Amazon faces backlash after terrifying video shows delivery van dangerously skidding on icy roads

A TikTok video of an Amazon delivery van skidding across an icy road has prompted concerns about workers’ safety.

The video, which was shot in Northern Texas by Olivia Cook, shows the driver struggling to keep control of the vehicle just 10ft outside an Amazon depot. The video is captioned:

“When Amazon still wants their packages going out despite the roads in [Dallas Fort Worth] being nothing but a hockey rink.”

Although Cook presented the video in a humorous light, overlaying the video with various different songs and sound effects, people expressed their concern for the driver’s safety. One user wrote:

“I would GLADLY receive a message saying my package was delayed due to inclement weather. If it’s too dangerous it’s too dangerous.”

Another wrote:

“I can wait. What I ordered is not that important. Please stay safe out here fellow Texans.”

One user who claimed to be an Amazon worker herself added:

“I drive these Amazon vehicles and I am so THANKFUL my boss canceled the routes for today.”

Others drew a parallel between the video and the “tragedy in Fort Worth”. Six people died as a result of a huge pileup involving more than 100 vehicles in the city. The crash occurred amid a winter storm that saw parts of northern Texas covered in ice and snow.

When reached for comment, an Amazon spokesperson toldIndy100:

“The safety and well-being of our employees, customers and the drivers who deliver packages are our number one priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we have closed our delivery stations in the Dallas area due to the inclement weather.”

Amazon has been criticised because of its treatment of its workers before. In the UK, allegations that warehouse workers weren’t allowed to take toilet breaks while on shift surfaced in 2019, while in the US employees complained that the company was failing to take action against coronavirus outbreaks among staff. Amazon denies this.

Analysis conducted by one trade union suggests that it takes an Amazon warehouse worker more than eight weeks to earn what its founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos makes in a single second.