Trucking accident risks may increase around the holidays

The winter holiday season is historically a time of family get-togethers and celebrations. What many people fail to realize is that the holidays also bring with them a lot of extra risks.

Especially for those who intend to travel on the roads around Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Year’s, there may be increased risks on the road. As you can probably guess, drunk driving risks are higher around the holidays. However, your risk for a crash with a commercial truck could also be higher as well.

The holidays are a time of extreme commercial and retail demand

Many businesses only finally begin to turn a profit in the last months of the year. They depend on intense holiday shopping to balance out their company’s revenue and losses.

Given the flurry of shopping and spending that usually takes place in late October, November and December, retailers have more demand than any other time of the year for quick replenishment of their stock. That means that there is a sharp increase in the demand for commercial transportation services. The need for more commercial transportation increases the risk of a crash.

Holiday demand increases several kinds of risk

Truckers may have to work longer hours during the holiday season, meaning they feel more tired at the wheel. They may be more likely to break hours of service rules and stay on the road for longer than they should when they have more loads to haul. Drivers may also speed or choose not to change their driving habits for stuff around the holidays. Finally, trucking companies desperate for workers might actually hire people without enough training or with questionable safety records.

All of that combines for substantially increased risk related to commercial traffic around the holidays. People who get hurt or lose loved ones in crashes involving commercial vehicles may need to explore whether they can bring a personal injury suit against the driver or their employer.