Michigan DOT Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) January 21, 2020

January 21, 2020 – 40 people died on Michigan roadways this year.  In addition, 89 were seriously injured statewide to date.  

Compared to last year at this time there are 9 fewer fatalities and 78 fewer serious injuries.

Numbers are provided by the Michigan State Police.

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"It's a crash, not an accident" video explains why the distinction is important

Contact: Jeff Cranson, MDOT Director of Communications

November 13, 2019 -- Icy and snow-covered roads are a given in Michigan for several months of the year. So, when a driver crashes because they were driving too fast for conditions – even though they didn't intend to – should we really call it an "accident"?

That's just one example of why the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), along with partners in law enforcement, emergency medical and fire service agencies, are urging everyone to call traffic collisions "crashes" instead of accidents. A new video posted on MDOT's YouTube channel, as well as a new webpage: www.Michigan.gov/CrashNotAccident, explain why.

When a traffic crash is described as an "accident," it implies that no one bears responsibility for the outcome. It also leads to the belief there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it.

Most crashes result from distracted, drugged, or drunken drivers, or unsafe or illegal actions, such as driving too fast for wet or icy conditions and failing to stop for stop signs or signals. A small percentage are the result of equipment failures, animals, or medical emergencies.

Spl/Lt. Derrick Carroll, public information officer for Michigan State Police (MSP) Seventh District, and his colleagues in law enforcement have investigated many crashes in their careers and he confirms most stem from driver behavior.

"An accident cannot be reasonably foreseen. A crash is the result of choices made and a disregard for safety," Carroll said. "That's why we in law enforcement call it a traffic crash and never an accident."

Emergency medical personnel, firefighters, and other first responders are changing how they talk about crashes as well.

"Many of us have used the terms 'crash' and 'accident' interchangeably for years, including those of us who see these crashes and their causes firsthand," said Otsego County Emergency Manager and EMS Rescue Chief Jon Deming. "Talking about the true causes of crashes, and not writing them off as unavoidable, can help result in increased awareness and more careful driving."

The word "accident" was used in the early 1900s by companies seeking to avoid liability for workers injured on the job. In the 1920s, automakers and insurers began using it as well in an effort to shift blame, but it has since come to be used as an equivalent term for "crash" to absolve drivers as well.

While an Associated Press Stylebook 2016 revision says "accident" and "crash" are generally acceptable descriptions for vehicle crashes, it does recommend that journalists use "crash, collision, or other terms" and avoid using "accident" in auto crash reporting, particularly in cases when negligence is claimed or proven.

Several organizations and agencies nationwide are supporting the #CrashNotAccident campaign, such as Vision Zero Network and We Save Lives.