During the holidays, many people focus on decorating their homes, buying gifts and toys, and spending time with loved ones. Through all the hustle and bustle, many people may take their safety for granted and forget that accidents can still happen at any time.
Specifically, the risk of big truck accidents increases during this time of the year for many different reasons.
Tight Delivery Deadlines
Online shopping has made holiday gift-buying a breeze for consumers, but it has resulted in tight delivery deadlines for truck drivers. To safeguard their jobs and get their cargo delivered on time, truckers may partake in risky or illegal driving behaviors that increase the risk of serious truck accidents, such as:
- Speeding
- Driving despite fatigue
- Taking stimulants to stay awake (driving while impaired)
- Failing to take required sleep and rest breaks
- Driving during high-accident times
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Overloaded Cargo on Trucks
There’s often more cargo that needs to be delivered during the holiday season. Trucking companies can maximize their profits when they reduce the number of trips required to get all the cargo where it needs to go because they don’t have to pay as many expenses related to driver wages, gas, vehicle maintenance, and insurance.
As a result, they may purposefully overload trucks to get as much cargo delivered in as few trips as possible. Overloaded cargo, however, is a safety hazard that can lead to:
- Drivers losing control of their trucks
- Truck rollovers
- Brake failures
- Tire blowouts
- Cargo falling off of the truck
Increased Traffic on the Road
Not only are there more truck drivers on the road during the holidays, but there are also many more passenger vehicles. There is always an increased risk of truck accidents when trucks and normal vehicles share the road in close proximity to one another, especially if truck drivers are new to the job or hired for temp positions and don’t know how to properly share the road.
The holiday season should be a time for relaxing and making happy memories, not spending time in a hospital bed after a big truck crash. If you or a loved one is injured in a large truck accident during this time, turn to our dedicated legal team at Fowler Helsel Vogt for the representation you need to make a full financial recovery.
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