The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivered more than 146 billion pieces of mail in 2018; of that number, 6.2 billion were packages. During that year, the USPS had a fleet of 232,372 delivery vehicles traveling 231,843 lanes of different delivery routes.
The Automotive Fleet publication published some interesting statistics about United Parcel Service (UPS). UPS had more than 119,000 delivery vehicles in 2017, and an average of about 8.95 accidents per 100,000 driving hours.
These numbers from the USPS and UPS cover only two of the most popular delivery services in the nation. Please note that deliveries are also made by Fedex, DHL, and countless other companies.
Causes of Delivery Truck Accidents
The most common causes of delivery truck accidents are similar to what we often see for all types of car accidents here in White Plains.
This includes:
Massive vehicle blind spots
Speeding
Reckless or aggressive driving
If the right of way is not respected
Driver fatigue Negligence on the part of the truck driver
Given the sheer volume of mail and packages being delivered, delivery truck drivers are put under an enormous amount of stress. This can cause big mistakes to be made behind the wheel, or to drive recklessly. When this happens, they must be held accountable for their harmful actions. While they may be in a rush to deliver expedited packages, this should not put others at risk of injury.
Negligence on the Part of the Delivery Company Delivery companies can also be liable for a collision accident in certain circumstances. If a company has not repaired or maintained its fleet of delivery vehicles, this could lead to numerous accidents waiting to happen. Similarly, delivery companies can overwork their employees to a point of exhaustion, making driver fatigue more likely and more likely to have an accident.
We must also take into account that the delivery company may have been negligent in hiring delivery drivers. A poor driving record, medical problems affecting safety behind the wheel and other factors should be red flags.
Other Factors Contributing to a Vehicle Delivery Traffic Accident In addition to the above, it should also be noted that poor road conditions and bad weather can both contribute to an increased risk of accidents in delivery vehicles. Any problems that affect traction (such as potholes, road debris, or rain) make collisions and rollovers more likely with these heavy delivery vehicles.
