"An accident on the M4......."

16 posts / 0 new

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Sat, 2007-07-21 08:40

The use of the word "accident" by radio travel announcers really irritates me. The word accident implies something unfortunate and unforeseen which couldn't be avoided and implies no fault. With road traffic "accidents" this must be untrue. Most road accidents must be caused by selfish inconsiderate twats who think they are above the law who not only put there own and other people's lives at risk but then delay thousands of other people while the emergency services clear up the mess. What the announcer should say is "There is a delay on the M4 due to a selfish middle-aged prick doing 110 in his 4x4 while chatting up his secretary on his mobile who wasn't paying enough attention to the road and has hit a car carrying a family of four and killed the youngest child."

Which brings me on to the that teenager who got four years yesterday for killing a sixty-four year-old lady in an "accident" caused by her texting while driving. Four years! She should've got life which is a considerably lighter sentence that the old lady got.

Sat, 2007-07-21 15:45

pepsoid

Since my girlfriend passed her driving test, just a few short months ago, and I have been her unofficially designated navigator, I have been much more aware of the roads. I have been much more aware of how frequently concerns for safety are flouted in the cause of "getting there faster" - non-usage of indicators, blatant disregard for speed limits, use of mobile phones, etc - things which one can probably get away with most of the time, but which, if we (that is, drivers) just paid a bit more attention to, could probably save quite a lot of lives. Just another reason why we should all just slow down...??? pe ps oid Blogs! "the art of tea" "that's an odd courgette"

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Sat, 2007-07-21 17:57

Redrecon

But we can't slow down. If we did someone else would beat us to the clearance sales and buy that genuine imitation leather key fob with the picture of Alf on it that we've had out eyes on for months. Seriously, where do we think we're going that we need to do 90mph on local streets. It is absolutely ridiculous.

Sat, 2007-07-21 18:22

patmac

You can't expect people to have expansive vocabularies; that's quite unfair! Newsreaders would broadcast calamities, mischances, and misadventures. And listeners would turn to their neighbours and say: "What does that mean?" And no one would understand the news any more. (And the little, old ladies would continue to get killed by texting drivers.) My webpage is at: http://www.bookscape.co.uk

My latest killing is:
http://www.bookscape.co.uk/short_stories/human_sacrifice.php

Sat, 2007-07-21 20:33

Foster

Words can have more than one meaning...

Sun, 2007-07-22 13:00

Yan2

They mean 'accident' in the sense that none of the parties meant it to happen. Pretty simple, really. JEEZ ! Lighten up! :P When the power of love overcomes the love of power, we'll find peace. - Jimi Hendrix

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

Sun, 2007-07-22 14:31

bobblehat2023

"The word accident implies something unfortunate and unforeseen which couldn't be avoided and implies no fault." As Yan suggests, that's not what accident means. It doesn't imply no fault, it implies no malicious intention on the part of those involved.

Sun, 2007-07-22 15:11

pepsoid

But then what of the difference between "accidental death" and "manslaughter"...? pe ps oid Blogs! "the art of tea" "that's an odd courgette"

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Sun, 2007-07-22 15:34

TheShyAssassin

No Yan2 and Bukharin.... I'm afraid you're just wrong.

Sun, 2007-07-22 16:23

#10

bobblehat2023

From the Concise Oxford Dictionary: "accident .n. 1 an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally." Of course, you can use the word accident to imply no fault but the radio announcers' use of it is perfectly linguistically accurate. Describing something as an accident isn't a moral position. "But then what of the difference between "accidental death" and "manslaughter"...?" The 'accident' in the case of a road crash is the crash itself. The cause of the accident - something that's unfortunate and unintentional - may or may not be someone's fault. In terms, "accidental death" no one has done anything illegal to cause the crash. In terms of "manslaughter" or, in this case, "death by dangerous driving" someone has.

Sun, 2007-07-22 16:52

#11

pepsoid

Semantics aside... I think Assassin's original post seems to imply a feeling of unwillingness to take responsibility. Personal responsibility for such tragedies is certainly something which needs to be examined - probably, in particular, in light of the increasingly litiginous nature of western society. We always want to blame someone else. If we blame someone else - if someone else officially gets blamed - then we/our lawyers may be able to bag ourselves a nice lump sum of cash. "You did something wrong, you caused me damage/pain, you are responsible for my ills, therefore you should pay." Isn't there something wrong here? pe ps oid Blogs! "the art of tea" "that's an odd courgette"

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Sun, 2007-07-22 17:32

#12

camilla

Yes she got 4 years.One presumes this is "pour encourage les autres". Most young thugs who drive and kill while high on drugs ,drink, while disqualified,having done it before don't seem to get 4 years.Most accidents caused by young men 18 to 25 or is that most deaths?

Sun, 2007-07-22 17:38

#13

poetjude

There is an unwillingness to take responsibility but even more so a tendency in an ever increasingly litagious society to find someone to blame. One of my closest friend's fiancee was killed last year after being hit by a car when walking along a pavement-less road. I can't even begin to describe the devastation this has caused. However, she accepts that the driver was not speeding/ on drugs or negligent. It really was just a tragic acccident. When the police ruled that there was no case for criminal prosecution, other members of his family just couldn't accept this and were talking about bringing a civil case against the driver. My friend is an exceptional person and has compassion for the driver who has to live with this for the rest of their life and realises that this won't bring her man back. jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

Sun, 2007-07-22 20:48

#14

bobblehat2023

Jude is right about blame culture. In the case of the texting driver, the driver has rightfully been blamed and jailed but the 'jail her for life' stuff gets us nowhere. Is anyone seriously suggesting that drivers are going to be actively deciding not to concentrate on the road on the basis that they'll be jailed for 'only' four years if they drive dangerously and kill someone?

Sun, 2007-07-22 21:50

#15

pepsoid

I'm not... :-/ And I'm not saying there isn't a place for blaming... I would say, however, that there seems to be too much of a tendency these days to blame others rather than taking personal responsibility. It's all a bit Mexican Stand-offish! pe ps oid Blogs! "the art of tea" "that's an odd courgette"

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Sun, 2007-07-22 22:06

#16

Yan2

"No Yan2 and Bukharin.... I'm afraid you're just wrong." LOL...I don't really give a fook. I've better things to be getting up to than discussing the word, "accident". It's the most appropraite word to use (refer to buk's definition) when all the 'facts' aren't available. :-P When the power of love overcomes the love of power, we'll find peace. - Jimi Hendrix

~It's a maze for rats to try, it's a race for rats to die.~

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