Anytime a journalist writes about a car accident, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll get objections to using the phrase “car accident.”
For more than a decade, activists have been rallying against the word “accident” for car crashes through efforts like the “Drop the A Word” campaign. Their argument is that the word “accident” implies that it’s not the driver’s fault, that it was something that couldn’t be prevented.
But we believe some infrastructure in our region is designed, or allowed to decay, in a way that creates “accidents,” turning normal human error or natural road conditions deadly.
Zoom out from the actions of any individual awful driver, and you might find problems of road design, vehicle design, or signal design, that all may have contributed to an awful accident — an accident by design.
How many crashes happen on that spot, and why? Should there be a light at that intersection? A roundabout? Flashing pedestrian crosswalk signals? Should it be watched by redlight cameras? Should the street lose a lane? Should police invest more in traffic patrols?
We’re looking for the places where the design creates the danger.
As we debate the City of Spokane’s attempt to reduce the number of lanes on Grand Boulevard — which have had 42 car crashes in just four years — these are important questions.
Similarly, when the top of a big truck rams into a bridge, for example, a journalist can say, “Wow, that truck driver was dumb,” or they can ask, “why is this problem happening and can we solve it?”
That’s the premise behind RANGE’s “Accident By Design” project: Spotlighting our region’s dangerous stretches of roads, bridges and other infrastructure and any efforts to fix them.
The Bowdish Bump, Spokane Valley
Daniel Walters
Is there infrastructure in your neighborhood or on your route that creates “accidents?” Where are the most dangerous places to drive, walk or bike in the Inland Northwest? Email team@rangemedia.co with the subject line “Accident by Design,” or badger reporter Daniel Walters on Signal at 509-720-8388.