Online archives from The
Teen
safe driving program lauds reporters for using the word 'crash' as opposed
to 'accidents'
The
ratio of news articles searching the Internet with key words "car crash"
and then "car accident" is revealing. Time was,
most articles were found using the word "accident." Now many more
articles can be found using the word "crash" and the difference
is apparently important in the psychology of teen safe driving.
"As
long as parents continue to consider car crashes as a matter of fate, or accept
these events as an inevitable part of teen driving, parents will fail to see
their role in reducing these events and protecting their children," says
Gary Direnfeld, executive director of the North American wide "I Promise
Program," teen safe driving initiative.
It
is important to move away from the use of the term "accident" as
this implies that the crashes are a matter of fate, when more often than not,
this is hardly the case.
There
are several known contributors to teen driver car crashes including excessive
speed, risk taking behavior, multiple teen passengers and driving after
Direnfeld
surfs the Internet news articles almost daily and finds that at least one
of these known contributors is evident in virtually every teen driver car
crash. "As soon as parents learn they can control many of these factors,
their teens will have a better chance of returning home safely each night,"
he explains, "and this applies equally to girls and boys."
To
help parents and society change their thinking, Direnfeld is encouraging all
reporters and their editors to move away from the use of the term "car
accident," in favor of "car crash" or "collision."
It
is important to use the correct words, as this will have social and behavioral
implications. Once parents realize these are avoidable events, they are far
more likely to act in the interest of their teen's safety and participate
in such initiatives as Direnfeld's "I Promise Program" (www.ipromiseprogram.com). With 25%
of all teen drivers experiencing a crash in their first year of independent
driving and car crashes as the leading cause of teen death and injury, this
is no small issue.
Direnfeld thinks reporters and editors are getting the message. "I continue to surf the Internet looking at these article daily and the ratio of articles coming up under "car crashes," as compared to "car accidents" is getting better. Kudos to the reporters."