Lockdowns cut driving, crashes

DETROIT (AP) — Interstates and city streets are empty and cars are quarantined in their owners’ garages, so consumer advocates argue that it only makes sense for auto insurance rates to reflect that.

In the states of Washington and New York, the number of traffic crashes reported to state police fell about 30% in March compared with a year ago, as the states were on lockdown for part of the month to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Other states are reporting similar declines in traffic and crashes, and consumer advocates are calling on insurance companies to cut premiums or give refunds by a like amount.

Some companies have responded, but the Consumer Federation of America reports that discounts may be too small and aren’t being applied evenly.

Many insurance premiums are based on driving 1,000 miles per month, but customers may be driving only one-tenth of that, the federation said.

“The risk exposure is not nearly the same now as when the policy was first priced,” Doug Heller, an insurance expert with the federation, said Monday.

Companies that sell 82% of the auto policies in the U.S. have announced refunds or credits to drivers worth more than $6.5 billion during the next two months, the federation said.

FBI poster written in Navajo

(AP) — The FBI has issued its first poster in a Native American language, seeking information in Navajo on the death of an elderly man six years ago on the New Mexico portion of the vast Navajo Nation reservation.

Wilson Joe Chiquito, 75, was beaten to death at his home in the community of Counselor in February 2014.

The FBI recently released the poster that offers a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. It has been shared on social media and posted in Navajo communities, grocery stories and trading posts, said Navajo Police Chief Phillip Francisco.

“Having it in both languages, it obviously helps the ability to get tips,” he said. “It’s a positive thing and it shows the FBI’s dedication to helping solve crimes on Navajo by embracing the culture and the language.”

Francisco wasn’t aware of any new tips that authorities have received based on the Navajo-language poster but said “any small detail can help out.”

James Langenberg, special agent in charge of the Albuquerque division of the FBI, said FBI employees who speak Navajo helped translate the information for the poster.

“We already work closely with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, but we hope this effort will improve our communication with the rest,” Langenberg said.