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> It's recommended to not call them "accidents" anymore Perhaps I've misread you; you seem to be asserting what I said you were - that there are no accidents.

> It's recommended to not call them "accidents" anymore Perhaps I've misread you; you seem to be asserting what I said you were - that there are no accidents. Also, why the passive voice? Who makes this recommendation? [Edit] > The vast majority of RTCs are indeed due to the inattention of a driver Arguably, all RTCs are the result of inadequate attention from someone or other. But attentive, well-trained drivers have collisions too. Perhaps their attention lapsed? They're human - human attention wanders, they're not focused 24/7 on the task, because they're not machines. Cars are all very well on roads that carry light traffic. But not many roads are like that nowadays: most driving environments are way too complicated for even an expert to negotiate completely safely. There are too many cars.

ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
Well, it depends on exactly how you define accident. In general, it would mean an unintended consequence, but arguably, driving whilst drunk and hitting something may be unintended, but not surprising - I wouldn't classify that as an accident as it was preventable and a known consequence of driving under the influence. If a careful driver suddenly has a heart attack and loses control, then I would classify that as an accident. Reporting recommendations: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/05/17/its-crash-not-accident-road-collision-reporting-guidelines-issued/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/05/17/its-cras... https://road.cc/content/news/media-guidelines-launched-reporting-road-collisions-277575 https://road.cc/content/news/media-guidelines-launched-repor... https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines
ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
> Arguably, all RTCs are the result of inadequate attention from someone or other. But attentive, well-trained drivers have collisions too. Perhaps their attention lapsed? They're human - human attention wanders, they're not focused 24/7 on the task, because they're not machines. I'd say most of them. It's possible to be driving along with a clear road ahead and have a person or object suddenly appear in front of you. I recall a case where a child was riding a bike on the pavement (sidewalk in the U.S.?) and for some reason lost control and fell into the road. The driver had been adhering to the speed limits and was paying attention but unfortunately was unable to stop in time and the child ended up dying. There's lots of edge cases with driving which is why there's a bunch of recommendations regarding speed and leaving space so that when something unexpected happens, there's more chance for a careful driver to be able to stop or avoid the incident. And yes, I totally agree about too many cars.
- denton-scratch 3y ago
  > on the pavement (sidewalk in the U.S.?) Pedantically (i.e. according to the Highway Code) the part reserved for pedestrians is the 'footway'; the part for carriages ('things with wheels', roughly) is the carriageway. I suppose that between them they comprise the pavement. I've taken to referring to them as carriageway and footway; it's unambiguous, and it even makes sense if you're shouting across the Great Pond.
  - ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
    You're right, but it just sounds funny and old fashioned to my British ears
    - denton-scratch 3y ago
      Hah! I guess that, despite being a British driver, you must be unfamiliar with the Highway Code. Yes, it sounds stilted to me too.
      - ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
        Well, I'm not a British driver, but am a British cyclist. I'm very familiar with some parts of the Highway Code (not so much the motorway sections), but those terms just aren't commonly used, whereas pavement and road generally are.

ndsipa_pomu 3y ago

Well, it depends on exactly how you define accident. In general, it would mean an unintended consequence, but arguably, driving whilst drunk and hitting something may be unintended, but not surprising - I wouldn't classify that as an accident as it was preventable and a known consequence of driving under the influence. If a careful driver suddenly has a heart attack and loses control, then I would classify that as an accident. Reporting recommendations: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/05/17/its-crash-not-accident-road-collision-reporting-guidelines-issued/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/05/17/its-cras... https://road.cc/content/news/media-guidelines-launched-reporting-road-collisions-277575 https://road.cc/content/news/media-guidelines-launched-repor... https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines

ndsipa_pomu 3y ago

> Arguably, all RTCs are the result of inadequate attention from someone or other. But attentive, well-trained drivers have collisions too. Perhaps their attention lapsed? They're human - human attention wanders, they're not focused 24/7 on the task, because they're not machines. I'd say most of them. It's possible to be driving along with a clear road ahead and have a person or object suddenly appear in front of you. I recall a case where a child was riding a bike on the pavement (sidewalk in the U.S.?) and for some reason lost control and fell into the road. The driver had been adhering to the speed limits and was paying attention but unfortunately was unable to stop in time and the child ended up dying. There's lots of edge cases with driving which is why there's a bunch of recommendations regarding speed and leaving space so that when something unexpected happens, there's more chance for a careful driver to be able to stop or avoid the incident. And yes, I totally agree about too many cars.

denton-scratch 3y ago
> on the pavement (sidewalk in the U.S.?) Pedantically (i.e. according to the Highway Code) the part reserved for pedestrians is the 'footway'; the part for carriages ('things with wheels', roughly) is the carriageway. I suppose that between them they comprise the pavement. I've taken to referring to them as carriageway and footway; it's unambiguous, and it even makes sense if you're shouting across the Great Pond.
- ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
  You're right, but it just sounds funny and old fashioned to my British ears
  - denton-scratch 3y ago
    Hah! I guess that, despite being a British driver, you must be unfamiliar with the Highway Code. Yes, it sounds stilted to me too.
    - ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
      Well, I'm not a British driver, but am a British cyclist. I'm very familiar with some parts of the Highway Code (not so much the motorway sections), but those terms just aren't commonly used, whereas pavement and road generally are.