The more traffic you encounter out on the roads, the more likely you are to get into a crash. Unfortunately, the holiday season carries with it substantial risks out on the road.
Not only is Minnesota notorious for rough winter weather, but the traffic itself may be dangerous. The holidays often see a spike in drunk driving, but the traffic conditions on the roads may well be worse for weeks before the holidays arrive. What else about the holiday season makes traffic more dangerous?
There is major pressure on delivery drivers
The United States Postal Service (USPS) estimates that this holiday season it will deliver 12 billion pieces of mail, of which between 850 and 950 million will be packages. In addition to the intense pressure on the USPS, private delivery companies like FedEx and UPS will also be on the roads in full force helping deliver both purchases and gifts. Retailers like Amazon that have their own fleets will also have many busy, overworked delivery drivers possibly making mistakes on the road.
Additionally, there will be thousands of commercial truckers trying to move merchandise to where consumers need it. With more delivery demands comes more safety risks. Drivers may make questionable maneuvers because they don’t have time to be careful or leave their trucks idling in unsafe places. They may work for so long that fatigue starts to affect their driving skill.
While you can’t just stay off the roads all winter, you can try to give delivery vehicles and big trucks more space during December. Identifying and avoiding your biggest risks for a motor vehicle wreck can help you stay safe this holiday season.