Why “accident” is being discussed
The most recent Hacker News stories and comments contributing to this topic's mentions.
The incumbent is marked as the incumbent on the ballot by the word "incumbent" being placed next to their name. If there's any confusion, the voter would have been confused by a…
by Jtsummers · Oct 28, 2026
> The robotic courier that caused the accident left the scene before the police arrived. > The robot fled, if you can put it that way. That means it drove away after the collisi…
by paxy · Oct 28, 2026
Things like this are my secular cathedral: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gallery_of_Canada It's not an accident that the architecture of the Canadia…
by rerdavies · Oct 28, 2026
That's not really fair though. Almost all pedestrians who get hit by cars could have avoided the accident if they were observant and took responsibility for their own safety. Pe…
by sfn42 · Oct 28, 2026
It is distasteful and crass that one train correctly stopped due to a signalling failure, the other did not stop due to another signalling failure, inattention or error. Had the…
by jakedata · Oct 28, 2026
You know a Tesla was involved in an accident because they always make it part of the headline. Because it's novel. Once Tesla trucks are commonplace, it will no longer be noted.…
by reaperducer · Oct 28, 2026
Interest
Proportion of Hacker News items mentioning "accident" over time.
Mentions
Total number of Hacker News items mentioning "accident" over time.
An accident is an unintended and usually undesirable event that is not deliberately caused by humans. Although in ordinary conversations, intentionality is the only factor most people consider, formally, accidents require three factors: it must be unintended, unpreventable, and unexpected. The term accident usually implies the presence of unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Many researchers and professionals in injury prevention discourage the use of the word accident, because the word accident suggests there is no fault, no guilt, no control, and that the situation could not have been anticipated or prevented. Instead, experts emphasize preventable factors that increase risk and worsen outcomes. For example, while a tree falling in a windstorm may not involve human intention, factors such as its condition, placement, or maintenance may contribute to the outcome. Similarly, most road collisions stem from risky behaviour or preventable circumstances rather than being truly accidental; the perception that they are accidents rather than predictable and preventable events was strengthened in the mid-20th century due to automobile industry influence through media. Read more on Wikipedia