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Why might an innocuous-sounding word we all use, result in a social injustice? The answer is: when that word is \u2018accident\u2019. It\u2019s something we hear all the time. \u201cSorry, it was just an accident\u201d or \u201cthere\u2019s been a traffic accident\u2019.

But have you ever stopped to think about the impact the word has? I hadn\u2019t until I read the book by my guest journalist Jessie Singer. In \u2018There Are No Accidents\u2019, she explains that the vast majority of mishaps are not random but predictable and preventable. What\u2019s more, the term \u201caccident\u201d also changes how we look at things that go wrong. Perhaps surprisingly, the word protects those in power and leaves the most vulnerable in harm\u2019s way, preventing investigations, pushing off debts, blaming the victims, diluting anger, and even sparking empathy for the perpetrators.

\u2028During our discussion, Jessie explains how the death of a close friend prompted her to write the book and what she\u2019s learned from studying a wide range of accidents and why we need to think differently about accidents if we want to save lives and build a more just society.

To find out more about Jessie\u2019s book There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster \u2014 Who Profits and Who Pays the Price visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/There-Are-No-Accidents/Jessie-Singer/9781982129668

To find out more about Jessie, visit her website - http://jessiesinger.com/

During our discussion, we talk about:

The concepts of Jay Driving \u2014 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-driver and the more common Jay Walking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking

Hugh Dehaven, the pilot who pioneered crash injury research - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_DeHaven

The Grenfell Tower Fire \u2014 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell_Tower_fire

Grenfell was also covered in an episode of this show, in a two-part discussion with Gill Kernick. Find part one here: \U0001f449 https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/gill-kernick-on-the-grenfell-tower-disaster-part-one/

Grenfell also features on this show, in a two-part discussion with Gill Kernick. Part One here: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/gill-kernick-on-the-grenfell-tower-disaster-part-one/

The Electric Hummer - https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39270970/hummer-ev-proves-were-making-all-the-same-mistakes-again/