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Oh, well, surprisingly, it seems this article hadn't been posted here yet?

Do enjoy the discussion, and, whatever you do, please don't let the apparent incongruity of "near miss" when it's clear that it should be "near accident" derail the conversation... (insert-innocent-smiley-here)

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The word "accident" is generally inappropriate in this context. For example, it's banned from FHA and NHTSA communications [0] among others because it implies that the incident was random or unpreventable. This article is talking about incidents that can be prevented and were narrowly avoided as opposed to "accidents".

The FAA and the NTSB continue to use "accident", but they're somewhat unique in that and they have very specific technical definitions that don't match popular connotations.

[0] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/crash-not-accident

"Near collision" has some currency, as in this prize-winning photograph.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_Pulitzer_Prize#/media/Fil...

Why do we call it “near miss” when it’s more like a “near hit”?

Planes were near.

Planes missed.

Out of respect for George Carlin.

It's a miss that is near [the hit].

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