On Behalf of O’Malley Tunstall PLLC | Sep 26, 2021 | Truck Accidents

Over the last year, a lot has changed in the country. Along with health and safety precautions, people have changed how they do common tasks like shopping and eating out.

As residents of North Carolina have gone through store closures, limited business hours, and mask requirements, many have increased their use of delivery services. In turn, businesses have transitioned to meet the new demand.

With more demand for delivery services, there are more company-owned vehicles on the road. Here’s what you should know about how often delivery vehicles are involved in accidents.

Frequency of delivery truck accidents

When an employee’s job is to drive a large delivery vehicle to drop off packages, they are at an increased risk of getting into an accident. Over the last few years, many companies tried to prevent accidents through training and increased safety measures. These actions have resulted in a dramatic decrease in accident fatalities from large truck accidents.

The mid-and late-90s saw peaks of 5,000 or more truck accident fatalities per year. Over the last 10 years, that number has stayed under 4,200 deaths per year. But, all it takes is one accident to change your life.

Deadly accidents and how to avoid them

Just because accidents are decreasing does not mean they are not happening close to home. Earlier this year, an Amazon truck crashed into a large tractor-trailer on I-85 in Durham county, killing the driver.

Drivers and passengers are most at risk when involved in accidents with a large delivery vehicle. Take extra precautions when driving around large commercial trucks.

• When you are driving, avoid staying in a truck’s blind spot for too long. Some collisions happen when a commercial driver cannot see the other vehicles that might be in the way.
• Also, take care to avoid stopping too quickly when there is a large truck behind you. Because of their large size, semis take significantly longer to stop and cannot make quick maneuvers.

While these seem like minor things, the difference can mean life and death. If you are a passenger, ask the driver to take these safety steps too.