Be Alert At All Times!

The dangers are real, VERY real!

A fellow postal carrier was rear-ended earlier in the week while out delivering mail on his route!

Slammed into by someone driving too fast (some were saying close to 40mph), too impatient and likely not even really paying attention.

Thankfully he was wearing his seatbelt, however, he was severely concussed, severely bruised where the seatbelt was (which not only is a laptop belt but also one that comes down and across your chest) and suffered a broken foot and broken arm.  Although, this happened in Millis, MA, he was rushed to Mass General Hospital in Boston for care!

This is the LLV he was rear-ended in.  The front passenger side is all smashed in too, as he was pushed into a stone wall.  The picture doesn't really show the damage and how bad the truck really is -

This could have been SO much worse too.  We not only deliver USPS mail but also Amazon and UPS packages.  These range in size from small, will fit in the mailbox, to BIG and heavy, which require the mail carriers to dismount the LLV to drop the package at the front door, garage, etc.. We're all super vulnerable as we undo the seatbelt to exit the truck, then climb back in and buckle back up. I can't imagine the outcome had this carrier been unbuckled and in the midst of the above.  Also, not to mention that we have an arm out the LLV most of the day, while placing mail in mailboxes, often times needing to stick more than an arm out in order reach a mailbox. It's scary to think of the scenarios of getting rear-ended when in this vulnerable position.

I see it every day that I'm in the LLV, people are SO impatient, drive too fast, come too close to the truck as they speed by and often times are angry that we're blocking the road by honking and flipping the bird.

I don't know what the answer is to address this but would VERY much like to see the police step up the enforcement of speeders, aggressive drivers and distracted drivers, AND not just in protection of postal carriers but for everyone on the road that has to deal with the selfish POS who think they own the road.