Yes. There are more drivers on the road just before Thanksgiving and Christmas, leading to more accidents overall. The congestion certainly includes a surplus of blue Amazon vans and FedEx trucks trying to get Christmas deliveries out on time. These large, heavy vehicles driven by overworked drivers can definitely cause more accidents.
Nationwide Insurance found that December 23 is the riskiest day of December to drive. It’s when families are racing to holiday destinations. It’s also when Amazon drivers are trying to rush those Christmas morning toys to doorsteps. (minus the bigger gifts Santa takes care of). Nationwide, which handles the claims on Christmas collisions each year, reports that, overall, December 15-17 and 22-24 are the busiest days with the most accidents of the month.
California Delivery Van Dangers in December
Thanksgiving and stretches of December definitely bring elevated accident numbers to California each year. Experts point to factors like the number of holiday drinkers on the road, under the influence, and causing frightening collisions. They also blame the increased traffic on streets and freeways.
And the traffic levels can definitely include large white vans from FedEx, brown UPS trucks, and large semi-trucks restocking depleted stores with more gifts.
Companies like Amazon go into overdrive from Black Friday on through December. Delivery giants usually hire a bunch of holiday employees who carry increased orders to every city in California. It’s inexperienced drivers, overworked employees, and heavier loads that cause more collisions and more serious consequences.
Drivers can be looking at work computers, getting calls from supervisors, and getting last-minute instructions on deliveries, while also dealing with California holiday rush hours.
California Delivery Van and Truck Accident Figures for December
Looking at California traffic statistics for all vehicles traveling during the holidays, our state definitely sees an uptick in accidents. The Transportation Injury Mapping System’s (TIMS) weekly summary for 2024. Spikes in accidents were seen in the week of Thanksgiving and in the week before, and the week of Christmas.
- In the week of Thanksgiving 2024, there were 1,204 crashes reported on state highways
- In the week before Christmas, authorities recorded 1181 collisions on state highways
- In the week including Christmas, there were 1,177 accidents on California highways
TIMS also keeps track of truck accidents across California cities each year. December ranks as an above-average month for truck collisions involving injuries in Los Angeles County.
Overall, Los Angeles County averaged 148 serious truck and van collisions a month in 2024. But in December of 2024, the county documented at least 151 truck accidents along with five tragic fatalities. That’s above the average.
The numbers were slightly down from 2023 figures, when there were 162 truck accidents and 7 deaths in December.
Support for Delivery Truck Accident Victims in California
The reason data for truck and delivery van accidents is so important has to do with the extreme consequences of a collision involving a large vehicle. Large vans loaded down with payloads can do tremendous damage to smaller cars and SUVS, and put the people inside at risk of being crushed or even trapped under a truck or van. Trucks also put pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists at increased risk.
These accidents change lives and, in some cases, even end them. Any traffic fatality is unacceptable, but those around the holidays are extra hard for grieving families.
Delivery van accident victims must receive the immediate compensation they require to pay for the best care available. They need support that lasts throughout a long recovery, to cover surgery costs and years of physical therapy if necessary. A skilled California truck accident attorney fights on behalf of delivery van accident victims and makes sure they have support that lasts as long as needed.
Contact a Skilled Delivery Van Accident Lawyer in California
If you’ve been seriously hurt or if you’ve lost someone to a delivery van accident, you may need a lawyer’s help to get everything possible in a settlement. A lawyer is often an important protection in a case involving a huge company like Amazon, UPS, or Walmart.
These companies have teams of lawyers who can work to reduce what you and your family receive. They can even escape blame altogether by blaming the victim for the accident or by downplaying how serious the injuries are.
Fortunately, Quirk Injury & Accident Attorneys, APC, has experience taking on big businesses. We can often secure much more for victims than they could hope to win by filing a claim themselves.