Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If not, you may be in the minority. Analysts are already predicting that online shopping will grow as much as 10.5% this holiday season — after already rising 8.2% in 2020. (For comparison, the normal annual growth has hovered right around 4.4% each year since e-commerce began.)
What’s that all mean for you? Well, all that online shopping means that there’s going to be a big jump in delivery vehicles — and many of them will be in your neighborhood.
Why are holiday deliveries so dangerous for drivers and pedestrians?
Essentially, it always comes down to a few basic problems every holiday season:
- Delivery drivers find themselves handling massive workloads very suddenly. This leads to driver fatigue right when drivers need to be at their sharpest.
- Drivers may be picking up unfamiliar routes and going through neighborhoods they don’t recognize. While trying to watch their guidance system or hunt for a house number, they may take their eyes off the road over and over again.
- Some delivery drivers are subcontracting for other companies, like Amazon. They may be afraid that they will lose their contracts (or their jobs) if they don’t keep up, and that can lead to speeding and other reckless behaviors.
- The roads tend to get worse and worse as the season progresses, and drivers who feel pressed for time may not adjust their driving to account for the weather.
- The increased loads these trucks are carrying may get out of balance, and that can cause a delivery truck to slip, slide or roll over very suddenly.
A wreck with a delivery truck can be horrific and leave you or your loved one with terrible injuries. Don’t hesitate to learn more about your legal options for recovery.
