WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has supported activities and programs to reduce the number and severity of motor vehicle crashes; and

WHEREAS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data indicates that almost 42,000 deaths and more than 3 million injuries occur on our roads each year; and

WHEREAS, the continued use of the word “accident” to describe these events promotes the concept that they are like acts of God – outside of human influence and control; and

WHEREAS, in about 90 percent of these incidents, the proximate cause is driver error which equates to some violation of our motor vehicle codes; and

WHEREAS, although these motor vehicle crashes are unintentional, they are predictable and preventable; and

WHEREAS, the use of the word “accident” to describe these incidents work against bringing the appropriate resources to bear on this problem which represents a societal loss equivalent to 2.2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 103rd annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, endorses the elimination of the use of the word “accident” to describe unintentional motor vehicle crashes; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP join the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration in their efforts to eliminate the use of the word “accident” to describe unintentional motor vehicle crashes from all federal reports and publications within the next five years, and the gradual elimination of the term from all state and local reports and publications; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent to the 50 Governors and Governor’s Representatives for Highway Safety, and other appropriate national agencies and organizations.