According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an accident is "an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance" and a crash is "a breaking to pieces by or as if by collision." These two words have different definitions and implications and are not very similar, so why would these words be used interchangeably?

When we call something an "accident" it implies that no one is at fault and that no one, including the driver, bears responsibility for the outcome. The term "crash," on the other hand, is more specific in terms of the action's outcome without the unpreventable implication.

It is vitally important that we use the right words to describe the situation, especially when inattention, distracted driving and other avoidable actions are at the center of an incident.

Traffic crashes are fixable problems, caused by inattentive drivers and driver behavior. They are NOT accidents.

Let's stop using the word "accident" today.