery services hoping to utilize autonomous vehicles without paying human workers and future designs Uber might have to deploy cars to pick up riders, sans “driver-partners” in California.

It’s also caused some disappointment at Google, which has been testing driverless cars for a couple of years in the state of California.

“In developing vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button, we’re hoping to transform mobility for millions of people, whether by reducing the 94 percent of accidents caused by human error or bringing everyday destinations within reach of those who might otherwise be excluded by their inability to drive a car. Safety is our highest priority and primary motivator as we do this. We’re gravely disappointed that California is already writing a ceiling on the potential for fully self-driving cars to help all of us who live here,” Google said in an emailed statement to TechCrunch.

Despite Google’s dismay, the regulation might be a good thing in the long-run. Even with the high safety rate, we are sure to run into unforeseen scenarios without a unified and open-source driverless car codebase shared by all driverless car manufacturers – something we don’t presently have.

When it comes to auto insurance coverage for a stolen car, check your policy. It will need to include comprehensive coverage, which protects against non-crash damage to your car, like theft.  Comprehensive coverage can also apply to damage to a vehicle after it is recovered.  Unfortunately, you are out of luck if your car is stolen and you do not have comprehensive coverage.

Protecting your car against theft is even more important if it is a newer model. According to studies, a car that is popular with thieves when new will still be a sweet target for theft for around 6 years because:

* The parts of a car model become more valuable over time, if the model does not undergo a significant redesign.

* It takes thieves about three years to fully solve an automaker’s theft deterrent systems.

* Owners of older cars are less likely to buy an aftermarket anti-theft device and/or lock the vehicle.

If concern about “hoverboard” safety from airlines, Amazon and the UK wasn’t enough, the US government is getting in on the action. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating reports of both fires (10 known so far) and falls (29) to determine whether or not the self-balancing transporters are safe. It’ll push for voluntary standards if it finds any systemic problems, but there is the possibility of regulation if the industry doesn’t get its act together.

The CPSC says it’s racing to complete its investigation, since it knows that boards are popular gifts this year. With that said, it’s still going to be pretty late to the party. Any conclusions are likely to come well after legions of people get their boards, and some of the companies (particularly knock-off brands) may not be willing or able to offer recalls. Your best bet at the moment is to shop at Amazon and other places that are promising to carry only US-certified boards.

Compacts do not often go missing completely after their owners report them stolen. In fact, just 8 percent of stolen compacts and subcompacts go unrecovered, according to the NICB.

For SUVs and CUVs, a higher 13 percent go unrecovered.  For sporty cars, it’s 14 percent.

That means that an anti-theft tracking device may not be the best bet for your compact/subcompact. It may end up being found later anyways, since nearly 9 out of every 10 stolen compacts are eventually recovered.

Subaru is recalling 3,251 examples of the 2016 Legacy built between Oct. 24, 2015, and Nov. 16 2015, and the 2016 Outback manufactured between Oct. 24, 2015, and Nov. 17, 2015.

The Problem: The driveshaft could separate from the rear differential because the securing nuts aren’t tight enough. If this happens, the driveshaft could hit the gas tank, leading to a fuel leak.

Here is a breakdown of the National Insurance Crime Bureau top 10 most stolen compact/subcompact cars

Rank     Make & model                      Class                  Thefts
1            Toyota Corolla                      Compact            3,664
2            Ford Focus                            Compact           1,797
3            Honda Civic                          Compact            1,725
4            Nissan Versa                        Subcompact     1,499
5            Nissan Sentra                       Compact           1,216
6            Hyundai Elantra                  Compact            1,198
7            Mazda 3                                Compact            1,085
8           Toyota Yaris                         Subcompact     1,072
9           Volkswagen Jetta                 Compact              993
10         Kia Forte                               Compact              863

When colder temperatures arrives, parents may be tempted to button up their children in big winter coats before sending them out the door.

If kids are leaving the house and getting into a car, wearing a coat may be a mistake that holds potentially fatal consequences. As experts from KidsAndCars note, loosening the straps of a children’s car seat to accommodate a bulkier coat make it more likely a child could come tumbling out of both the car seat and coat in an ac

Compared to other car types, sporty cars have a higher chance of staying gone once they are stolen. But premium sporty vehicles have a very high chance of going unrecovered. For example, 44.4 percent of stolen Mercedes-Benz SL Series cars go unrecovered while 40 percent of Nissan GT-Rs go unrecovered.

That means that premium sporty car-buyers should also buy a location/tracking system like LoJack. Doing so could help get your vehicle back to you after it is stolen. It may also provide a discount on your auto insurance policy

Chevrolet has delivered about 200 units of its bi-fuel Impala so far. The automaker originally planned to begin sales in summer of 2014, but was delayed over a year due to quality concerns. Now, the bi-fuel Impala, which runs on both gasoline and CNG, has begun delivery, mostly to commercial and fleet customers. The car begins at $38,210 (including destination charges), and will be available at 3,200 US dealerships. Production of a 2016 model is underway.

Here are the NICB’s top 10 most stolen sporty cars in the U.S.:

Rank     Make & model         Type            No. of thefts

1       Chevrolet Camero         Mid-sized         1,509
2       Ford Mustang               Mid-sized            980
3       Dodge Challenger         Mid-sized            782
4       Porsche Panamera       Premium             103
5       Audi A5/S5                  Compact               101
6       Chevrolet Corvette     Premium                69
7       Nissan 370-Z               Compact                 47
8       BMW 6 Series             Premium                 45
9       Porsche 911                 Premium                24
10       Volkswagen Eos        Compact                23

Transportation engineers have started laying the groundwork for a traffic world in which cars communicate with other cars and infrastructure like bridges and traffic lights. How about an environment in which cars talk to pretty much everything and everyone?

In a preview of its offerings at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, Delphi Automotive will deploy just such a concept. Engineers have designed a system that communicates with traffic signals, street signs, pedestrians, cyclists, even to fry pits and parking garages along a driver’s route.

To date, engineers and researchers across the auto industry have focused on the technical and safety-oriented foundation of future vehicle-to-vehicle communications, which could help cars share information about everything from traffic tie-ups to upcoming road hazards. Beyond those building blocks, many have projected that V2V could also include more consumer-focused features. Delphi’s system, dubbed V2Everything, might be the first that combines those sorts of features in a tangible package.

Since thieves need your keys to steal newer vehicles, they’re switching methods for stealing parts or even entire vehicles. “Push” steals occur when thieves push the vehicle away after forcing entry to release the gears. Often times, thieves push the vehicle to another location where the tires and rims are removed from the vehicle. Arming your vehicle with extra security can help prevent criminals from “pushing” your car.

The Transportation Department proposed sweeping changes this week that would expand the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 5-Star Safety Ratings system.

It would now include crash avoidance technologies, add a new frontal oblique test, and improve the frontal barrier test. NHTSA would also use more sophisticated crash test dummies, and vehicles will be able to get a half-star grade, which allows the feds to more specifically analyze safety performance. NHTSA is seeking public input, and if enacted, the modifications will go into effect for 2019 model-year vehicles.

An ongoing problem throughout the state, especially in Metro Detroit, is the increase in tire and rim thefts. Thieves typically target easy-to-steal tires and rims, in order to sell them to crooked dealers and repair shops. H.E.A.T. recommends that drivers park in a garage whenever possible or in a parking lot with an attendant.