Why are almost all car crashes called accidents?

Question

I was in a car crash a week ago and that was an accident but why are almost all crashes called accidents when plenty of them aern't. sometimes people mean for it to happen.

Answer 1

National Safety Council now trains it's Defensive Driving Course Instructors to refer to automobile "crashes" as "collisions."

Very few collisions are accidents, since, most all of theme are preventable.  A genuine accident would be if a meteor came crashing out of the sky and landed on your car, or a tree get's struck by lightning and the falling branch crashes through the windshield.

Even those agencies that keep statistics and investigate automotive incidents don't call them "accidents."  The numbers refer to collisions, fatalities, incursions, etc, but, not accidents.

Answer 2

I don't know of any case where both parties involved in a crash wanted to crash. an accident is unplanned uncontrolled event where someone usually gets hurt.

Answer 3

They call them "accidents".because they weren't planned, -- however most of them were  surely preventable, a small percentage of them were due to mechanical fialure,which may or may not have been predicted!  But then there are the ones due to just plain "pigheadedness" . You know the kind I mean, the ones that think they are entitled to the whole road, and you shouldn't even be on it,-- so get out or their way!! They have no idea what the result of their ineptitude can cause to happen!  Some leave the scene in a "hurse", - (which means that they have "reformed" and won't do it again)!!

I've been driving since 1952, and I have seen all types at least once!

Answer 4

Dictionary.com: accident: an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents.

All car crashes are not intentional (no one likes damage their car) unless someone is trying to make money of their insurance.

Answer 5

Because the cops get in trouble if they call it

"A crash caused by an idiot!"

Answer 6

the FHWA said they will all be call crashes in their eyes late in 06 or early 07. there is no accidents, something caused it, it  is one of only two things the driver on the vehicle, something broke and caused it or the driver...following too close, not paying attention, went to sleep, going to fast for conditions..what ever

Answer 7

Insurance companies wouldn't pay for on purposes.  Think about it, getting in your car and deciding to get in a wreck on purpose just for the heck of it, because you don't have enough things to fill out your day.  Silly hu?

Answer 8

If you talk with transportation safety officials, they will tell you there is no such thing as vehicle accidents; they are crashes.

Answer 9

Accidents usually happen when some one is not paying attn to the road or the traffic, usually now a days accidents happen if some one is talking or text msg on their cell phone, some people just don't have any idea how to drive to save their life, and add to that, they use their cell phone.

When your driving, that is all your supposed to be doing, that's all you need to be doing, not putting makeup on, not using your cell phone, not loading a cd into the player, as a driver your job is to drive, no more and no less...

I never been in a crash, not even a fender bender, as I drive defensive, I never got a moving violation ticket. A few times I almost got speeding tickets, but I turned a few quick corners and lost the cop. a few parking tickets here and there, but other than that, I have prevented many accidents, (crashes what ever you want to call it) buy driving defensive and also with great reflexes...

I'm a Pilot, Captain, and when my 1st Officer leave the cockpit, I'm in full control of over a 500,000 pound air craft, I'm not fulling around with the cd player or messing around with my cell phone. I have to watch out of air traffic and my instruments, and warning lights, extra...

So please drive safe, if not for you or other people riding in the car with you, than be a safe driver for other cars driving.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Captain, Chris W T

ATP- Lear 45, B747- A318 - A380

CFI