Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and individuals all across Minnesota may be planning what gifts they will give to their loved ones for the holidays. While some people prefer to visit their favorite stores to buy goods for their friends and family members, others will boot up their computers and do their shopping online. In a matter of days, they may receive the items that they purchased without ever having to leave their homes.

As the holidays approach, individuals may notice more delivery trucks on their roads. These vehicles are often seen hustling around, moving from homes to businesses and on as their drivers work hard to meet their deadlines and distribute the boxes in their care. With more delivery trucks on the roads, Minnesota residents may have more opportunities to be involved in collisions with them.

A rear-end collision is a motor vehicle accident caused by one vehicle running into the back of another vehicle. Although they are relatively common, rear-end collisions can leave victims with serious bodily injuries and long-term suffering. This post does not provide medical or legal advice to its readers, and those with more questions about rear-end collisions can talk to their Minnesota-based personal injury attorneys.

Rear-end collisions often happen when cars are stopped in roadways. When a vehicle has stopped at a red light or stop sign, they may be hit from behind by a vehicle driven by a distracted or inattentive driver. In heavy traffic, rear-end collisions may occur when cars follow each other too closely and do not leave enough space for stopping when the drivers must apply their brakes.

Driving in rush hour traffic is stressful and dangerous. However, if you live in or around the Twin Cities metro area, you can expect to find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic during the morning and evening hours.

There are several key steps you can take to prevent a rush hour traffic accident:

• Don't be in a hurry: No matter how late you're running behind schedule, don't hurry to the point of taking risks on the road. The best way to protect against this behavior is to leave extra time in your schedule to reach your destination. This can help relieve a lot of the stress associated with rush hour driving.
• Choose another route: You don't have to take the same route every day. Changing routes, even if it's a longer distance, may keep you out of heavy rush hour traffic, which reduces the risk of an accident.
• Watch for dangerous drivers: Even if you're driving safe, it doesn't mean that others are doing the same. There will be people around you who are speeding, changing lanes without signaling and texting. Beware of these drivers and do your best to keep your distance.
• Stay in your lane: One of the top causes of rush hour traffic accidents is lane jumping. Choose your lane and stay there until you absolutely need to make a change, such as to exit the highway.
• Don't follow too closely: When traffic slows, it's possible you'll find yourself driving too closely to the vehicle in front of yours. Leave more space, as doing so gives you more time to stop in the event that the lead vehicle slams on their brakes.

Cell phones have undoubtedly made life easier for Minnesota residents. Whereas it was once difficult to communicate with others while traveling or away from home, now individuals need only stop their vehicles and get out their smartphones to be connected to anyone throughout the world. However, the ease of connectivity that smartphones offer also has a drawback: more and more people are using phones irresponsibly while behind the wheels of their cars.

A study released by AAA suggests that a certain type of distracted driving accident has reached a 10 year high: running red lights. Drivers throughout the nation are required to stop at intersections when they have a red light, and the failure to do so can have deadly consequences.