GUEST COMMENTARY: Words Matter

by | Jan 28, 2025

By Nicole Fawcett, Publisher of the Strait Area Reporter, Port Hawkesbury, N.S.

Last November, I joined a club. It is an inclusive club that does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, wealth, health, or occupation. Membership spans every demographic, and despite its inclusivity, no one wishes to join.

It is the club for mothers who have lost a child.

This club represents an unimaginable grief shared by too many, often due to the selfishness and poor decisions of others.

Each day, countless lives are devastated by driving under the influence, reckless speeding, and distracted driving. Tragically, society often normalizes these behaviours, despite the injuries and loss of life they cause.

Canada, for instance, holds the highest per capita mortality rate from impaired driving among modern nations, yet it maintains some of the most lenient repercussions for these actions.

The first step toward meaningful change is acknowledging the power of language.

Words matter.

It is critical to stop referring to crashes and collisions as “accidents.” The term “accident” implies a lack of responsibility, suggesting an event that was unforeseen, unavoidable, and without malice or intent. But the choices to drive under the influence, speed, or drive distracted are deliberate.

These actions show a blatant disregard for the safety of others and are entirely preventable.

Historically, the term “accident” gained traction in the early 1900s when automobiles first appeared on roads.

Crashes and collisions, many involving pedestrians, were common. The automobile industry strategically promoted the term “automobile accidents” to shift responsibility away from drivers and vehicles, often blaming pedestrians instead.

This campaign was so effective that over a century later, it continues to shape public perception.

By calling preventable incidents “accidents,” we inadvertently absolve individuals of accountability. For instance, crashes caused by impaired or reckless driving are not accidental – they are the result of conscious decisions.

Referring to them as “accidents” diminishes the gravity of these actions and provides a loophole for avoiding responsibility.

Drivers who make such decisions – often a series of poor choices – must be held accountable for the harm, injury, and deaths they cause. It is not acceptable to sympathize with those responsible as though their actions were unavoidable.

As a society, we must reject the notion that these tragedies are inevitable. They are not “part of life” but preventable losses that demand outrage and action.

On the night my son was killed, he chose not to drive under the influence. Yet, his life was taken by someone who made a different choice – a choice to disregard the safety of others. As a grieving mother, I am angry. But shouldn’t we all be?

Few among us remain untouched by the consequences of impaired or dangerous driving. Our collective apathy perpetuates this crisis.
Every loss due to impaired or reckless driving is a loss that should never have occurred.

It is time to abandon the language that excuses these actions. Let us recognize them for what they are: crashes and collisions caused by preventable choices. As a community and as a society, we must demand accountability and work toward a future where no one else is forced to join this tragic club.

Nicole Fawcett became a reluctant member of the club for mothers who have lost a child. Her son, Michael, died in November when the car he was a passenger in left the road in Pointe des Robichaud, New Brunswick. (Submitted photo)

N.B. ROAD CONDITIONS (click to view current)

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