Amazon quickly went from an online bookseller to one of the largest companies in the world. There’s very little that can’t be purchased online now. As people moved their shopping from local stores, to superstores, to the Internet, many things have had to change. One major change is the prevalence of delivery vehicles on our roadways.
Prioritizing Safety in Vehicle Selection
When you buy a car for yourself and your family, safety is likely one of your main priorities. It’s easy to focus on safety when it’s your own health and the health of your loved ones at stake. But when it’s the health of an employee or co-worker, should the calculus change?
No company wants their workers to drive around in unsafe vehicles. Still, would it be that surprising for people to make different decisions about purchasing or maintaining a vehicle when they aren’t the ones driving it? Companies may prioritize factors like cost or ability to transport more items quickly, rather than focusing on safety.
As more and more delivery vehicles take to the roads, everyone feels the cumulative impact of their safety.
A Call for New Safety Features
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted a study of crashes involving light vans used by many delivery services. The study concluded that the implementation of existing safety features could help drivers avoid or mitigate roughly 40 percent of these wrecks.
The IIHS study pinpointed four safety features that would likely be effective in addressing these incidents. They are:
- Front crash prevention
- Lane departure prevention
- Blind spot detection
- Intelligent speed assistance
These technologies would work together to help protect delivery drivers, other cars, pedestrians and bicyclists from the types of accidents that are becoming more common. In fact, the majority of injuries and deaths from accidents involving these light vans are suffered by someone other than the driver of the van.
Front crash prevention is the most beneficial of these technologies when it comes to preventing injuries and auto accident deaths. This suggests that distracted driving may be a large contributor to accidents involving delivery vehicles.
Large Vehicles Mean More Potential for Harm
Semi-trucks require a commercial drivers license (CDL) to operate. The weight limit for a CDL is 26,000 pounds. Part of the problem with delivery vans and accidents may be that drivers don’t have to go through additional training to operate them.
Many light delivery vans come in below 10,000 pounds. That means they’re large enough to do significant damage to an ordinary sedan, but not large enough to require a CDL.
Call Us Today
If you’ve been involved in a crash with a delivery van or other commercial vehicle, you need to speak to an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Call 972-450-1418 to schedule a consultation with us at The Fell Law Firm.
