Matthew Yglesias says it well:
Four people ranging in age from 19 to 21 were killed early yesterday in Culpeper County, Va., when their car collided with a vehicle that was going the wrong way, Virginia State Police said.
Nobody would ever write “four people ranging in age from 19 to 21 were killed early yesterday in Culpepper County, Va., when their heads collided with bullets that were flying in the wrong direction.”
We need to consistently push for a paradigm shift in the perception of deadly automobile collisions. They’re not “accidents”, and we need to engage those who continue to persist in saying they are.
Collisions caused by drivers under the influence used to be seen as accidental, and drunk drivers were absolved of any responsibility. In the same way, we need to put the onus on sober drivers to avoid killing others. Safe driving is no accident.
