Car Crashes are Not “Accidents”
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I recently read an article in the San Antonio Express News by Robert Ferrer M.D., M.P.H. The article was a commentary on the word “accidents.” He stated that the word “accident” is very misleading, and is a half-truth that gets in the way of making our roads safer. While most vehicle-related deaths are unintended, they essentially are neither unexpected nor random, and result from driver’s unsafe behaviors.
Ferrer cited a study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that equipped 100 cars with sensors and cameras to observe drivers. It was found that people continue to drive unsafely, because more often than not, they can get away with it.
If a car is traveling at 45 mph it will cover a space 200 feet long in 3 seconds. Those 3-seconds, or 200 feet, for the most part are insignificant. They don’t result in crashes, the most you may need is a minor adjustment of the wheel and everyone remains unharmed.
However, occasionally during those 3 seconds that you turn away to adjust the radio or reach for your cell phone, an accident may occur. These accidents may be minor, but they can also be disastrous. You hear about these accidents every day in the news. In fact, just this morning I read an article about a cyclist in Austin who was injured when a van’s side passenger mirror clipped him. The man was wearing a helmet but still suffered a serious head injury.
In his commentary, Ferrer points out that motor vehicles are the leading cause of premature death in Bexar County, and that more people die today on the world’s roads than in the world’s wars. Crashes are caused by unsafe driving behaviors, not chance or by accident. While “accidents” may be unintended, they are not random, and can be significantly reduced by controlling unsafe driving behaviors.