Truck accidents are dangerous at any time of the year. They can always cause spinal cord injuries, head trauma, fatalities, burn injuries, and other serious injuries. However, there are a number of factors that make holiday accidents more likely:
1) More people on the roads. More people tend to be on the roads in the weeks leading up to the holidays because of family visits, parties, social events, and holiday shopping. More traffic can mean more risk for accidents, as cars of many types share the road with truck drivers.
2) Worse weather conditions. Florida truck drivers may enjoy fair weather in their home state, but they might need to leave the south to travel to snowy and wintry areas, where the possibility of whiteout conditions and ice are a real problem. Drivers need to have trucks that are ready for winter driving and need to have the expertise to deal with potentially dangerous – and changeable – conditions.
3) Truck driver distractions. Truck drivers may be distracted by their own holiday plans, additional holiday stress, and extra time spent on holiday preparations. Unfortunately, driver distraction is a contributing cause in many trucking and car accidents.
4) Tight deadlines. Many companies are in a rush at this time of year, trying to deliver more goods and services to more customers. Customers and clients, in turn, are often eager to get shipments immediately. This can place a lot of pressure on drivers to drive quickly and give up rest in order to make deadlines. This sort of extra work can be very dangerous and can increase the odds of driver error.
5) Illness. Unfortunately, many people have the cold or flu, which can affect truck drivers in a number of ways. Drivers may be pressured to take on extra work to cover for sick colleagues. They may be pressured to work when not feeling 100% themselves. Some drivers may become ill on the road.
6) Temporary workers. Most companies hire temporary employees at this time of year. While temporary employees are welcome additions to any business, they may not fully know all the standards and polices of their temporary workplace. They may make mistakes that affect a driver’s ability to do their job. For example, an employee may send a driver to a wrong address. Temporary truck drivers may be less familiar with delivery routes and company policies as well. This can cause confusion. In some cases, employee uncertainty can cause mistakes that lead to accidents.