.2003271313333.jpg)
The delivery industry is booming. Food-delivery apps are entering nearly every city in America. Social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many restaurants and retail locations forced to rely on delivery services to remain open. With so many delivery drivers on the road, could it be possible that delivery drivers are causing more accidents?
Why Are There More Delivery Drivers On the Road?
Many believe that delivery apps result in fewer people on the road. However, convenient access to food delivery apps makes people more likely to order out. This means someone who would normally not go out to eat instead places an order for delivery, which puts another driver on the road.
While delivery drivers take orders for several people at once, the nature of their business encourages reckless driving. Food delivery drivers make more money the more orders they can take, which means that they’re encouraged to take risky driving maneuvers, such as risk running a changing traffic signal rather than getting stuck at a stoplight.
Additionally, many delivery drivers find themselves in unfamiliar places. They might not recognize an intersection where cross traffic does not stop, for example. Even worse is when unfamiliarity with a region encourages to illegally park to make a delivery, disrupting traffic and potentially causing an accident.
Package Delivery Services Have Increased
In addition to food delivery services increasing, there has also been a spike in parcel delivery services including Amazon, UPS, and others. With so many people stuck at home during the week, many have turned to online shopping to secure some of their daily necessities. This means that package delivery services are spending more hours on the road trying to keep up with the ever-growing demand for same-day delivery. The more packages a delivery driver has to drop off before his day comes to a close can sometimes encourage delivery drivers to speed or take more risks in order to complete their deliveries sooner.
What is Deadheading and How Does It Affect Driver Safety?
Even with the recent uptick in delivery apps, many food and grocery delivery drivers find themselves “deadheading” between orders. Deadheading refers to drivers who aimlessly drive around while waiting for a match.
Current studies suggest app drivers spend about half their time deadheading while working. This extra driving not only puts drivers at risk of fatigue but increases the possibility that they’ll be involved in a crash.
Next time you consider ordering from delivery apps like Grubhub or DoorDash, or clicking the "Order" button for online shopping, remember what it represents. It means more people driving on a tight schedule and in unfamiliar areas. While it’s tempting to continue as normal in these difficult times, please consider the human cost of convenience.
If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries at the hands of a delivery driver, you might have a case. If you’d like an experienced Starkville injury attorney from Vollor Law Firm, P.A. Law Firm to evaluate your claim, please send us an email or call (662) 269-6188.