Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Yeah, I don't get where the idea that "crash" implies fault and "accident" does not comes from, neither word implies anything about fault or the absence of fault.
The NTSB calls what it does "accident investigation". If the word accident implies it's just something that happens, that would be an oxymoron. The whole point of such investigation is to try to determine the cause of the accident in order to learn how to prevent recurrences.
BTW, I think that if we get too fixed on assigning blame on individual drivers, we're likely to miss more systemic and faulty design causes.
The San Francisco Police Department has stopped using the word in their incident reports. Kudos to them. The "A" word definitely implies lack of responsibility. To do something "accidentally" indicates it wasn't intended or expected. It also applies to external forces. "He came out of nowhere" is a common refrain from irresponsible and/or incompetent drivers. They're the ones who have ZERO peripheral vision and haven't checked a mirror since their morning bathroom break!
The word's meaning and connotations act to immediately release the driver of any responsibility. It biases the discussion before anyone has said another word. It's like the big, bad mean world is just doing EVERYTHING in it's power to trip up drivers! The poor things!
Well, this couldn't be FURTHER from the truth! Drivers are an excellent example of habitual law-breakers and an entitled class. I see so many people breaking the law on their phones behind the wheel, I've lost hope for humanity. Especially the parents driving around the kids elementary school on the phone. And then there's endemic speeding. On the freeway, on the street, on the highway, you name it! Oh and stop signs? Don't get me started!!!!
Drivers have been told, if something happens, it SURELY isn't your fault! You insurance company BEGS you to NEVER SAY SORRY!
In other words, driver behavior makes them culpable. The irresponsible CHOICES they make to break the law, endanger others and themselves mean they aren't passive victims of "uncontrollable circumstances." Their very actions lead to terrible outcomes. And the words we use to describe these terrible outcomes have impact. They affect the mindset. They influence FUTURE driving behavior and future drivers.
Catching the trend here?
I obviously feel VERY strongly about this issue. Please reconsider using another better word such as crash, collision or incident. The "A" word should be left in the dust bin.
PS Oh and who knows the origins of the word "jaywalking?" Well, just ANOTHER example of how the human landscape and legal system has been altered to the advantage of drivers. People used to joyfully walk the urban landscape without a care in the world. Then the automobile came along and relegated people to the margins. Doing what everyone did for millennia was suddenly illegal. Interesting.