New York DMV No Longer Describes Traffic Crashes as “Accidents”

Seems like a small change, but language is important.  This is an excellent change, which basically costs nothing, but improves communication with a more accurate (and shorter) noun.  As Streetsblog notes, not only is the term "accident" a bad descriptor, it also functions to remove accountability.  Oh I ran someone over while texting?  It was an accident!  Cheers to NYS DMV for ending their part in this corruption of language.  George Carlin would have been pleased. 

"A vehicle crash encompasses a wider range of potential causes than does the term accident. An accident implies something that is not preventable. A majority of crashes are caused by intoxicated, speeding, distracted, or careless drivers and, therefore, are not accidents. That is why the term "crashes" is used not only by the New York State DMV, but also by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration."

http://www.streetsblog.org/2013/02/14/new-york-dmv-no-longer-describes-traffic-crashes-as-accidents/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Streetsblog+%28Streetsblog%29

Typos courtesy of my iPhone