[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/traffic-violence-not-accident\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/traffic-violence-not-accident\/","headline":"‘Traffic Violence’ Not ‘Accident’: Terms for Car Crashes Are Changing","name":"‘Traffic Violence’ Not ‘Accident’: Terms for Car Crashes Are Changing","description":"We call a car crash an \u201caccident\u201d out of habit, but safety advocates insist that needs to change. They believe that the word \u201caccident\u201d skews the perception of a crash. It implies that the incident was caused by a twist of fate, and that no one was to blame. It also minimizes the severity of […]","datePublished":"2020-06-05","dateModified":"2024-07-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/author\/harveymorris\/#Person","name":"Harvey B. Morris","url":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/author\/harveymorris\/","identifier":6,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/84ea999b018ff1be9128cde858dd6bf211ccfb3a15ef5807be544c80f2065e4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/84ea999b018ff1be9128cde858dd6bf211ccfb3a15ef5807be544c80f2065e4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Morris, King & Hodge, P.C.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/mkh-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/mkh-logo.png","width":412,"height":78}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Traffic-Violence-Lawyer-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Traffic-Violence-Lawyer-scaled.jpg","height":1707,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/traffic-violence-not-accident\/","about":["Car Accidents"],"wordCount":533,"articleBody":"We call a car crash an \u201caccident\u201d out of habit, but safety advocates insist that needs to change. They believe that the word \u201caccident\u201d skews the perception of a crash. It implies that the incident was caused by a twist of fate, and that no one was to blame. It also minimizes the severity of the crash, and suggests that it was inevitable and unavoidable.But does changing our language actually change people\u2019s perception? A study published in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives and cited in an article on LAist.com proves that it does.Subjects were given three versions of a news story about a crash, each using different language, and afterwards were asked to assign blame. The researchers found that even very small differences in the way an accident report was worded made a significant difference in how that accident was perceived.Traffic \u2018Accident\u2019 vs. Traffic \u2018Violence\u2019Safety advocates suggest changing the phrase \u201ctraffic accident\u201d to \u201ctraffic violence\u201d to provide a more accurate perception of a crash. \u201cViolence\u201d implies that there was aggressive action on someone\u2019s part, and that someone certainly is to blame for what happened.It also implies that the crash could have been avoided. A drunk driver killing another motorist would be \u201ctraffic violence\u201d because the intoxicated driver is clearly at fault and acting dangerously. His decision to drink and drive was deliberate and not random, making the word \u201caccident\u201d inappropriate.The term is particularly suitable when we\u2019re talking about someone getting hit by a motorist while walking or cycling. Clearly, the pedestrian or cyclist is more vulnerable than the person encased within two tons of metal, but they are often subtly blamed for the incident through the wording of the report, while the role of the driver is downplayed.\u201cA pedestrian darted into traffic and was hit by a car,\u201d for example, implies that the pedestrian was at fault, rather than the driver.\u00a0 That phrase also uses distancing language \u2013 \u201ca car\u201d rather than \u201ca driver\u201d or the person\u2019s name \u2013 thus avoiding blame.Perception of \u2018Traffic Accidents\u2019 from\u00a0News CoverageThe word \u201caccident\u201d is deep-rooted in our lexicon when it comes to crashes. For a major shift to take place, government agencies and the media would also need to change the language they use regularly. The media, in particular, controls how most people perceive crashes.If a speeding driver hits a child and the incident is reported as a \u201ctragic accident,\u201d the driver is somewhat absolved of responsibility. There is even a term for this bias: \u201cwindshield journalism,\u201d that is, seeing from the driver\u2019s perspective. If the news instead reported that an act of \u201ctraffic violence\u201d had taken place, resulting in the death of a child, the emotional reaction from the public would be very different.Contact Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., in AlabamaIf you are injured by a motorist while driving, cycling, or walking, you need an experienced legal team on your side to achieve the best possible outcome for you. Contact Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., in Florence and Huntsville, Alabama, by calling us, filling out our online contact form, or using the live chat function on our website."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"‘Traffic Violence’ Not ‘Accident’: Terms for Car Crashes Are Changing","item":"https:\/\/www.mkhlawyers.com\/blog\/traffic-violence-not-accident\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]