Northern Minnesota Personal Injury And Family Law Blog

Minnesota residents should know that distracted driving is on the rise. While this trend is mostly due to the increasing use of smartphones and dashboard touchscreens, the truth is that anything that takes a driver's attention from the road is distracting. That includes talking with passengers, eating and changing radio stations. Distracted driving is behind nine crash-related deaths and 100 crash-related injuries every day in the U.S.

The problem is not lack of awareness; most drivers who distract themselves know it's wrong. For this reason, automakers and researchers are looking to artificial intelligence for a solution. If AI is incorporated into cameras and sensors, it could help automakers develop alerts for all kinds of distractions. Software algorithms may even advance to where they predict all possible human behavior.

The end of daylight saving time means an extra hour to sleep, but Minnesota residents who have to drive that day or the following day should prepare for drowsiness. The fact is that any change in one's sleep patterns can cause drowsiness, so the best thing is to go to bed at the time one normally does and then be as alert as possible the following day. Drowsiness can impair concentration and reaction times.

It's sobering to think that every year, drowsy driving leads to approximately 328,000 car crashes with some 6,400 involving a fatality and 50,000 involving debilitating injuries. Despite how 96% of drivers in AAA's 2018 Traffic Safety Culture Index said drowsy driving is dangerous, 27% admitted that they had engaged in it at least once in the past 30 days.

Halloween is a fun time for kids, but it can also be dangerous walking the streets after dark. That's why drivers must take extra precautions when driving on Halloween, as children are prone to unpredictable behavior as pedestrians. Consumer Reports offers the following advice to both drivers and trick-or-treaters to reduce the risk of a serious accident. 

When driving in residential areas, drive as slowly as possible. It might be hard to see kids dressed in dark costumes, and children don't often use crosswalks when crossing the street. If you see any children as you're driving, adjust your speed accordingly, even if that means going under the posted speed limit. Also, keep driving distractions at bay. While this is an important rule in general, you want to be alert and aware of your surroundings on Halloween.

The beginning of the school year can be one of the roughest times for recently divorced Minnesota parents. Not only do they have to deal with the drastic changes in their custody schedules, but they also have to co-parent with someone who doesn’t live in the same house as them anymore.

It’s also a time where former spouses tend to find issues within their parenting plans. Even if their new custody schedules appear relatively straightforward, they can get into serious conflicts if they didn’t take certain factors into account. One major factor is the child’s involvement in school sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities. If one parent has sole custody of the child, then they will be the deciding vote in major decisions such as this. However, if their custody times are almost evenly split, then they will have to take the following into consideration: