Semantics....

[Eden]

I was reading yet another account of a traffic incident when at the bottom of the page all of the other recently reported similar incidents popped up.... What really glared out at me were that nearly all of the headlines state that the vehicle struck the other person...

Pedestrian Killed by Dump Truck (instead of Dump Truck Driver)
Couple Struck by SUV in WalMart Parking Lot (instead of SUV driver)
Prius Hits 3 Pedestrians, Including child.... (instead of Prius Driver)
Car crashes into Renton building, killing office worker (instead of driver)

In only one, Seattle Bicyclist Critically Injured by Hit and Run Driver do we name the real culprit.. the driver...

I think it is a really a telling thing that we generally refer to the vehicle instead of the driver and also generally call motor vehicle collisions "accidents", whether or not they are truly accidental. Until and unless people start taking or are forced to take more responsibility for being a "driver" it's going to be impossible to make our roads much safer and more civil. I think it might actually help to change the semantics of reporting on these incidents - even if it is subconsciously I think we are implying that it these things aren't our fault and are just an acceptable risk of life. I'd like to see that subconscious push put to a little more on the individual.

[zoom-zoom]

Akin to this...when people who are texting/playing on phones while driving cause "accidents." F*ck that...that's not an accident. An accident is something that happens when a person takes all reasonable precautions to be safe, but something unforeseen occurs. Driving too fast on slippery roads and crashing is no accident, either. Or drinking, getting behind the wheel, and losing control of the vehicle.

[OakLeaf]

I've been going on about that for YEARS. It's not just the headlines either. Same thing in the body of the stories. sigh.

[malkin]

The language usage is interesting, but possibly not deliberately assigning/avoiding blame.


The linguist in me hears this as a thesis topic in search of a graduate student.

[malkin]

I heard another one recently. An article about a Mormon politician arrested for drunk driving, said "...the car ran a red light..."

[skhill]

Just this morning I saw an news interview with a state trooper who was addressing this very topic. He was talking about why the department no longer spoke of vehicle "accidents" but rather "collisions." Very very few of those incidents are truly accidents; inattention or general stupidity almost always plays a role. The focus of the interview was DUI, this was a side note, but very interesting.

[Geonz]

Just this morning I saw an news interview with a state trooper who was addressing this very topic. He was talking about why the department no longer spoke of vehicle "accidents" but rather "collisions." Very very few of those incidents are truly accidents; inattention or general stupidity almost always plays a role. The focus of the interview was DUI, this was a side note, but very interesting.

It's easy to say "car" -- I have to think about, when I'm telling anecdotes, identifying that a driver went somewhere with the car. I name 'em by name when I can.