Which of the following describes a potential risk that traffic alerts aim to mitigate?

Traffic alerts are specifically designed to prevent collisions between aircraft or vehicles. In the context of air traffic control, these alerts provide critical information that enables controllers to manage distances and separation between aircraft, thus significantly reducing the potential for mid-air collisions or ground incidents on runways and taxiways.

Providing timely alerts allows pilots and air traffic controllers to take necessary actions to avoid conflicts, such as altitude changes, vectoring to different flight paths, or holding patterns. Effective use of traffic alerts enhances safety in the airspace system, making it a fundamental component in the prevention of accidents related to proximity between moving aircraft.

The other options, while important in air traffic management and operational contexts, do not directly relate to the core purpose of traffic alerts. Weather-related delays involve environmental factors, aircraft maintenance issues pertain to the airworthiness of the aircraft, and passenger dissatisfaction is linked to service quality, none of which are mitigated specifically by traffic alerts focused on collision avoidance.