Buckle Up – It Can Save Lives.

November 12, 2012  |  Jon P. Erickson

Once again I am compelled to blog about the importance of fastening our seat belts. Again today in the StarTribune there was a report on a car accident up north. This was a single car accident, and both of the occupants, a husband and wife, were killed. Click on the link to see the article: Itasca County Rollover Accident Neither the husband and nor the wife were wearing seat belts. It is described as an airborne rollover accident. A few years ago I witnessed just such an accident on Highway 35 coming into the metro area up near Forest Lake. The car in front of me over corrected on a snowy evening and hit the ditch causing it to go airborne. I immediately stopped, and ran to the upside down car while dialing 911. When I got to the car, I saw the driver hanging upside down with her seat belt on, holding her in place. I saw no blood, and asked her if she was all right. She said “I think so”; and once the first responders arrived it was determined she had no injuries. What would have happened to her if she did not have her seat belt on? BUCKLE UP. IT SAVES LIVES!

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Buckle Up Campaign

November 8, 2012  |  Jon P. Erickson

We at BGS are again asking all our clients and blog followers to Buckle Up.  Two recent articles in the StarTribune discussed the issues of motor vehicle deaths, and how seat belt use is so instrumental in preventing those deaths. October Deadliest Month 2012 for Unbelted Fatalities Seat Belt Use Reaches Record High The good news is that seat belt use in Minnesota is at  a record 93.6{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} for drivers and passengers. The two main reasons for increased use appears to be the primary seat belt law, and the “Click it or Ticket” campaign. The one thing that is troubling is that drivers and passengers between 11 and 15 only have an 84{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} compliance rate. This suggests that we as parents and family members must continue to show and remind our young people to “buckle up” whenever we get the opportunity. The bad news is that October was the deadliest month this year for deaths in accidents where the deceased did no buckle up. The last number was 15. So far this year, 87 vehicle occupants have died where they had not buckled up. In the full year of 2011 there were 120 deaths of motorists who were not buckled up, and 231 severely injured. Use of a seat belt could prevent the majority of those death…

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How to Expunge Your Record

October 29, 2012  |  Jon P. Erickson

If you have a criminal charge on your record from when you were younger, you have the possibility of erasing it from your history. This erasing, or sealing, is called expungement. The Past is the Past You shouldn’t have to live forever by the mistakes you made when you were younger and allow them to haunt your future. People sometimes  do crazy things when they are young and when they grow older they could end up really regretting them. Unfortunately, this criminal past can prevent you from many things in life because it shows up on your criminal record. You may even have a difficult time finding employment because of it. A criminal record expungement is not a guaranteed thing. You still have to go through a proceeding which will help a judge determine whether to grant or deny the request. The judge overseeing the case will typically consider the following points: What type of crime you are seeking to expunge Other charges in your criminal history If you are presently employed or looking for employment If you have taken steps to turn your life around If the way you are living your current life is in direct contrast with your past, the judge may see that you have turned your life around….

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