Accidents

zinzan

Definition of accident:

"An accident is a specific, unpredictable, unusual and unintended external action which occurs in a particular time and place, with no apparent and deliberate cause but with marked effects"

Given that nowadays, someone always seems to be deemed liable or at fault, how often in modern life do accidents actually occur?!!

Tahuti

zinzan wrote: »

Given that nowadays, someone always seems to be deemed liable or at fault, how often in modern life do accidents actually occur?!!

By accident.

Sykk

bobblepuzzle

zinzan wrote: »

Definition of accident:

"An accident is a specific, unpredictable, unusual and unintended external action which occurs in a particular time and place, with no apparent and deliberate cause but with marked effects"

Given that nowadays, someone always seems to be deemed liable or at fault, how often in modern life do accidents actually occur?!!

Oh dear, I fear you are confused between accidents and incidents

Yea, they should be called incidences now instead.

Saila

when there is something to gain [compo] its never an accident.

ejmaztec

The OP accidentally posted in the wrong forum.

zinzan

bobblepuzzle wrote: »

Oh dear, I fear you are confused between accidents and incidents

Not confused - I know the difference, but most media related enterprises don't..

zinzan

ejmaztec wrote: »

The OP accidentally posted in the wrong forum.

How is it the wrong forum? I'm not talking specifically about motor accidents/incidents.. IMHO it's an ideal after hours topic for discussion!

karlog

Let's say for example i'm driving my car down an estate road. Suddenly my tyre blows out and i start to lose control of my car. I then end up hitting a person walking their dog on the pavement and kill them.

It was an accident but i'd probably get done for it wouldn't i?

Ev84

karlog wrote: »

Let's say for example i'm driving my car down an estate road. Suddenly my tyre blows out and i start to lose control of my car. I then end up hitting a person walking their dog on the pavement and kill them.

It was an accident but i'd probably get done for it wouldn't i?

Yes, you would get done for manslaughter but had it not been an accident you would get charged for manslaughter and murder...

brightspark

The definition as used in relation to safety

"An accident is an unplanned, unwanted event that causes harm, damage or
injury to people or property."

Let's say for example i'm driving my car down an estate road. Suddenly my tyre blows out and i start to lose control of my car. I then end up hitting a person walking their dog on the pavement and kill them.

It was an accident but i'd probably get done for it wouldn't i?

in your example...

• was the tyre worn/faulty?
• were you travelling too fast? (below the speed limit doesn't mean you wern't travelling too fast for the conditions, maybe there should be a lower speed limit to protect pedestrians?
• was there something on the road that damaged the tyre?

There's always a reason and accidents happen when certain combinations of otherwise harmless events occur together.

Buceph

Ev84 wrote: »

Yes, you would get done for manslaughter but had it not been an accident you would get charged for manslaughter and murder...

Why would he get done for manslaughter?

There isn't enough evidence in his hypothetical to say what would happen.

If he was going slow enough for the conditions and road, paying proper attention, and his tyres were in usable condition I don't see why he wouldn't be absolved of any wrongdoing. With no mention of manslaughter.

zinzan

brightspark wrote: »

The definition as used in relation to safety






in your example...

• was the tyre worn/faulty?
• were you travelling too fast? (below the speed limit doesn't mean you wern't travelling too fast for the conditions, maybe there should be a lower speed limit to protect pedestrians?
• was there something on the road that damaged the tyre?

There's always a reason and accidents happen when certain combinations of otherwise harmless events occur together.

So if there is a reason, then the accidents become incidents..

I'm beginning to think that there are no accidents anymore - surely things can happen without fault or reason?

Although I suppose technology has advanced us to the point where we can always assign fault or reason - in the hypothetical above, with no apparent faults things like the tyre and road surface could end up being analysed for chemical composition to see if there was a flaw there... we'll even go to a molecular level to assign responsibility!

It sort of becomes hard to just live life when things are being monitored to such an extent!

As the expression goes - Sh*t happens!

HoneyRyder

This thread reminds me of my mother and her love of saying 'Accidents don't just happen, they're caused!' whilst shaking her in disgust at the latest tragic news playing on the radio.

Does anyone else's Mammy respond out loud to the newsreader or am I just the owner of an especially unhinged one?

zinzan

HoneyRyder wrote: »

This thread reminds me of my mother and her love of saying 'Accidents don't just happen, they're caused!' whilst shaking her in disgust at the latest tragic news playing on the radio.

Does anyone else's Mammy respond out loud to the newsreader or am I just the owner of an especially unhinged one?

LOL
You're not alone! Newsreaders frequently get a good dressing down by my parents!

Ev84

Buceph wrote: »

Why would he get done for manslaughter?

There isn't enough evidence in his hypothetical to say what would happen.

If he was going slow enough for the conditions and road, paying proper attention, and his tyres were in usable condition I don't see why he wouldn't be absolved of any wrongdoing. With no mention of manslaughter.

ok

brightspark

zinzan wrote: »

So if there is a reason, then the accidents become incidents..!

AFAIK the usual definition of an an Incident is an accident that causes harm (I can't find the definition at the moment)

zinzan wrote: »

I'm beginning to think that there are no accidents anymore - surely things can happen without fault or reason?

As the expression goes - Sh*t happens!

There is always a reason, some foreseeable, others less so,

zinzan wrote: »

Although I suppose technology has advanced us to the point where we can always assign fault or reason - in the hypothetical above, with no apparent faults things like the tyre and road surface could end up being analysed for chemical composition to see if there was a flaw there... we'll even go to a molecular level to assign responsibility!

It sort of becomes hard to just live life when things are being monitored to such an extent!

Issues of blame aside, everything we do is a balance between risk and consequences.

If we all drove at walking speed there would be almost no fatal accidents involving cars, but we all accept that is impractical. As a result we as a nation think it's acceptable that some people will die every year just so that the rest of can get to work on time. (not that we shouldn't try to minimise that number of course)

Of course nothing is without risk, you could try not getting out of bed in the morning instead of crossing the road, but even then you would be increasing your chances of a heart attack by not exercising properly.