Minneapolis Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

When pedestrians in Minnesota are involved in a car accident, the consequences can be particularly severe. In early January 2019, four people lost their lives when trying to cross the street in the St. Paul area, a spate of deaths that prompted concern from safety advocates and researchers. One research group went out and crossed over 16,000 intersections in the region in order to spot points of potential danger and highlight ways to make the crossings safer for everyone involved. In addition, researchers worked jointly with police to increase enforcement for vehicle violations at crosswalks as well as to improve pedestrian visibility.

Researchers noted that they experienced only 32 percent of cars yielding to pedestrians when they began the experiment, but that number increased to 60 percent after the enforcement and visibility efforts. At some intersections, yield rates were greater than 70 percent. These statistics were backed up by some statewide improvement. In 2016, 60 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents, a number that fell to 42 by 2018. However, this still leaves plenty of room for dangerous and deadly crashes. The goal of safety researchers is to achieve zero deaths in roadway accidents, not merely to reduce them from a peak rate.

Over time, every driver will encounter a motorist who is impatient and aggressive. By following a few tips, however, one can defuse road rage and prevent any accidents from occurring. The first tip is to stay calm. If they are cut off, drivers should not honk the horn, flash their headlights or make hand gestures. If they do, this will only inflame the other driver. They should not even make eye contact as this can be interpreted as a challenge.

There are various ways for offended drivers to stay calm. They could listen to music that relieves stress, or they could tell themselves that being angry will not get them home any earlier. If another motorist steals a parking space, one should give that person the benefit of the doubt and assume he or she did not see them. Keep a light grip on the steering wheel; tightly gripping it will constrict blood flow and cause headaches.

Motorists throughout Minnesota and the rest of the country desire a safer driving experience. To that end, manufacturers are adding additional safety features as new technology becomes available. One of the more recent safety enhancements, automatic emergency braking, is proving to be especially effective.

An automotive safety group recently performed a study on the emergency braking systems offered by a major vehicle manufacturer. The group studied rear-end accident statistics of General Motors vehicles for models installed with the manufacturer's new braking system over a three year period.

Daylight saving time ended on Nov. 4, meaning Minnesota motorists will spend more time driving in the dark. According to experts, this can lead to an increase in accidents involving cars and pedestrians.

The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that 75 percent of all pedestrian deaths in 2016 happened after the sun had set. Further, a 2004 study published in Accident Analysis and Prevention found that eliminating the annual "fall back" and keeping an extra hour of sunlight in the evening would prevent over 170 pedestrian deaths every year. This is one of the reasons California recently voted to do away with twice-yearly time changes and keep daylight saving time all year round. However, the downside is that lighter evenings mean darker mornings for pedestrian commuters.