While young people certainly deserve an opportunity to work and earn money, they typically lack the experience of older employees. This is to be expected and perfectly fine in many work environments. However, if the job involves using a motor vehicle to perform deliveries, it is incumbent upon employers to make sure their young workers are able to perform their tasks safely.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, young adults and teens are more likely than any other demographic to be involved in automobile crashes. There are a number factors the CDC sites as contributing to the high rate of accidents among younger drivers. These factors include lack of experience behind the wheel, overconfidence in driving skills and driving while distracted.
Because of the potential hazards, the Fair Labor Standards Act places limitations on teen drivers based on a variety of work-related factors. For instance, no one under the age of 17 is permitted to drive professionally on public roads. Drivers who are 17 may not operate tow trucks or make time-sensitive deliveries, such a delivering food orders. Additionally, 17-year-old drivers are not allowed to operate vehicles that have a gross weight in excess of 6,000 pounds.
The aforementioned are only a few of the restrictions that are placed on 17-year-old drivers. And if a driver is in an accident in violation of these regulations at the behest of his or her employer, the employer should be held accountable.
If you have been involved in an accident caused by a young delivery driver, you may want to have a commercial vehicle accident attorney perform an investigation. If it is revealed that the driver was not properly qualified or was driving in violation of legal regulations, the employer may be considered negligent. The attorney could then advise on the best course of action for getting compensation for damages.
