Every day, Amazon ships millions of packages around the United States. The Seattle-based company, one of the most powerful and influential businesses in the world, is known for its emphasis on speedy delivery. However, it has been charged that Amazon’s focus on fast delivery has compromised its delivery drivers’ safety.
Building a delivery empire
Founded in the 1990s as an online bookstore, Amazon eventually grew to become an all-around online marketplace and tech company. When it moved into the area of home delivery over the past decade, the company quickly began delivering packages much more quickly than competitors such as UPS. At the same time, however, their safety standards suffered.
Considering—and rejecting—higher safety standards
In 2018, according to a Buzzfeed report, Amazon considered instituting a five-day defensive driving course for its delivery drivers, designed to improve safety and reduce the risk of accidents. Ultimately, however, the company opted against the course. With a busy holiday season imminent, Amazon decided to start using the drivers it hired right away, with little time for training.
Putting drivers under pressure
According to Buzzfeed, Amazon’s delivery drivers have consistently been pressured to perform an unreasonably high number of deliveries, especially during busy holiday seasons. Both drivers and the managers of delivery stations are often under trained, and numerous deadly accidents have been reported. While Amazon has promised to remedy the situation and tighten their safety standards, it remains to be seen whether the company will follow through.
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