The rise in the demand for goods being shopped online has also brought about a new phenomenon of more and more delivery vehicle trucks and drivers on the road, and greater risk of delivery vehicle accidents.
And, it’s no longer just about the delivery of the goods now. To meet the demand for faster delivery of orders, many drivers can be under so much pressure to speed up. There are quotas to be met and deadlines to catch.
Despite all of the road and safety measures in place, it’s also not a surprising thing to note that delivery vehicle accidents happen quite more frequently now. When it does happen, the situation becomes tricky. The delivery is stalled, and there’s a question of liability now, whether it’s solely the driver or the company has some responsibility for what happened.
So, seeking advice from a truck accident law firm could be a critical step. They are familiar with all the intricate regulations and laws surrounding commercial vehicle accidents. They could help identify potential parties who may be held responsible, which could range from the driver to the delivery company or even third-party entities like vehicle manufacturers if faulty parts contributed to the accident.
In this article, you’ll have all the information you’ll need to know about delivery vehicle accidents.
1. What Are The Essential Driver Delivery Safety Tips
If you’re reading this as a delivery driver, it’s important to know the essential driver delivery safety tips. Don’t skimp on these, as they can make a huge difference in staying safe on the road. Not only you can avoid danger to others and yourself, but it can also protect you from hefty fines, penalties, and other liabilities.
Some of the most basic but also most important driver tips you have to keep in mind include:
- Always stay aware of your surroundings when driving. This means staying alert. If you happen to be sleepy, don’t force yourself to drive. It’s always best to take a day off than to force it, and then have a higher accident risk.
- Know the road. Just so you’re alert of any potential hazards like road closures or road repairs.
- Abide by the buddy system. If the main driver gets sleepy, there’s someone else to drive. And, this also ensures a sense of accountability, particularly when driving long distances.
- Keep a number of essential contacts. Have the contact numbers of the police, emergency medical services, and 1-800-Injured, or any lawyer in your local area.
2. What To Know About Food Delivery Crashes
First on this list is a brief explanation of food delivery crashes. This has to be mentioned specially, apart from other types of delivery vehicle accidents, because of its unique circumstances. Unlike parcel or product delivery services, with food delivery, the drivers are mostly using their personal vehicles for that purpose. Because of its speedy nature, delivering back and forth from one order to another, most food delivery services utilize motorcycles or bicycles and not trucks.
With that comes the inherent danger of speeding on motorcycles. Unlike delivery truck drivers who are paid by the hour or day they report to work, many food delivery drivers are paid per meal that they deliver. This fact may also cause them to subconsciously speed up, to earn more in a day.
For instance, the drivers may:
- Continue to make deliveries late in the day to earn more, even when they’re already overtired;
- Neglect right-of-way laws;
- Change lanes quickly, or swerve.
Then, there’s also the inherent distraction of food delivery drivers looking on their phones regularly for the GPS of the delivery location and any message the customer may be leaving. When you gather all those distractions as one, serious collisions may occur.
3. What Are The Causes Of Accidents In Delivery Trucks
The circumstances surrounding delivery truck drivers are quite different from food delivery drivers. But this doesn’t mean that they aren’t exempt from the likelihood of accidents. It’s still present, especially with the long hours of work delivery truck drivers do, and the inherent difficulty of driving a bigger vehicle.
To compare, these are some of the most common reasons why delivery trucks may figure in a road collision:
- Poor Vehicle Maintenance. It’s the driver’s responsibility to bring attention to the company of any possible maintenance issues the truck now needs. With that comes the company’s responsibility to stay up-to-date with the regular maintenance of the vehicle. Otherwise, problems like failed brakes and engines may result in deadly road accidents.
- Speeding. This is still one of the leading causes of accidents, especially for delivery truck drivers who are pressured by time.
- Improper Training. Driving a truck entails a lot of training, given the inherent difficulties that come along with driving a substantially bigger vehicle. If the company chooses to skirt its responsibilities and neglect proper driver training, then it means that there’s an unprofessional and poorly trained driver on the road, only waiting for when an accident may occur.
4. What To Do When An Accident Happens
If you’ve met an accident, it makes a big difference with what you do right after it to ensure that the outcome is better. While you don’t have control over the accident from happening, you have control over its outcome.
With that in mind, these are some of the most important pointers you have to do directly after the accident:
∙ Make sure everyone is okay. Before worrying about the property and liability aspects of the accident, remember that health and physical safety should always be a top priority. Do a thorough check first of everyone involved in the accident to ensure that everyone is safe.
∙ Call the police and exchange personal information. Never evade the scene of the accident even if you’re confident that there’s very little to no damage done at all. It’s still best to call the attention of the police to have the accident on record. Do exchange personal information with the other party, too, in case of any claims you may have later on. Your lawyer will need the information as well.
∙ Take pictures. Even if the police will do their job of taking photos from the accident scene, it’s best if you also take your own photos. This is one way to be certain that all the necessary angles are well documented and you have enough evidence to give your lawyers when the need for it arises.
Conclusion
The increase in shopping online has also brought about a widespread demand for more delivery drivers. If there aren’t enough drivers, this may mean that the current drivers will have to work longer hours than usual. Whatever the circumstances, it’s not surprising that delivery vehicle accidents, whether car or motorcycle, can occur.
The good news is you have some recourse under the law. If you’ve been injured in an accident involving delivery vehicles, your best solution is to contact an accident or personal injury lawyer. By doing so, you get the best compensation and remedies that you’re entitled to, as the victim of an accident.