Question: I’ve noticed you use the word “crash” and not the word “accident” when talking about incidents while on the radio, TV and the newspaper. Why is that?
Answer: I’d be glad to talk about this as I am passionate about this topic and it is certainly intentional.
The spark for this issue stems from a court trial from almost two decades ago involving the intentional ramming of a police vehicle, which resulted in the death of a police officer. During the trial, an attorney brought up the point that the incident was referred to by police in all of the reports as an “accident.” It also was reported by police on an “accident” report form, thus it was argued that the incident was not intentional and charges should be dismissed. I won’t get into the results of that trial, but ever since that time, traffic safety officials in the state have made a huge effort to influence everyone to use the word “crash” and not the word “accident.”
The definition of “accident” is “an unfortunate incident that happens and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.” The definition of “crash” is “collide violently with an obstacle or another vehicle.” Accidents happen. That is what we tell children who are upset about spilling their milk at the supper table. We often think “accident” is a neutral word to describe bad luck but I think there is more to it than that. “Accident” tends to imply that no one is at fault and when used for a traffic crash, it could give the impression that what occurred was not important.
I understand that anyone involved in a crash did not want it to happen and that it was most likely unintentional. But there is a reason why it happened; and most of the time it is from a person in control of a vehicle that has a momentary lapse in judgment or made an all-out destructive decision (impaired driving, reckless or aggressive driving, etc.) Even equipment issues (unsafe tires, obstructed vision, etc. contribute to crashes and can be prevented. Yes, most crashes can be prevented.
The choices we make and the choices we fail to make have consequences. You might be a very good driver, but we do share the road with other people making some poor decisions (impairment, distractions, aggressive driving, etc.)
A crash doesn’t respect age, career success, love for family or anything else. People of all ages died last year. Please slow down, pay attention, plan for a sober ride and buckle up. Speak up and take care of yourself and the people you care about. This is how we make the changes to save more lives.
